Bergerac: Always Leave Them Laughing (BBC-1 16 Jan 1983, with Joanne Whalley)

In Always Leave Them Laughing popular comedian Andy Galbraith is on the island for a summer season. After taking part as a judge in a beauty contest who is accused of the attempted rape of one of the contestants, Christine Bolton.

Galbraith insists he is innocent and that Christine is lying because she feels she was passed over for first prize in the contest. Is Christine telling the truth or is she part of a wider plot to bring Galbraith down.

As was sadly typical of the time it’s Christine Bolton who has to prove that she was nearly raped, even Lil is more sympathetic towards Galbraith than Christine. Rikki Fulton as comedian Andy Galbraith.

Joanne Whalley had had a major role in Granada’s well received adaptation of Stan Barstow’s A Kind of Loving but in the couple of years following hadn’t really capitalised on the success of that show. With her breakthrough roles in Edge of Darkness and Scandal still a few years off she was still making guest appearances.

The excellent Geoffrey Davies has become something of a semi-regular playing Charlie’s lawyer Roger Dubree, here Charlie suggests Andy Galbraith use him.

Always Leave Them Laughing is actually quite prescient given dealing as it does with a popular entertainer accused of abusing his position.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×60 minute episode / Broadcast Sunday 16 January 1983 at 9.10pm

Writer: Robert Banks Stewart, Peter Miller / Production Design: John Hurst / Director: Peter Smith

Series: Bergerac Season 2 Episode 2

cast
John Nettles as Jim Bergerac
Terence Alexander as Charles Hungerford
Sean Arnold as Crozier
Annette Badland as Charlotte
Mela White as Diamante Lil
Tony Melody as Chief
Geoffrey Leesley as Det Con Wilson
Geoffrey Davies as Roger Dubree
Rikki Fulton as Andy Galbraith
Joanne Whalley as Christine Bolton
Jan Wilson as Hilda Galbraith
Brian Capron as Lee Houghton
David English as Harry Rousseau
Jonathan Adams as Dr Lejeune
Peter Hughes as Chemist
Edward Phillips as Merlin
Harry Littlewood as Doorkeeper
Mike Kemp as First angler
David Glyder as Second angler