Bergerac: Come Out Fighting (BBC-1 31 Dec 1983, with Tony Osoba)

In Come Out Fighting Jersey is about to host it’s first professional boxing match, between British middleweight Champ Eddie McCord and arrogant French challenger Jacques Laronde.

Someone is stirring up trouble for McCord though, first Lil is getting abusive messages about allowing a black man to stay in her hotel and then someone, posing as Eddie, steals a medallion from a jewellery shop and plants it in his room. Matters are further complicated when his wife Donna goes missing. The twist is that Donna, who has always hated Eddie boxing, has arranged her own kidnapping to try and get Eddie to call the fight off – her “kidnappers” though decide to turn tables on her and make the kidnapping a real one demanding £200,000 for her release. Kevin Lloyd as a local photographer.

There was much talk of it being an extremely high profile event (organised by Charlie Hungerford naturally) but we didn’t actually get to see any boxing (outside of a bit of gym sparring and a flashback scene of the last time McCord and Laronde fought – and that was all in close up). Clearly the budget didn’t stretch to a full auditorium.

There is a quick return for Lee Montague’s Inspector Dupont here after his appearance a couple of episodes before in Holiday Snaps and once again the guests cast is top notch, the likes of John Abineri, Kevin Lloyd, Tessa Peake-Jones and Clifford Rose all popping up in pretty minor roles. It’s one of the hallmarks of quality that the show alway has, strength in numbers in it’s supporting cast.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×55 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 31 December 1983 at 9.00pm

Writer: Alistair Bell / Production Design: Marjorie Pratt / Director: Robert Young

Series: Bergerac Season 3 Episode 5

cast
John Nettles as Jim Bergerac
Terence Alexander as Charles Hungerford
Sean Arnold as Crozier
Annette Badland as Charlotte
Deborah Grant as Debbie
Mela White as Diamante Lil
Tony Melody as Chief
Lee Montague as Inspector Dupont
Oliver Cotton as Jacques Laronde
Tony Osoba as Eddie McCord
Eva Mottley as Donna McCord
Jackie Farrell as Matt MacDonald
Clifford Rose as Senator Beasley
Barry Lowe as O’Brien
John Peters as Penter
Geoffrey Leesley as Det Con Wilson
Ben Thomas as Virgil
Decima Francis as Mrs Stevens
John Abineri as Leguy
Guy Deghy as Fremont
Brian McDermott as Preston
Geoffrey Banks as Old man
Tessa Peake-Jones as Reporter
Kevin Lloyd as Photographer
Timothy Block as Fisherman
Richard Steele as Foreman
Virginia Balfour as Shop assistant