Bergerac: There For The Picking (BBC-1 26 Dec 1990, with Kenneth Cranham)

In There For The Picking Jim has well and truly left the bureau but an important file about an arms dealer has gone missing from the last few weeks of his service.

At the vineyard a group of young English fruit pickers are causing a bit of trouble in the village with their drinking. Danielle’s father blames Jim for the upset of course. Meanwhile a new arrival Roderick is something of a computer genius and although he may seem like the archtypal nerd he is planning a massive con involving siphoning money from bank accounts.

It ends up causing trouble for both Jim and Charlie. Jim because Roderick is still at the vineyard whilst the con is on and Charlie because he has found himself involved with some dangerous company – Gascoine the arms dealer that the bureau are investigating. Some of the money Roderick took belonged to both Charlie and Gascoine. Once Gascoine (thanks to Charlie) discovers that Roderick is behind the missing money Jim faces a race against time to save his life.

Once again there is a subtle re-arrangement of the theme tune, the episode – which aired almost 9 months after the end of season 8 – gives something of an indication of the direction the final season will take.

Definitely not one of Jim’s better looks.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×90 minute episode / Broadcast 26 December 1990

Writer: Desmond Lowden / Director: Gordon Flemyng

Series: Bergerac Special Number 5

cast
John Nettles as Jim Bergerac
Terence Alexander as Charlie Hungerford
Sean Arnold as Barney Crozier
John Telfer as Willy Pettit
David Kershaw as Ben Lomas
Therese Liotard as Danielle
Michael Mellinger as Albert Leufroid
Warren Saire as Roderick
Melanie Thaw as Sarah
Kenneth Cranham as Gascoine
Simon Chandler as Sumner
Lawrence Davidson as Police Inspecteur
Leslie Clack as Cafe Owner
Altay Lawrence as Chris
Julian Freeman as Air Traffic Controller