Bergerac: The Waiting Game (BBC-1 16 Feb 1991, with Simon Oates)

In The Waiting Game, Charlie is in France with Frank Blakemore to move their investment into Danielle’s father Albert’s Winery forward. Danielle asks Charlie if she can travel back to Jersey with him to surprise Jim. He, meanwhile, has been hired by a solicitor called Lesgate from the Economic Advisors Officer to look into a company that has applied for a Jersey trading licence. The investigation sends him on a wild goose chase across the UK and it seems that the company doesn’t actually exist.

Meanwhile still in France Charlie, Frank and Danielle meet an old business acquaintance of Charlies called Michael Faraday. Danielle is immediately suspicious of the smooth businessman when she catches him out in a lie. Danielle is even more suspicious when he seems rather too interested in Jim’s current activities.

In a bit of a runaround when Danielle arrives on Jersey Jim is still in England. She, worried about Jim, heads out to try and join up with him at the same time as he is enroute back to Jersey. Whilst at Lesgate’s to tell him about the company he was investigate Lesgate asks Jim to take on another case – this time coincidentally investigating a company that Faraday is the chairman of.

Jim gets a phone call to say Danielle is waiting for him at Charlies, when he gets there he is attacked. Eventually Danielle and Jim do manage to meet up but before they can enjoy each other’s company Jim needs to discover just what Faraday is upto. Things get murkier when Gustave Boswell, an petty crook who has been helping Jim by keeping an eye on Faraday’s place, turns up dead. Before he is killed though he does get some vital information to Jim about the fact that Faraday’s company is a front for gun running.

Cult favourite Simon Oates (of Doomwatch fame) plays the untrustworthy Faraday.

Jim, never the sharpest when it comes to fashion, commits the ultimate faux pas in this episode. Black shoes with white socks!

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 16 February 1991

Writer: David Crane / Director: Colm Villa

Series: Bergerac Season 9 Episode 7

cast
John Nettles as Jim Bergerac
Terence Alexander as Charlie Hungerford
Therese Liotard as Danielle
Jack Watling as Frank Blakemore
Simon Oates as Michael Faraday
Simon Coady as Stephen
Michael Mellinger as Albert Leufroid
Emer Gillespie as Angie
Roger Sloman as Inspector Deffand
David Kershaw as Ben Lomas
Eileen Way as Mrs Edwards
Barrie Jaimeson as Gustave Boswell
Paul Ridley as Lesgate
Charmaine Parsons as Ellie
Barry McCarthy as Cafe Owner