The Main Chance: It Could Happen To You (ITV 21 Sep 1970)

In It Could Happen To You David is completely preoccupied by his bitter custody battle but he does find time to take on the case of antique dealer Mrs Clifford who has been left blind in an attack by two hoodlums.

David’s snobbish attitudes are very much to the fore here. He is seriously upset about the fact that his kids are going to a comprehensive and living in a less affluent area. It’s a situation that seems at best misguided and also not overly believable. At the end of the day Main has pretty much shown zero interest in his children to this point and if he does get custody they would in effect have no parental supervision as the driven Main is so work obsessed. Bernard Kay appears again as Julia’s husband, Julia herself is conspicuous by her absence. Bernard Kay as Julia’s new husband Patrick Bell – he offers some much needed stability to Julia.

David wins custody but finds “two polite little strangers” living with him. Offscreen we learn the decision means Julia is on the verge of cracking up. David then comes up with a solution that will let him have his cake and eat it. If Bell agrees to move to a more upmarket area and let David choose the school his children go to he will allow Julia to have “care and control” of the children (he however with retain legal custody of them).

Diana Coupland has a nice role as the blind Mrs Clifford and there is an appearance from soon to be Onedin Line regular Brian Rawlinson as her assistant. Peter Findon proves himself to be nicely sympathetic again in this episode taking Mrs Clifford under his wing.

Trivia fans may note that Anna Palk’s character Sarah’s surname has subtly changed from Courtnay in season one to Courtney in this second season.

classic quote
“All the machinery of the law grinding into motion slow and careful.”

“I’m not in the handshakes business I will put it in writing.”

“Win a few, lose a few. Sometimes you can’t tell the difference.”

production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Monday 21 September 1970 at 8.30pm

Writer: Edmund Ward / Production Design: Roger Cheveley / Director: Marc Miller

Series: The Main Chance Season 2 Episode 2

cast
John Stride as David Main
Anna Palk as Sarah Courtney
John Wentworth as Henry Castleton
Philip Bond as Peter Findon
Bernard Kay as Patrick Bell
John Westbrook as Charles Wainwright
Diana Coupland as Mrs Clifford
Brian Rawlinson as George Langden
Norman Scace as Anthony Markson
David Steuart as Judge
John Barcroft as Mark Freedler