New Scotland Yard: Hoax (ITV 5 Jan 1973)

More insights into Ward’s home life in Hoax when funeral directors turn up on his doorstep to make arrangements for his mother who is in fact very much alive.

It’s clear somebody has it in for Ward, Kingdom thinks it may well be somebody in the street who doesn’t want a police presence in the neighbourhood. The typically gung ho Ward wants to go all vigilante especially when two tons of concrete are then delivered to his driveway. It’s also clear from the way he acts around her that Ward is, despite being a detective sergeant, still very much a home boy.

Meanwhile Kingdom and Ward also have their hands full trying to uncover who is sending bomb threats to local train stations.

An excellent guest appearance from a very young Michael Kitchen as the would be bomber who has a crisis of conscience and reveals where he has planted the bomb. In a tense countdown Ward also discovers that the man out to get him is actually colleague Detective Sergeant Tree who has a grudge against Ward over something he said about Tree’s son.

Watch out too for a surprise guest appearance from the boom mike around the half hour mark.

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 5 January 1973 at 9.00pm

Writer: Stuart Douglass / Production Design: Bryan Bagge / Director: John Reardon

Series: New Scotland Yard Season 2 Episode 12

cast
John Woodvine as Chief Supt Kingdom
John Carlisle as Det Sgt Ward
Reginald Barratt as Mr Bannerman
Betty Baskcomb as Mrs Ward
John Ringham as D.C.I. Clough
Colin Rix as D.S. Bates
Mark Dowse as D.S. Tree
Roger Hume as Mr Barker
Doreen Andrew as Mrs Barker
Michael Kitchen as Peter Coppard
Jack Woolgar as Mr Pargiter