Bergerac: Chrissie (BBC-1 15 Nov 1985, Veronica Smart)

In Chrissie married fashion designers Paul and Simone Demoins are on the island putting the finishing touches to their latest collection, which will be their Paris breakthrough. They are paranoid about keeping their designs safe before the big show.

Meanwhile a group of youths are committing “drive by” robberies on cars (even Lil fall victim and ends up in hospital). One of the victims just happens to be Mr Demoin. Things become more problematic for the Demoins when their children’s nanny Chrissie falls for one of the robbers.

Chrissie though is not whom she seems, it turns out she is only 14 and has run away from her home in London. Fashion design Paul Demoin seems to quite like Susan.

Another of the victims, Mr Carpenter, is none too impressed with Jim’s investigation. He does have a point to be fair. Jim seems particularly uninterested in Carpenter’s woes. Carpenter is given quite a bit of screen time and initially you wonder why Jim seems to be ignoring him but it does have a bearing in the end.

It’s something of a mixed episode, the Demoin’s storyline, which is by far the weaker of the two, is given too much time whilst Chrissie’s story tends to get sidelined a little although it does move centre stage, with devastating consequences, in the final third of the episode. A young Michelle Collins played one of the tearaways.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episodes / Broadcast 15 November 1985 at 9.25pm

Writer: Edwin Pearce / Production Design: Phil Robertson / Director: David Reynolds

Series: Bergerac Season 4 Episode 6

cast
John Nettles as Jim Bergerac
Terence Alexander as Charles Hungerford
Sean Arnold as Crozier
Nancy Mansfield as Peggy Masters
Mela White as Diamante Lil
Sheila Ruskin as Simone Demoins
Duncan Preston as Paul Demoins
Louise Jameson as Susan
Deborah Grant as Deborah
Hilary Mason as Aunt Annie
Veronica Smart as Chrissie
Rosie Marcel as Michelle Demoins
Perry Fenwick as Louis
Sam Graham as Rod
Michelle Collins as Trace
Jolyon Baker as Det Con Goddard
Arthur Cox as Carpenter
Sean Scanlon as Sam Weller
Clare Clifford as Radio interviewer
Ted Richards as Harbour man
Daniel Andre Pageon as Fashion show producer
Kate Ingram as Reporter