Crocodile Shoes: Answered Prayers (BBC-1 12 Dec 1996, with Donald Sumpter)

In Answered Prayers, the penultimate episode, the action is definitely moving on a pace, Jed’s sister Emma has killed her abusive husband Pep on their wedding night and is in jail awaiting trial, Jed is determined to do everything he can to help and decides to perform a benefit gig to try and raise enough money to hire a proper criminal lawyer rather than the junior first timer she has been given. Pep’s first wife then tells Jed she is keen to testify that Pep was a serial abuser.

Meanwhile Jed has decided to sign with Alan Clarke to try and revitalise his career, Alan immediately sets about trying to buy out Jed’s contract with Paradigm records and demanding an audit on just where all of Jed’s money has gone sparking alarm bells with the odious Warren Bowles who decides that his “hit man” Connors should get rid of Jed once and for all.

A good episode with a sense of building tension throughout even if Emma’s predicament is dealt with all too quickly and easily.

production details
UK / BBC One – Big Boy – Red Rooster / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 12 December 1996

Writer: Jimmy Nail / Director: Roger Bamford

Series: Crocodile Shoes Season Two Episode Five

guest cast
STEPHEN MILBURN as Clerk VAL HANSON as Magistrate
MARK HADFIELD as Fawdington
PETER MAIR as Dominic Miller
SHEILA TAIT as Mary
CHRISTOPHER FAIRBANK as Alan Clarke
DONALD SUMPTER as Pilsbury
ROBERT MORGAN as Warren Bowles
TREVOR BYFIELD as Connors
KENNETH MacDONALD as D.I. McClusky
ELIZABETH CARLING as Wendy
MOLLY BEAN as Becky
DAVE TAGGART, STEVE ROBSON, JOHN MILES JNR, FRANK GIBBON, PAUL THOMPSON, VIVEEN WRAY, TERRI SYMON as Band
SAMMY JOHNSON as Archie
MICKEY HUTTON as Tony
ALISON STERLING as Kate – Vicar
GARETH MARKS as Bill Bowry
RICHARD SANDS as Bob
PAUL PALANCE as Big Chrissie
CHRISTOPHER CONNEL as Paul
ROY PATISON as Walter Fines
JO DOW as Matt Ford
ANDREW VINCENT as Roadie
JEFFREY KNOX as Omo
BRIAN WALSH as Bobby
LEE DAVIS as Bouncer
PETER HUGHES as Judge
PAULINE MORIARTY as Jury Foreperson