New Scotland Yard: A Year To Kill (ITV 25 May 1974)

A Year To Kill, the final episode of New Scotland Yard sees the series end on a high note. A schoolmaster, Graham Pitman, has been found dead in the science laboratory. Dexter and Clay investigate but then two teenagers, Tommy and his girlfriend Jenny come forward claiming to be responsible for Pitman’s death.

Tommy is the first to come forward but it’s clear that neither Dexter or Clay believe he did it, especially as he has no actually knowledge of what happened. It’s then that Clay thinks Tommy is covering up for his girlfriend.

As events pan out Jenny reveals she was blackmailing Pitman so that she and Tommy can run away together and she actually killed him when she confronted him at the school. The funny thing Clay doesn’t believe her either and he is right not to as it’s clear she is thinks Tommy is the guilty party. The real person responsible is much closer to home for Jenny than she thinks.

Something of a rapid fire episode, there is a short glimpse of Clay at home arguing with his son Alec and then we are straight into the story. The two young leads playing teenagers Tommy and Jenny are excellent, very natural.

This fourth season, despite the change in cast has been excellent, shame it only ran to seven episodes really. Clay and Dexter’s dynamic has been really good too. Definitely more laid back and non-antagonistic than Kingdom and Ward. The episode finishes with Clay and Dexter having a fried breakfast cooked by Mrs Clay at the Clay family home.

classic quote
Jenny: He was an old man
Clay: He was fifty
Jenny: There you are then

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 25 May 1974 at 8.30pm

Writer: Stuart Douglass / Production Design: Andrew Gardner / Director: Philip Casson

Series: New Scotland Yard Season 4 Episode 7

cast
Michael Turner as Clay
Clive Francis as Dexter
George Collis as Tommy Downs
Amber Thomas as Jenny Duggan
Tony Caunter as Mr Duggan
Dennis Tynsley as Mr Pitman
Leslie Noyes as Caretaker
Margaret John as Janet Clay
Ross Cooper as Alec Clay
Alan Bennion as Pathologist
Peter Dennis as Detective Inspector Roberts
John McKelvey as Mr Docherty
Auriol Smith as Alice Devlin
Mary Chester as Mrs Downs