Wilde Alliance (ITV 1978, John Stride, Julia Foster)

Wilde Alliance was a crime drama series with more than a little emphasis on comedy, especially of the Thin Man wise cracking kind. The show followed detective novelist Rupert Wilde (John Stride) and his wife Amy (Julia Foster) who can’t help getting involved in real life crime. The duo have a rather nice flat in a mansion in Yorkshire and Rupert drives a TR7 he also always seems to be having trouble finishing his latest book, much to the distress of his agent Christopher Bridgewater (John Lee).

A fun easy going series with an emphasis on eccentricity (for example the Wilde’s neighbour Mr Bailey (Patrick Newell) makes soft porn movies on the side) and quite often the cases the couple investigate are not your usual run of the mill murder mystery. Guest stars were pretty prominent too and included the likes of Isla Blair, Donald Burton, Judy Buxton, John Castle, Ed Bishop, Desmond Llewellyn and Diana Coupland.

Series creator Ian MacKintosh was also the brains behind the excellent series Warship and The Sandbaggers. He died in a mysterious plane crash.

production details
UK /ITV Network – Yorkshire / 13×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 17 January – 11 April 1978 / Tuesdays @ 9.00pm)

Creator/Producer: Ian Mackintosh / Executive Producer: David Cunliffe / Theme Music: Anthony Isaac

cast
JOHN STRIDE as Rupert Wilde
JULIA FOSTER as Amy Wilde
PATRICK NEWELL as Bailey
JOHN LEE as Christopher Bridgewater

THE EPISODES
1. QUESTION OF RESEARCH (Tuesday 17 January 1978)
2. FLOWER POWER (Tuesday 24 January 1978)
3. TOO MUCH TOO OFTEN (Tuesday 31 January 1978)
4. THINGS THAT GO BUMP (Tuesday 7 February 1978)
5. THE PRIVATE ARMY OF COLONEL STONE (Tuesday 14 February 1978)
6. DANNY BOY (Tuesday 21 February 1978)
7. WELL ENOUGH ALONE (Tuesday 28 February 1978)
8. EXPRESS FROM ROME (Tuesday 7 March 1978)
9. A GAME FOR TWO PLAYERS (Tuesday 14 March 1978)
10. TIME AND AGAIN (Tuesday 21st March 1978)
11. AFFRAY IN AMSTERDAM (Tuesday 28th March 1978)
12. A SUSPICION OF SUDDEN DEATH (Tuesday 4th April 1978)
13. SOME TRUST IN CHARIOTS (Tuesday 11th April 1978)