Shoestring: Room With A View (BBC-1 5 Oct 1980, Michael Culver)

Shades of Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock in the season two opener Room With A View when ageing Lettie Ross, a former star of the music hall circuit sees what she thinks is a murder committed in the window of a house opposite her flat but a body is nowhere to be found. She calls Eddie and his investigations reveal links to a shady property company run by the ruthless Duke Winsor.

Kicking off the second and final season in fine style A Room With A View has more than a few nods to both Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Christie’s 4.50 From Paddington with things never quite as they seem and a charming performance from Madeline Thomas as Lettie Ross who spends much of the episode helping Eddie crack the case. Great moment too when Eddie returns to the computer firm he used to work for and has something of an anxiety attack.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 5 October 1980 @ 9.05pm

Writer: Robert Bennett / Production Design: John Hurst / Director: Henry Herbert

Series: Shoestring Season Two Episode One

guest cast
MADELINE THOMAS as Lettie Ross
MICHAEL CULVER as Stephen Brook
BRIDGET BRICE as Marianne
OSCAR JAMES as Duke Winsor
DAVID BEALE as Terence
MAGGIE RILEY as Marjorie
ALEX DAVION as Alexei Lenkov
CHRISTOPHER BENJAMIN as Leacock
TREVOR WARD as Rasta
JEANNE LESTY as Liz
OSMUND BULLOCK as Estate Agent
KIKA MIRYLEES as Katrina
ROD BEACHAM as O’Dell
GEOFFREY BATEMAN as DJ
MICHAEL SADLER as Rodney
DAVID AUKER as Auditonee
PAT ROSSITER as Mrs Aylyard