Bergerac: Under Wraps (BBC-1 25 Feb 1990, with Alfred Lynch)

In Under Wraps, dying scientist Henry Whittaker has been staying at a nursing home run by Sir Matthew Osterson, he has a sinister agenda though. Teaming up with a younger scientist Richard Arlington and his girlfriend Julie Manton the trio are planning to extort a million pounds out of Sir Matthew by threatening to introduce a deadly poison into the island’s water supply. Osterson himself is a former scientist and worked heavily in the development of various nerve agents.

With the safety of the island’s residents at stake the Bureau has little option but to play along with the extortionists. It’s only when they begin to get greedy that Jim spots his chance to bring them down.

The brilliant writer Edmund Ward, creator of shows such The Main Chance and The Hanged Man, contributed his last TV script here and it’s a typically strong one. Jerome Flynn makes a small appearance as a vet who ends up as the first (and thankfully only) human victim of the poison.

The final scene is a tense action sequence that takes place in the close confines of Whittaker’s kitchen. Lives are at risk and Jim not only knocks out Julie Manton with a right hook he also luckily just manages to save the day and prevent the nerve agent (contained in a small test tube) from rolling down the sink!

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Sunday 25 February 1990 at 7.45pm

Writer: Edmund Ward / Production Design: Tom Yardley Jones / Director: Geoffrey Sax

Series: Bergerac Season 8 Episode 7

cast
John Nettles as Det Sgt Jim Bergerac
Greg Hicks as Richard Arlington
Cathryn Harrison as Julie Manton
Terence Alexander as Hungerford
Leonard Trolley as Dennis
Bronwen Trolley as Jane
Geoffrey Chater as Sir Matthew Osterson
Alfred Lynch as Henry Whittaker
Lindy Whiteford as Helen Montrose
Paula Jacobs as Mrs Frith
David Kershaw as Ben Lomas
John Telfer as Willy Pettit
Kate McKenzie as Kate
Jerome Flynn as Alan Burton
Sean Arnold as Crozier