Episodes
Hadleigh: Gentlemen and Players (ITV 3 Aug 1973, with Stuart Wilson)
In Gentlemen and Players one of the buiness consortiums that Hadleigh is a board member of has plans to shut down a Yorkshire factory employing 2000 men. The man running the consortium is high flying Jeremy Simon who just happens to be an old friend of Jennifer’s.
Jennifer suggests that Hadleigh invites Jeremy to spend the weekend with them to see if James can change his mind. There is another option – choosing a Midlands based factory instead. Hadleigh thinks they can make a go of the Yorkshire option and embarks on a mission to sway the rest of the group.
Intriguingly when the Hadleigh’s head to London Jennifer has dinner at Jeremy’s home but tells James she is seeing old friend Lois. This leads to a brilliant scene back at the hotel when Jennifer tries to rile James into losing his temper but as always he maintains his supremely calm exterior.
Meanwhile there is a subplot involving Charlie Caldwell planning to get into the electronics business in a major business merger, Jeremy uses this secret knowledge (which he gets from Jennifer over dinner) and plans to use it get his own way and makes James back down. There is no way James will let that happen of course.
The excellent Stuart Wilson is chief guest star as Jeremy Simon but there are also roles for Richard Hurndall and David Daker as a bitter factory worker who promises to put the first brick through Melford Hall’s windows if the factory does indeed close down. Jennifer gets rather too close to Jeremy, they even share a kiss but she makes it plain that James is the man for her.
production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 3 August 1973 at 9.00pm
Writer: David Ambrose / Production Design: Andrew Drummond / Director: Mark Cullingham
Series: Hadleigh Season 3 Episode 7
cast
Gerald Harper as James Hadleigh
Hilary Dwyer as Jennifer Hadleigh
Peter Dennis as Sutton
Stuart Wilson as Jeremy Simon
Richard Hurndall as Sir George Osborne
Richard Kane as John Stevenson
Gerald James as Charlie Caldwell
David Neal as Freddy Waring
David Daker as Ted Prior
Eddie Caswell as Waiter