The Next Great Train Robbery was Anthony Bate’s second appearance in The Main Chance, here is playing businessman Tom Kelly who has trouble when he discovers that the house he is planning to sell is not actually owned by him. This leads into what is really the main story of the episode, his teenage son Michael is in serious trouble thanks to riding on trains without a ticket – compounding the issue is the fact that he is already on a good behaviour bond from a previous theft offence. Main discovers that Michael’s real issue’s stem from the break up of his parent’s marriage.
Meanwhile there is a small but telling appearance from the always excellent Clifford Rose as solicitor Lewis Savage who seems to be quite interested in Margaret. Apart from a brief dalliance with Robin Ellis in season two episode A Man I Know To Be Innocent she hasn’t had too much to do actually and romance certainly hasn’t been on the agenda.
production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Wednesday 12 July 1972 at 9.00pm
Writer: Ray Jenkins / Production Design: Vic Symonds / Director: Marc Miller
Series: The Main Chance Series 3 Episode 6
cast
John Stride as David Main
Margaret Ashcroft as Margaret Castleton
John Wentworth as Henry Castleton
Anthony Bate as Tom Kelly
Rowena Cooper as Fiona Kelly
Roderic Noble as Michael Kelly
Joe Dunlop as Detective Constable Rigg
Clifford Rose as Lewis Savage
Malcolm Terris as Mr Page
David Garfield as Edward J. Brown
Ellis Dale as Ticket Collector
Nora Nicholson as Mrs Roach
Dorothy Allison as Chairman of Magistrates