New Scotland Yard: Diamonds Are Never Forever (ITV 30 June 1973)

In Diamonds Are Never Forever wealthy diamond merchant Elliot Ryan and his wife are robbed at home of £20,000 worth of gems. As far as Kingdom and Ward are concerned there is a distinct lack of evidence but Ryan’s wife Carlotta has been having an affair with a man called George Reed (unbeknownst to them the pair are also being kept tabs on by a mysterious photographer) who keeps rather too many secrets.

We know straight away that Reed and his accomplices are behind the robbery but there is a nice twist when Carlotta tells Reed that quite a bit of the jewellery taken was paste. When Carlotta receives incriminating photographers along with a blackmail note she is forced to tell Kingdom about her affair with Reed.

This was a second appearance on the show for Denise Buckley, she played Sgt Nora Burrows in season one episode The Banker but here plays the wife of victim Ryan. Michael Culver as George Reed and Susan Littler as his girlfriend Julie Moore.

Lots of familiar faces in this episode too, Michael Culver with dodgy moustache and a working class accent; Paul Shelley, Gerald Sim and the highly regarded Susan Littler best known for her role as Viv Nicholson in Play For Today Spend Spend Spend.

classic quote
“Sometimes it’s easy to miss the flaws because of the brilliance and cut of the stone.”

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 30 June 1973 at 8.30pm

Writer: Tony Hoare / Production Design: Roger Hall / Director: Oliver Horsbrugh

Series: New Scotland Yard Season 3 Episode 2

cast
John Woodvine as Kingdom
John Carlisle as Ward
Michael Culver as George Reed
Denise Buckley as Carlotta Ryan
Gerald Sim as Elliot Ryan
John White as Barry White
Paul Shelley as Kenny Aldridge
Susan Littler as Julie Moore