New Scotland Yard: Exchange Is No Robbery (ITV 4 Aug 1974)

In Exchange is No Robbery Kingdom and Ward are investigating a major bank raid. The case though is pretty much secondary to the spiky relationship between Kingdom and Chief Superintendent Piggott, brought in from regional crime squad to help on the case. The pair have known each other since training school and have never liked each other. Ward is sure that Piggott has designs on Kingdom’s job. With good reason – throughout the episode Piggott (played by the stalwart Peter Jeffrey) does his best to scupper Kingdom’s progress with the case.

Meanwhile one of the chief suspects, businessman Peter Royle, is determined to “fit up” Kingdom and Ward and arranges for Ward’s snout, the excellently named”Taters”, to plant false information that the money from the raid is in his safe. When the duo pays them a visit he secretly records the conversation to make it look like they were taking money with menaces. Even though the resulting tape is clearly fake it gives Piggott more fuel to try and get Kingdom out of the way.

Peter Jeffrey was one of the decades most reliable character actors, he appears in most of the big shows of the era, everything from The Onedin Line to The Main Chance to Survivors and all shades in between and never puts a foot wrong. Here he is excellent as Piggott who takes great delight in reporting to his superior Commander Connor about Kingdom every chance he gets. Luckily for Kingdom Connor knows exactly what Piggott is up to. Mark Eden as crooked businessman Peter Royal laying a trap for Kingdom and Ward.

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1x50minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 4 August 1973 at 8.30pm

Writer: Peter Hill / Production Design: David Catley / Director: Bill Turner

Series: New Scotland Yard Season 3 Episode 7

cast
John Woodvine as Kingdom
John Carlisle as Ward
Harold Innocent as Justin Toller
Brian Hall as Alfie
Peter Jeffrey as Chief Supt Piggott
Michael Byrne as Detective Sergeant Patten
Mark Eden as Peter Royal
Charles Morgan as Commander Connor
Brian Hayes as “Taters”
Nicola White as Janet
Desmond Stoke as Solicitor
Brian Lawson as Chief Inspector Downey