Wilde Alliance: A Game For Two Players (ITV 14 Mar 1978 with Spencer Banks)

In A Game For Two Players Rupert and Amy find themselves helping a young teenage boy, Steven, whose father is in prison and whose mother has gone missing, his only clue is a postcard featuring a picture of York Minster. As the duo dig deeper they find the waters surrounding the boys mother decidedly murky, Amy finds herself wishing that Steven could stay with them on a more permanent basis.

Quite a strong episode even if it begins with the highly dodgy overtones of Rupert picking up a teenage boy hitch-hiker! There is some quite serious examination of the Wilde’s relationship too with Amy very quickly becoming quite emotionally attached to young Steven and Rupert just sees him as a problem to solve. One is given the impression that Amy would very much have liked children. There is a good twist in the tale too as well as an appearance from Bailey, the odious pornographer from downstairs.

A good guest cast too with small roles for Spencer Banks, Jeff Rawle and Daragh O’Malley who is best known for his role in Sharpe.

The episode was written by John Bowen, a writer who John Stride had recently worked with on two projects very different to Wilde Alliance and both very powerful and must see for any fans of Stride. The first was a Play For Today called A Photograph and the second was an entry in the BBC’s A Ghost Story For Christmas called The Ice House.

classic quote
“I’m the child of this marriage, we both know that, I might get jealous, I don’t like intruders”

production details
UK / ITV Network – Yorkshire / 1×60 minute episode / Broadcast: Tuesday 14 March 1978 @9.00pm

Writer: John Bowen / Production Design: Peter Kindred / Director: David Reynolds

Series: Wilde Alliance Episode 9 of 13

cast
JOHN STRIDE as Rupert Wilde
JULIA FOSTER as Amy Wilde
JOHN LEE as Christopher Bridgewater
PATRICK NEWELL as Bailey
CHERITH MELLOR as Janet
JEFF RAWLE as Pusher
DAVID CORTI as Steve
MAGGIE JONES as Bureau Manageress
BILL ROURKE as Man in Old Mac
DARAGH O’MALLEY as Declan
SPENCER BANKS as Shop Assistant