Within These Walls: The Man With The Magic Touch (ITV 11 Sep 1976, with Martin Jarvis)

In The Man With The Magic Touch new governor Helen Forrester is still preaching a hard line and her focus has turned to the special wing for drug addicts and the group therapy sessions that are a key component of the treatment as well as what she perceives to be giving them an easy time of it.

New inmate Jackie Stapleton is in Stone Park for forging prescription to get hold of drugs, she applies to take part in the drug program but is seemingly only interested in causing trouble. She is also a philosophy and very much in the thrall of her professor Peter Flynn. At a group visit Flynn makes a very strong impression and soon has several of the girls at his feet.

There’s an excellent scene where Liz Clarke pays a visit to the home of Peter Flynn, he is getting about in a kaftan and is a big fan of the wacky backy. He offers some to Liz who of course flatly refuses but when she is served tea she doesn’t realise that the cakes she is sampling are also infused with a certain substance. She end up completely stoned and gives Flynn a really telling off and then pukes in his bathroom. Flynn also turns out to be a complete drug addict – as Liz heads into his bathroom Flynn is already getting his next fix of the hard stuff.

Meanwhile back at Stone Park, Jackie’s roommate on the drug unit, also a drug addict, has got hold of smuggled in barbiturates and taken an overdose. Mrs Forrester is adamant that the unit should be shut down but Charles Radley persuades her to give Dr Mayes 24 hours to get to the bottom of the matter.

UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 11 September 1976

Writer: Terence Feely / Production Design: Andrew Gardner / Director: Christopher Hodson

Series: Within These Walls Season 4 Episode 2

cast
Katharine Blake as Helen Forrester
Denys Hawthorne as Dr Mayes
Jerome Willis as Charles Radley
Mona Bruce as Mrs Armitage
Beth Harris as Liz Clarke
Patricia Macrae as Officer Norris
Martin Jarvis as Peter Flynn
Patti Love as Jackie Stapleton
Jean Leppard as Kate Rogers
Doreen Andrew as Sister Baxter
Anna Keaveney as Pauline
Zibba Mays as Joan
Jill Richards as Maisie
Charmian Dore as Emma
Michael Deeks as Billy
Eileen Davies as Josephine
Richard Adams as Jack
Jay Neill as Harry
Miranda Forbes as Officer Parsons
Trixi Scales as Nellie
Carole Bollard as Officer Bailey
Patricia Trueman as Officer Watts
Catherine Riding as Pearl