A Place In The Sun (ITV Drama, Moray Watson)

In three part drama serial A Place in the Sun, property dealer Martin Armstrong (Moray Watson) lives in comfort in a villa in the South of France. He also owns several other villas which he rents out.

All is rather idyllic until his son Edouard (Joseph Blatchley) falls for Rosemarie (Zhivila Roche) who is the daughter of a man Martin dislikes intensely.

A Place in the Sun could have done with more episodes, it’s like an ITV take on The Lotus Eaters with each of the three episodes focusing on a different member of the community, linked by the fact they were staying in one of Armstrong’s villas. The second episode focused on writer Hugh Purves (John Standing) who was being targeted by someone who wanted him out of the villa.

John Standing plays writer Hugh Purves, here with wife Judith (Elizabeth Shepherd) and Martin’s son Edouard (Joseph Blatchley).

The third and final episode focused on Simon Lenton (Edward Judd) and his wife Pamela (Marian Diamond). Simon is trying to join forces with Martin in a new property deal but his wife is unhappy with her husband’s business dealings.

There was a two week gap between episodes 2 and 3 because of a live boxing match between Chris Finnegan and Ronnie Wilson that was broadcast in that time slot.

Cast: MORAY WATSON as Martin Armstrong; ODILE VERSOIS as Jenny Armstrong; JOYCE CAREY as Mrs Preband; ANTON DIFFRING as Alexander Fischer; JOSEPH BLATCHLEY as Edouard Armstrong; SABINA MICHAEL as Gertrud Fischer; ZHIVILA ROCHE as Rosemarie Fischer; PAULETTE PRENEY as Marie; JOHN STANDING as Hugh Purves; ELIZABETH SHEPHERD as Judith Purves; GARY BOND as Pigot; PETER MILES as Lebrun; THOMAS BAPTISTE as Abu; SIMON PERRY as Photographer; JEAN MERSANT as Michel; EDWARD JUDD as Simon; MARIAN DIAMOND as Pamela; BELINDA LOW as Heather; PAULETTE PRENEY as Marie; MIRIAM MARGOLYES as Maid

Writers: Hugh Whitemore (Episode 1), John Gould (Episode 2), Bill Macllwraith (Episode 3) / Production Design: Alan Pickford / Producer and Director: John Frankau

UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 3×60 minutes / 4 – 25 April 1972

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