Oil Strike North (BBC-1 1975, Nigel Davenport, Angela Douglas)

Oil Strike North was a drama series with action adventure overtones detailing life for the men who work for international oil company Triumph Oil. Like Gerard Glaister’s other shows such as The Troubleshooters the action was concerned both with the boardroom and the worker.

At the start of the series the company has just three months worth of Government concessions left but it looks like Oil may be about to strike.

Lead character was Drilling Superintendent Frank Ward and it was his troubled relationship with his wife Julie that provided much of the dramatic thrust.

production details
UK / BBC-1 / 13×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 26 August – 18 November 1975

Creators: Gerard Glaister, N.J. Crisp, Tom Veitch, Joan Veitch / Producer: Gerard Glaister

cast
Nigel Davenport as Operations Area Manager Jim Fraser
Michael Whitney as Frank Ward
Angela Douglas as Julie Ward
Andrew Robertson as Donald Cameron
Angela Cheyne as Shona Cameron
Glyn Owen as Jack Mullery
Callum Mill as Angus Gallacher
Barbara Shelley as Elaine Smythe
Richard Hurndall as Charles Wayman
Maurice Roeves as McGraw

THE EPISODES
1. Deadline (26 Aug 75)
2. Quiet Day (2 Sep 75)
3. Storm Clouds (9 Sep 75)
4. First Lion (16 Sep 75)
5. The Decision (23 Sep 75)
6. The Floating Bomb (30 Sep 75)
7. It Depends Where You Stand (7 Oct 75)
8. Shore Leave (14 Oct 75)
9. Workhorse (21 Oct 75)
10. Time of Hazard (28 Oct 75)
11. Headhunters (4 Nov 75)
12. The Fatal Hours Part 1 (11 Nov 75)
13. The Fatal Hours Part 2 (18 Nov 75)

• Oil Strike North: The Floating Bomb (S1EP6 BBC One 30 Sep 1975, Richard Hurndall)

• Oil Strike North: It Depends Where You Stand (S1EP7 BBC One 7 Oct 1975, Michael Sheard)

• Oil Strike North: Shore Leave (S1EP8 BBC One 14 Oct 1975, Kate Coleridge)

• Oil Strike North: Workhorse (S1EP9 BBC One 21 Oct 1975, Stuart McGugan)

• Oil Strike North: Time of Hazard (S1EP10 BBC One 28 Oct 1975, Sarah Sutton)

• Oil Strike North: The Fatal Hours Part 1 (S1EP12 BBC One 11 Nov 1975, Leon Lissek)

• Oil Strike North: The Fatal Hours Part 2 (S1EP13 BBC One 18 Nov 1975, Oliver Maguire)

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