"IN LATE VICTORIAN LONDON LIVED MANY DETECTIVES WHO WERE THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES."
The Thames TV Colour Production of "THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES", based upon a short story collection of the same name, ran for two series: the first in 1971 and the second in 1973. There's nothing better than 1970's British television (c'mon, you know it's true) and this series is a particularly good example of funky freshness! As the title suggests, the series features adaptations from the multitude of detective fiction produced in the late Victorian and Edwardian in the wake of the success of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's consulting detective. "RIVALS" is also a prime example of the look and feel of 70's British television I love so well. Add to all this the plethora of superb (and well-loved-by-me) British character actors (a healthy amount of DOCTOR WHO alums among them) and a hint of two of horror elements in a couple episodes, and you have a winner with me! Even the "worst" episode here is fully entertaining and worth a watch. Each episode below I'll try to rate out of the 5 star system.
S01EP01 - A MESSAGE FROM THE DEEP SEA ★★★★
Our first master detective is Dr. Thorndyke from the writings of R. Austin Freeman. Thorndyke teaches criminology at University. When a former student Dr. Hart (now assistant to the police surgeon) is assigned his first murder case, he decides to ask his old mentor and his assistant Dr. Jervis to tag along. In a nearby rooming house, they find the body of woman lying in her bed stabbed in the throat and clutching a clump of bright red hair. After taking note of all the clues in the room, the trio is joined by the supercilious police surgeon Dr. Davidson and rather dim Detective Sergeant Bates who, after learning the deceased had an argument with an Irish woman in the house with bright red hair, they quickly declare it an open-and-shut case and ignore all evidence to the contrary . . . which Thorndyke fruitlessly attempts to point out.
Dr. Thorndyke is wonderfully played by John Neville (star of Terry Gilliam's noble misfire THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN). The detective's Watson-like perpetually annoyed and exasperated Dr. Jervis is nicely played by James Cossins (probably best remembered around these parts for his role in the FAWLTY TOWERS episode "The Hotel Inspectors": "This wine is corked. The wine . . . has reacted . . . with the cork and gone off!"). Paul Darrow plays neophyte assistant police surgeon Dr. Hart; the actor being primarily known for his role on BLAKE'S 7 as well as twice appearing in DOCTOR WHO in the stories "Doctor Who and the Silurians" and "Timelash". Pompous police surgeon Dr. Davidson is played by Bernard Archard who is also best known on this blog for his role as Marcus Scarman in DOCTOR WHO: THE PYRAMIDS OF MARS. Terence Rigby as Sgt. Bates appeared in GET CARTER in the same year as this episode. Also in the cast is Nicholas Smith; ole Jug Ears himself Mr. Rumboldt from ARE YOU BEING SERVED?. This is a nicely effective, strong episode to start the series.
S01EP02 - THE MISSING WITNESS SENSATION ★★★½
Tonight's detective is Max Carrados from the works of Ernest Bramah. In the realm of detective fiction, Carrados is rather unique in the fact that he's blind. A man named Dennis Rank is on trial for attacking a woman during a robbery. However, a witness named Mr. Thaxted claims to have been with the accused in Richmond Park at the time of the crime. But Max Carrados knows it's all a lie because he himself met Dennis Rank at that same time in Richmond Park. Unfortunately, when Carrados puts himself forward as a contradictory witness, the "Irish Republican Brotherhood" (of which Rank is a member), kidnaps Carrados and holds him prisoner so that he cannot testify. Predicting this event, Carrados previous makes a sworn affidavit which is admitted in court after his disappearance. An angry Irish Republican Brotherhood threatens to kill Carrados if Rank is found guilty.
Robert Stephens plays Max Carrados with a slightly camp edge and a supreme confidence in his abilities as a detective. However, his performance isn't one-note as 2/3rds of the way through the episode, Stephens plays it more apprehensively and self-chastising as Carrados begins to think maybe he's bitten off more than he can chew this time. Sir Robert Stephens is known 'round here for his starring role in THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES as well as THE ASPHYX. Interestingly, of Stephens' 4 marriages, his last two wives were Maggie Smith and Patricia Quinn (Magenta of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW)! Another old favourite in the cast is Christopher Cazenove; forever known around here for playing Lord Charlie Hazelmere in THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET.
S01EP03 - THE AFFAIR OF THE AVALANCHE BICYCLE & TYRE CO. LTD. ★★★½
In his first of two episodes, we have detective Horace Dorrington from the works of Arthur Morrison. Dorrington as a detective is fascinating in that he's completely amoral and unscrupulous; he will lie and cheat everyone in order to turn a profit from his detective work! He's just so lovable as played by the great Peter Vaughan that you can't help but root for him. I'd describe Dorrington as a "cuddly snake". Dorrington wants to invest in the Avalanche bicycle company since the impending rage for these new-fangled bicycles might make him a tidy sum. But Dorrington senses something fishy and becomes friendly with Mr. Stedman of the rival Indestructible Bicycle Company to gain information. A bicycle race which will determine which bikes are the best ends in a big crash as some unknown ruffian throws a folding chair on the track; the race is at night so no one sees it until it's too late and a massive pile-up occurs injuring superstar cyclist Gillet. Who threw the chair and why? And what's everybody up to?
Peter Vaughan is superb as the lovable lout Dorrington and, while you don't really care about the plot of this episode, you're glued to Vaughan's performance with delight. Vaughan, beloved for his recurring role as Genial Harry Grout in the classic Britcom PORRIDGE also played Anthony Hopkins' father in REMAINS OF THE DAY as well as Giles Corey in THE CRUCIBLE plus well-remembered roles in TIME BANDITS, BRAZIL, the classic BBC Ghost Story for Christmas "A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS" and the music video for Kate Bush's EXPERIMENT IV. Stedman is played by John Carlisle who I remember mostly from his role as iffy psychiatrist Roy Martindale in the BBC series THE OMEGA FACTOR. Particularly wonderful in this and the upcoming second Dorrington episode are the long-suffering assistants Mr. Farrish and Ms. Parrott played by Kenneth Colley and Petronella Barker respectively. Colley is most known to me as fantastically having played Jesus Christ in MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN and from his turn in Michael Palin & Terry Jones' series RIPPING YARNS in the episode "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite" and ultimately as Admiral Piett in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI.
S01EP04 - THE DUCHESS OF WILTSHIRE'S DIAMONDS ★★★★
The detective for this episode is Simon Carne; however, like Dorrington, Carne is bent as a dog's back leg. He basically hires himself out as a detective to solve crimes that he himself has committed; therefore he never recovers the stolen merchandise but instead provides the victim with a plausible-sounding explanation as to how the dingus was stolen. In fact, Simon Carne himself is really a disguise of a hunchbacked aristocrat in false wig and facial hair. Carne is met by his friend Lord Amberley on Carne's return to England. On their way to Carne's newly-purchased flat, Amberley regails Carne with tales of the latest rage in London: a dazzlingly mysterious detective named Klimo who has all of London abuzz. To Carne's horror, his new flat is right next door to this glory-hound detective! Carne takes his leave of Amberley, enters his new flat where his manservant Belton awaits and proceeds to removes his false mustache, beard and wig . . . as well as his fake hump! He then puts on an outlandishly elaborate costume with a baldcap and adapts an Irish accent. Simon Carne is, in fact, Klimo. He sits in a desk which revolves over to the house next door and accepts clients as Klimo. Carne is the "gentleman thief" who steals the loot and Klimo is the detective who solves (but not really) the crime without recovering the missing booty!
This is an immensely enjoyable episode in which Roy Dotrice manages to pull off the nearly impossible; putting on a different voice in his Klimo disguise which ACTUALLY sounds nothing like Roy Dotrice's voice. You can nearly always tell but in this case, you'd never know it was Dotrice's voice; it's so different not just in the Irish accent but the tone and timbre. Another superb cast finds Lord Amberley played by John Standing who appeared in the Hammer Horror THE PSYCHOPATH, the Amicus portmaneau TORTURE GARDEN, ROGUE MALE as most prominently as Jason Mountolive: the geezer who brings everyone together in THE LEGACY (1978). Butler Benton is played by John Nettleton whose DOCTOR WHO creds come from his appearance in GHOST LIGHT; however, I most associate him with his recurring role as Sir Arnold Robinson in the classic Britcoms YES, MINISTER and YES, PRIME MINISTER.
S01EP05 - THE HORSE OF THE INVISIBLE ★★★
The most "horror-themed" episode of the series features Carnacki the Ghost Detective from the works of William Hope Hodgson. This is also the only instance where I have read the stories previously to watching RIVALS. The ancient curse of the Hisgins family states that if the first born child is female, she will be haunted and eventually killed at the hands (hoofs?!?) of a ghostly invisible horse. Captain Hisgins, patriarch of the family, has a first-born daughter Mary who is engaged to be married to Charles Beaumont. The ghostly invisible horse has dutifully appeared and Beaumont has broken his arm defending Mary against it. Captain Hisgins engages Carnacki the Ghost Finder to help.
Frankly, an invisible horse isn't the scariest or most threatening thing I can think of and I wish they had chosen another story to adapt. As this is the only close-to-horror episode in the series, it's unfortunate that the whole thing seems rather silly. The acting and proceedings are rather overheated and melodramatically played but thankfully Donald Pleasence is there to underplay and basically carry the episode on his shoulders making this worth watching in the long run. The character of Mary played by Michele Dotrice (from Hammer Horror THE WITCHES, AND SOON THE DARKNESS and BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW) is willfully stubborn in a kind of stupid way; at one point (after clearly encountering the invisible horse who broke her fiancee's arm) she still insists (against Carnacki's strong objections) to take her fiancee for a long walk out in the woods AT NIGHT!!!!! I mean, really! She kinda deserves whatever she gets at this point! And the "baddie" is pretty obvious the second the character appears on screen. However, the episode is still well worth watching for some moments of gothic atmosphere as well as the ever-dependable excellence of Donald Pleasence.
S01EP06 - THE CASE OF THE MIRROR OF PORTUGAL ★★★★
Here we have the second appearance of our friend Dorrington as played by Peter Vaughan and this one I like even better than the first one! A destitute French ex-Pat named Jacques Bouvier seeks Dorrington's help in recovering a diamond called "The Mirror of Portugal"; an old family legacy passed down from the French Revolution when it was "liberated" from the French crown jewels by Bouvier's ancestor. The diamond is currently in possession of Bouvier's cousin Leon who refuses to share it. Dorrington, indignant at the suggestion that he should steal the diamond, throw's Jacques out of his office. . . then promptly goes about scheming to steal the diamond for himself.
Peter Vaughan is, if possible, even better in this episode and Colley & Barker are even better here as Farrish & Parrott as well! This episode is just so damned enjoyable as we follow the amoral antics of Dorrington . . . and there's a terrific twist at the end too! In the cast, Michael Forrest as Jacques Bouvier had an extensive TV career appearing in LOC&H favourites like THE AVENGERS, DANGER MAN, UFO, CALLAN and DOOMWATCH. Oscar Quitak as cousin Leon also had a busy career in films such as REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN, BRAZIL and BLOODBATH AT THE HOUSE OF DEATH as well as appearances in TV shows like YES, PRIME MINISTER, OPEN ALL HOURS, ACE OF WANDS, DOOMWATCH, and LOVEJOY. Most prominently featured is Paul Eddington as Hamer whose roles include the Hammer Horror THE DEVIL RIDES OUT as well as his well-loved starring roles in THE GOOD LIFE and YES, MINISTER/YES, PRIME MINISTER. Also in a walk-on is a ridiculously young Jeremy Irons!
S01EP07 - MADAME SARA ★★
Dixon Druce is our featured detective this episode from the works of L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace. Jack Selby has just married his beautiful Spanish wife Beatrice. But there's a problem. There is an inheritance of two million pounds up for grabs but it will only be given to the last survivor of Beatrice, her sister Edith or their step brother Silva. Last one alive gets the grisbi! The sisters' older step brother is estranged from the family and lives in distant Brazil. Silva has a bad reputation and the sisters may be in serious danger. Somehow mixed up in all this is a mysterious woman known as Madame Sara who in in the "beautifying" business and claims to be able to prevent aging as well as being a deft hand at surgery, dentistry and a host of other medical practices. Edith seems terribly afraid of Madame Sara . . . but in awe of her at the same time. Unfortunately, when one of the sisters dies of poisoning, everyone's worst fears are realised.
S01EP08 - THE CASE OF THE DIXON TORPEDO ★★★½
Jonathan Pryde is this episode's detective. Although it should've been Martin Hewitt from the works of Arthur Morrison. This is one of three detective Martin Hewitt stories adapted for this series of RIVALS; which rises to five Arthur Morrison stories this series when you include the two Dorrington episodes! That's a lot of Morrison! And I guess they invented the detective character of Jonathan Pryde (Hewitt's partner/assistant) two cut down the amount of Martin Hewitt episodes from three to two. It IS rather baffling to me that they chose to broadcast the Jonathan Pryde episode before ANY Martin Hewitt episodes aired. I would've thought airing a Hewitt episode followed by this Pryde episode would've made more sense. The client in this episode is actually looking to hire Hewitt (who we've never seen so far in RIVALS) and is told by Pryde that Hewitt's out of town on a case so he'd have to settle for Pryde. Odd. Anywho, the British Admiralty hires Pryde to watch inventor F. Graham Dixon who is working on plans for a new-fangled miracle torpedo so that it doesn't fall into the hands of naughty foreign powers (this is pre-World War I). Of course, while Dixon is testing a model of the torpedo in a secluded lake, Pryde notices a sneaky Pete spying on him from the trees. Of course, before you it, the plans are stolen.
Jonathan Pryde is played solidly by Ronald Hines with a more modern-seeming world-weariness which, by the end of the episode, reach the level of disillusionment of a Callan! Hines can be seen in the 1958 film DUNKIRK, SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON, and the 1988 Michael Caine JACK THE RIPPER as well as in the POIROT episode "The Kidnapped Prime Minister". Jacqueline Pearce (Hammer's THE REPTILE and PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES as well as, of course, BLAKE'S 7) has one scene as Pryde's wife. Derek Francis as the crusty old F. Graham Dixon has many Hammer horror creds in films like THE TOMB OF LIGEIA, CAPTAIN CLEGG aka NIGHT CREATURES, RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK and TO THE DEVIL -- A DAUGHTER as well as the Norman Wisdom vehicle PRESS FOR TIME and my beloved CARRY ON DOCTOR. Francis' also has a DOCTOR WHO cred for his appearance in THE ROMANS as Emperor Nero during the William Hartnell era. This episode reminded me quite a bit of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Bruce Partington Plans" but apparently Morrison's story was written before Conan Doyle's. A good, solid episode enlivened by fine performances as well as the feel of disillusionment towards the end.
S01EP09 - THE WOMAN IN THE BIG HAT ★★★½
This episode's detective is Lady Molly from the works of the Baroness Orczy. A man has been monopolising a booth in a London tea shop for quite a long time nursing his hot chocolate. When a waitress goes to him, he falls forward on the table . . .dead! When the man first sat down he was in the company of a woman wearing an extremely large hat who left him to "go shopping" and never returned. Surely, this woman in the big hat poisoned him. Lady Molly is brought into the case by her assistant Mary Grandard who was in the tea shop at the time of the murder.
S01EP10 - THE AFFAIR OF THE TORTOISE ★★★½
Here we finally have the first appearance of Martin Hewitt from the works of Arthur Morrison after being unceremoniously replaced in "The Dixon Torpedo". Miss Chapman is living in a rather seedy, rundown boarding house when detective Martin Hewitt informs her that she has just inherited a sizable inheritance. While there, Hewitt hears a chaotic racket coming from outside Miss Chapman's room; it arises from the frequently drunk and abusive Haitian lodger named Rameau who is caterwallling, sliding down the banister and tormenting handyman Goujon with endless practical jokes. When one joke results in the death of Goujon's treasured pet tortoise, Goujon threatens to kill Rameau. One night on the floor of his room, Rameau discovers a voodoo doll which puts the freak out into him. In time, Millie the maid discovers Rameau's body lying on the floor of his room with his head drenched in blood and a bloody axe nearby. A note pinned to the body declares in French that this is the vengeance of the tortoise!
Peter Barkworth's first outing as detective Martin Hewitt shows him in fine form. The actor is splendid in everything I've seen from WHERE EAGLES DARE and PATTON to TV appearances in THE AVENGERS, the "Silver Blaze" episode of Granada's SHERLOCK HOLMES, the PUBLIC EYE episode "Nobody Kills Santa Claus" and in DOCTOR WHO: THE ICE WARRIORS as Leader Clent. Miss Chapman is played by Cyd Hayman who, besides appearing in the aforementioned film ROGUE MALE also featured in TV series like THE TWO RONNIES, SPACE: 1999, THE PERSUADERS, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED . . . and another appearance in THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES coming up. Stephan Kalipha, who appears as the anarchic Rameau, appeared in the films BLACK JOY, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE as well as an episode of CALLAN entitled "Amos Green Must Live". Timothy Bateson as the meek Goujon appeared all over the place from Laurence Olivier's RICHARD III, horror-comedy fave WHAT A CARVE-UP!, TORTURE GARDEN, THE ITALIAN JOB, EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN, LABYRINTH, DANGER ROUTE and HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. Bateson was also a well-known face in TV appearing in THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET, THE GOOD LIFE, Q.E.D., ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE and DOCTOR WHO as Binro in "The Ribos Operation". Old seadog Captain Cutler is played by Powell and Pressburger favourite Esmond Knight who appeared in CONTRABAND, A CANTERBURY TALE, Olivier's HENRY V, BLACK NARCISSUS, UNCLE SILAS, Olivier's HAMLET, GONE TO EARTH, THE RED SHOES, Jean Renoir's THE RIVER, Olivier's RICHARD III, THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL, SINK THE BISMARK! and PEEPING TOM among many others.
S01EP11 - THE ASSYRIAN REJUVENATOR ★★★½
This time our detective is Romney Pringle from the works of Clifford Ashdown. A confidence trickster who this week is going by the name of Henry Jacobs is peddling a quack remedy called the Assyrian Rejuvenator to the well-to-do that claims it will restore youth, vim and vigor. When the remedy proves to be so much balloon juice, Police Sergeant Hawkins calls on Pringle to catch the blighter. In the words of Hawkins: "set a thief to catch a thief". It seems that Pringle is a detective in the same mold as Dorrington and Klimo in that he's out for all he can get. Disguising himself as doddering old Major Parkins, Pringle visits Henry Jacobs at the Assyrian Rejuvenator Co. and scares him into taking a runner. Then, Pringle (still disguised as Major Parkins) takes over the company as well as secretary Doris who quickly falls for the Major. Pringle/Parkins is a whiz at fleecing customers with his snake oil and piles up a tidy sum. Until . . .Henry Jacobs shows up again . . with a gun.
Donald Sinden as Romney Pringle shows the same gleeful delight in his devious plans as he did when playing Robert in the classic TV Britcom TWO'S COMPANY while outsmarting Elaine Stritch. Derek Smith as smarmy Henry Jacobs has been seen all over the telly in MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION episode "The Flying Dragon", THE PROTECTORS episode "The Big Hit", ARE YOU BEING SERVED? episode "Dear Sexy Knickers", two episodes of Brian Clemens' THRILLER series "Screamer" and "The Carnation Killer", THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET episode "The Outsiders", LOVEJOY episode "Day of Reckoning" and DOCTOR WHO episode "Human Nature". The wonderful Alethea Charlton is a standout as Doris Pratt; the actress appeared twice in DOCTOR WHO in the first storyline "An Unearthly Child" as Hur the cavewoman and as Edith in "The Time Meddler". She also did two episodes of PUBLIC EYE ("Honesty is the Best Policy - But Who Can Afford the Premiums?" and "The Beater and the Game") but she will forever be known to me for her role as creepy Mrs. Oxhey in the superb episode of Brian Clemen's THRILLER series entitled "Someone at the Top of the Stairs".
S01EP12 - THE RIPENING RUBIES ★★★½
Our detective this time around is Bernard Sutton from the works of Max Pemberton. A rash of jewel robberies has terrorised London society women. A habitual criminal named Jaffee enters the shop of jeweler Bernard Sutton wanting to sell a ruby necklace which he says he bought from a Dutch sea captain with a wooden leg. Unfortunately for Jaffee, the ruby necklace is on the list of stolen items and was in fact made by Sutton himself for Lady Faber as an anniversary present from her husband. The police allow the necklace to be returned to Lady Faber by Sutton who is then invited to act as "security" at the ball she is throwing that evening in case the jewel thief strikes again. And the thief does.
Robert Lang is quite good as Bernard Sutton but his voice sometimes reminds me of how Jackie Gleason sounded when playing his aristocratic character. I kept expecting him to say "Mmmmmm-and awaaaaaaay we goooooooo!" Lang made TV appearances in THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED and THE NEW AVENGERS and appeared in the films THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD and that catch-all movie ROGUE MALE! Lally Bowers as Lady Faber is a delight and Richard Hurndall as Lord Faber is the starchy aristocrat to a tee. Bowers appeared in the TV series GOING STRAIGHT (sequel to PORRIDGE), A FINE ROMANCE and Hi-De-Hi as well as in the film DRACULA A.D. 1972. Hurndall is perhaps best known to the folks around here for playing the First Doctor in the DOCTOR WHO 20th anniversary special THE FIVE DOCTORS. Ron Pember played hapless crook Jaffee; the actor almost unbelievably also appeared in the film ROGUE MALE (!) as well as CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR aka THE CRIMSON CULT, DEATH LINE and MURDER BY DECREE as well as on TV in THE TWO RONNIES and RED DWARF. Pember's DOCTOR WHO cred comes from his appearance in the 1985 radio drama "Slipback". Also in the cast is bewitching Moira Redmond who appeared in Hammer Horror film NIGHTMARE as well as TV series I. CLAUDIUS, DANGER MAN, THE EDGAR WALLACE MYSTERIES and THE SWEENEY.
S01EP13 - THE CASE OF LAKER, ABSCONDED ★★★½
The final episode in the first series of RIVALS features the return of Martin Hewitt along with his partner Jonathan Pryde from the works of Arthur Morrison. A "walk-clerk" working for the bank of Liddle, Neal & Liddle makes his rounds collecting money from various area banks which he then brings back to his own bank; only Laker has disappeared with fifteen thousand pounds. Absconded! Martin Hewitt's detective firm has been retained by the City Guarantee Society to find Laker and the money. Emily Shaw, Laker's fiance, is convinced he is innocent and asks Hewitt for help proving it. Unfortunately for Ms. Shaw, the first bank teller Laker visited that day is a personal friend who says positively that it was Laker he saw that morning. Now, even Ms. Shaw is doubting whether her fiance is indeed a criminal. Hewitt and Miss Shaw follow Laker's trail from bank to bank until ending up at a travel agent's where Laker booked passage to France. Laker left his unusual-handled (and very memorable) umbrella leaning on the desk of the lost articles dept. and insisted on giving his full correct name to the travel agent even though he was specifically told it was not required to do so. Is your boyfriend a dope, Hewitt asks Ms. Shaw. No, she assures him, Laker is very intelligent. Then why leave such an obvious trail?
Peter Barkworth's portrayal of Hewitt is even better and more nuanced than his previous appearance. Ronald Hines as Pryde only has a small amount of screen time here but is great nonetheless. Jane Lapotaire as Emily Shaw is terrific as the confused and devastated but loyal fiance. Lapotaire has had a long and successful career on stage, screen and television with appearances in LADY JANE and THE ASPHYX as well as appearing in TV's CALLAN. However, she will always be in my heart for her unhinged performance in THE DARK ANGEL alongside Peter O'Toole. Also in the cast is venerable Charles Lloyd-Pack whose many appearances include QUATERMASS 2, NIGHT OF THE DEMON, HORROR OF DRACULA, THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH, CORRIDORS OF BLOOD, TERROR OF THE TONGS, THE REPTILE, BEDAZZLED, FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL and THE MIRROR CRACK'D. I suppose this could be onsiders RIVALS' Christmas episode; there is a lot of light (studio) snow falling and the end of the episode finds Hewitt wishing Ms. Shaw a "Merry Christmas" before a final shot of his office Christmas tree.
So now we bring down the curtain on the first series of THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. An altogether terrific programme. I'll be along in a little while to tackle the second and final series.
