British Comedy Guide

Scotland Yard - TPTV Page 2

"The Lonely House" (1957)

The IMDb short blurb says "Scotland Yard investigates a marriage brokerage service where the clients have a high mortality rate.", which slightly undersells this GORY tale.

Let's just say you'll never look at potholes in the road in the same light again.

Apart from Ludovic Kennedy as T.V. Newsreader on'telly very briefly, no one of any note, and no "big toe wiggling" in the morgue.

Quite enjoyable.

Quote: Chappers @ 4th September 2019, 5:57 PM

You've probably already told us Herc but what days and time is this on?

According to my listings magazine, this week it was on 2pm Mon, Tues, Wed. It is also, according to the on-screen guide, on at 2pm next Mon, Tues & Wed but, at the moment, the guide does not go beyond that. Probably best to check your own listings magazine or your on-screen guide for future weeks.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 5th September 2019, 10:42 AM

According to my listings magazine, this week it was on 2pm Mon, Tues, Wed. It is also, according to the on-screen guide, on at 2pm next Mon, Tues & Wed

Yes, having checked TPTVs online listing schedule, I can confirm that it is scheduled for screening at those times until October 2nd - which is the last Wednesday in the currently advertised listing schedule..

Accordingly, it might be a reasonable guess that it's going to continue on those days and at those times for the foreseeable future or until they run out of episodes, whichever is the sooner.

What length of time are we actually talking about?

Good question - it all depends how much of the future one is able to foresee and how many episodes they have.

OK. Got a series link too.

"The Case of 'The Smiling Widow" (1957)

Pretty mundane fare, and again only interesting to me for the cars.

Donald Houston's less famous brother Glyn was in it and surprise, surprise Minnie Cauldwell (Margot Bryant) from Coronation Street the early years, who was recognised by my wife.

"The Mail Van Murder" (1957)

Fairly standard crime drama of small-time crooks falling out, the brassy blonde and a sleazy night club. Just about watchable.

These must have been a happy hunting ground for Coronation Street casting agents as this one had Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth) - expecting Ena Sharples to appear soon then.

"The Tyburn Case" (1957)

Quite a good story about the body of a woman found in a London sewer, wearing another woman's clothes. Again no one particularly famous except for the ubiquitous female "Sam Kydd" in the shape of Rita Webb playing more to type as a cleaning lady.

"The White Cliffs Mystery" (1957)

No one of any note in it, but a reasonable tale of murder of a scientist working on a top-secret project with missing rocket blue prints and quite well made, especially seeing the body being thrown off the train and scuttling along the platform of a through station, to the horror of a porter.

Night Crossing (1957)

Often before these start, they issue a warning that some viewers might be offended at some of the language and scenes which prevailed at the time and normally I let whatever it is go over my head, but this did jar when they kept on referring to "coloured people", especially when the victim in this case was a "coloured woman who took drugs". Hmm and oh dear.

Anyway, this dead woman is found in a rock pool on the South coast - was she pushed off the cliff or floated in after being pushed off a boat? BUT she was not what she was first described as and that all changed, which I won't elaborate on as it is a bit of a twist.

Quite good, if a bit messy with the end somewhat hurried.

Print of Death (1958)

A vicious thug/criminal 6 weeks out of jail commits a security van robbery, killing both the guards. His prints are on the van and the retrieved bullets match exactly the gun he used 10 years previous, which was never found and he had served his time for.
BUT as the investigation progresses, it turns out that he is dead, so how is this possible?

One of the better ones I think - no one of note in it though.

Crime of Honour (1958)

Boring murder with no one of any note in it.

Better though was :-

The Cross-Road Gallows (1958)

Which had David Lodge in it as a Police Inspector, and if you're into motor bikes a f**king huge (apparently) German bike that looked not too dissimilar to a Harley.

The Unseeing Eye (1959)

The eye being a false one that identifies the victim courtesy of the FBI no less.

Reasonable murder story, but again no one of note in it.

The Ghost Train Murder (1959)

Quite good with a slight twist, and only person of note was.......................
....................... the gorgeous Jill Ireland of the scandalous (quote from the IMDb) - "Ireland divorced McCallum, with whom she had three sons, in 1967. The following year, she married Charles Bronson, who was several years away from superstar status. They had first met when McCallum introduced them on the set of The Great Escape (1963). With Bronson, she had two children, a daughter born to the couple, and an adopted daughter."

David McCallum was apparently devastated from what I recollect in the newspapers.

I remember McCallum and Jill Ireland on Juke Box Jury.
I was only young but even then thinking what a pair of precious luvies.I don't know why they were there.they obviously had never listened to chart music .

Ahh, Juke Box Jury. :) Just after Saturday tea-time at about 6 to 6.30 I seem to remember and a must see before going on the razz to the pub and then dancing. Sadly, the one that consisted of just The Beatles as the panel of 4 was never saved on tape. :(

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