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WILDE ALLIANCE

by GLORIA CUNNINGHAM



(Editor's note: This is a re-draft of Gloria's newsgroup wildealliancetvseries.)

Rupert Wilde (John Stride) is a successful writer of crime novels. His wife Amy (Julia Foster) is an artist and designer. They have been married for ten years and are childless by choice. They live in a beautiful apartment in Ming Court, an old Manor House in the city of York. Rupert has the ability to turn out best-selling detective stories, the problem is, he doesn't like writing them down! It's Amy who types up his notes and has to encourage him to meet deadlines. They sometimes have to wait for payment which doesn't match their expensive taste for fine wine and good food! They have what appears to be an enviable lifestyle, but they often find themselves caught up in mysterious - sometimes dangerous – situations that could be straight out of a Rupert Wilde book!

Pic: John Stride (b. 1936, London) in The Main Chance (to follow)

Pic: Julia Foster (b. Lewes, Sussex, 1943) in All Coppers Are, Hammer House of Horror (to follow)

Christopher Bridgewater (John Lee) is Rupert's long-suffering literary agent. He constantly hounds Rupert to come up with the goods but Rupert usually ignores his pleas! Christopher lives in London with an office in Charring Cross Road. He is a good friend of the Wildes and sometimes finds himself unwillingly caught up in their adventures. He features in 8 of the 13 episodes.
John Lee was born in Tasmania, Australia in 1928. He lived and worked in the UK for many years but returned to Australia not long after playing the part of Christopher Bridgewater. He continued acting and can be seen in many Australian productions. He died in Melbourne, Australia, in 2000.
Mr Bailey (Patrick Newell, b. 1932 in Suffolk, d. 1988 in Essex) is the Wildes' neighbour. He lives in the flat downstairs and seems to be a nice distinguished gentleman. He describes himself as an "artist", but Rupert discovers he makes and distributes soft-porn films! He features in 3 of the 13 episodes.

EPISODE GUIDE
(Source: TV Times 1980 issues)

Producer Ian Mackintosh Executive Producer David Cunliffe Music Anthony Isaac
(1.01) Question Of Research tx 17.01.78 Guest Stars Judy Buxton Donald Burton Jerome Willis Sebastian Abineri Robert Blythe Robin Parkinson Raymond Adamson Paul Williamson William Humbert Writer Ian Mackintosh Designers Alan Pickford Peter Coldwell Director Derek Bennett
When a beautiful Swedish girl returns Rupert's lost wallet, he offers her a job. Amy becomes suspicious when she finds her reading Rupert's notes. Her suspicions are confirmed when she finds a bug in the flat. Rupert decides it must tie in with the book he is writing. He arranges a meeting at the RAF base where he sent a synopsis two weeks earlier. Amy is worried and gets Christopher to drive her there. He doesn't help matters by driving his red mini onto the runway as a plane is taking off! Will the RAF believe they know nothing of a current Top Secret Operation?
(1.02) Flower Power tx 24.01.78 Guest Stars James Villiers June Ellis Mary Wimbush Ambrosine Phillpotts Gwyneth Owen Fred Gaunt Frances Goodall Carolle Rousseau John Rolls Anne Jameson Writer Anthony Skene Designer Mary Rea Director Bob Hird
A local businessman has plans to build a factory in a much loved beauty spot. Amy is against it and joins a committee. Soon progress is halted when a plant believed to be extinct is found there. When Rupert goes to Norfolk to see the other only known specimen, it's gone!
(1.03) Too Much Too Often tx 31.01.78 Guest Stars John Castle Isla Blair Tony Steedman Lyndon Hughes Johnny Allen Brian Osborne Barkley Johnson Writer Philip Broadley Designer Alan Pickford Director Derek Bennett
Rupert and Amy are invited to a friend's house for the weekend. They like Helen but her husband David is a heavy drinker and Rupert can't stand him. Rupert beats him at racing model cars, and the next day beats him again at a shoot. Furious, David fires the gun just inches above Rupert's head. David does not return home that night and his watch and cigar are found by a river. But where is David?
(1.04) Things That Go Bump tx 07.02.78 Guest Stars Marius Goring Janina Faye Sean Arnold Peter Birrel Laura Graham Donald Layne Smith Writer Philip Broadley Designer Peter Coldwell Director Marc Miller
Christopher has bought an old house as an investment. He begins to wish he hadn't when he finds a strange girl in the house. She asks for a glass of water but when he returns, she has vanished. Hearing footsteps and pulse-like sounds in the house don't help. Terrified, he tells Rupert and Amy of his troubled night. Amy is fascinated but Rupert is determind to get to the bottom of it. They decide to spend the night there. Is there a logical explanation for these strange goings on or did Christopher really see a ghost ...?
(1.05) The Private Army Of Colonel Stone tx 14.02.78 Guest Stars John Fraser Anthony Dutton Philip McGough Hilary Mason Alick Hayes Writer Jacques Gillies Designer Alan Pickford Director Matthew Robinson
Rupert is asked to investigate why Colonel Stone is constantly in the cottage of an old neighbour's dead son, Jamie. He died on a trip to South Africa with Stone and two others. Stone tells Rupert and Amy that Jamie signed everything over to them as he had no money to pay for the trip. They are told he fell off a cliff but they suspect he was shot. The body was never found so they have no way of knowing what really happened – unless Rupert tells Stone it has been recovered to get his reaction. (1.06) Danny Boy tx 21.02.78 Guest Stars Ed Bishop Leon Lissek David King Tony Goodall Norman George Jacquie Sullivan Patrick Jordan Writer Ian Mackintosh Designer Peter Coldwell Director Bob Hird
Rupert and Amy are in Manchester to meet a producer who is interested in turning one of Rupert's books into a film. They become concerned about the safety of a young female singer. An elderly man seems to be obsessed with her and also the song "Danny Boy". Rupert spends an evening with her to see what information he can get. The result turns out to be a real tale of the unexpected.
(1.07) Well Enough Alone tx 28.02.78 Guest Stars Edward de Souza Desmond Llewellyn Caroline Blakiston Zienia Merton Roger Brierley Annie Leake Margot Boyd Veronica France Gerry Cowan Geoffrey Burridge Andrew King Karen David Writer Anthony Skene Designer Chris George Director David Reynolds
The Mexican lady who translates Rupert's books into Spanish asks for Rupert and Amy's help to find her missing daughter. She left Mexico to attend a music college in Yorkshire a year earlier, but she never became a pupil. Yet letters sent to her there are collected. Rupert decides to send her a letter. He sees it is taken by another Mexican girl and confronts her. Things turn very serious when the girl's brother calls to the flat when Rupert is not there and attacks Amy.
(1.08) Express From Rome tx 07.03.78 Guest Stars Tony Anholt David Swift John Barrand April Walker Trevor Ray Peter Walsh John Rees Medallion Hinde Timothy Morrand Alex Davison Writer Philip Broadley Designer Mary Rea Director Marc Miller
Rupert and Amy are returning from Rome by train. They meet some very mysterious people on board. A foreign lady in the next carriage. Another foreign lady who seems to be watching Rupert. But strangest of all are Mr Waldemar and his companion who mistake them for carriers of priceless jewels. They know for definite that something is going on when they find their luggage has been searched. Then Rupert hears a shot during the night.
(1.09) A Game For Two Players tx 14.03.78 Guest Stars Daragh O'Malley David Conti Cherith Mellor Jeff Rawle Maggie Jones Bill Rourke Spencer Banks Writer John Bowen Designer Peter Kindred Director David Reynolds
Rupert gives a young boy a lift to York. He says he's come to find his mother who was taken away. He has nowhere to stay in York so Rupert and Amy let him have their spare room for a day or two. They set about trying to find his mother. Amy takes the boy shopping but they don't realise they're being watched. Bailey has an unwelcome visitor during the night and is shocked to find his beautiful expensive clock has been stolen. Could there be a connection?
(1.10) Time And Again tx 21.03.78 Guest Stars Anthony Bate Alan Bennion Adam Bareham Diana Coupland Richard Shaw Freddie Earlle Roy Hanlon Hugh Walter Victor Brooks Writer Anthony Skene Designer Mary Rea Director Marc Miller
When Rupert is visiting a prison to give a talk to the inmates, a handwritten novel is slipped into his bag. Amy passes it on to Christopher. Both Christopher's office and the Wildes' flat are broken into, but the only thing taken is the manuscript. Meanwhile a group of people are reading the book. It's the exact story of a bank robbery they staged a few years earlier. Rupert works out the connection and tells them he made a copy. The gang decide the only way to get the copy is to kidnap Amy. Rupert is called to exchange the manuscript for Amy.
(1.11) Affray In Amsterdam tx 28.03.78 Guest Stars Diane Keen Paul Lavers Damien Thomas Christopher Benjamin Hugh Morton Maya Woolfe John Bryans John F. Lowdry Writer Philip Broadley Designer Mary Rea Director David Reynolds
A brief stay in Amsterdam turns into an adventure when Rupert finds a girl hiding in their room. He is convinced she and her boyfrend are up to no good, especially after he is knocked unconscious. Circumstances result in them missing most of what happens and they return to England. Then Amy sees the same woman in York. They realise they are the only current connection between Amsterdam and York. But why?
(1.12) A Suspicion Of Sudden Death tx 04.04.78 Guest Stars Moira Redmond Philip Stone Cyril Shaps Peter Schofield John Ringham Ruth Trouncer Writer Jacques Gillies Designer Chris George Director Leonard Lewis
Rupert, Amy and Christopher attend the funeral of another writer, Will Carpenter. He is survived by his brother and sister, whose husband died the same week. Rupert and Amy feel something is not right. They talk to Will's neighbours and doctor. Eventually they work out the truth which is even stranger than the plot for Will Carpenter's final book "A Suspicion Of Sudden Death".
(1.13) Some Trust In Chariots tx 11.04.78 Guest Stars Mela White Mark Eden Pat Astley John McDermott Writer Ian Mackintosh Designer Alan Pickford Director Derek Bennett
Amy's friend Debbie Stewart asks for her help. She keeps seeing her sister Annette – who is supposed to be in America. She captures Annette on camera, but when the photographs arrive Annette is not in them. Debbie is convinced she is going insane, and Rupert is inclined to agree. Amy is very worried especially when Debbie starts talking about suicide.

In its day, Wilde Alliance was one of the most watched programmes on British television. In their book "Television's Greatest Hits" Paul Gambaccini and Rod Taylor list every episode (broadcast in a prime time slot between 9 and 10 pm) as being in the Top 20 programmes of the week. Things That Go Bump was the most watched episode reaching Number 4 in the chart. It pulled an audience of 16.6 million viewers and was repeated in 1980. The last time it was on TV that I know about was on RTE in Ireland in 1986.

Pic: Wilde Alliance novel (to follow)

There was a "Wilde Alliance" novel (Sphere Books, 1978) to accompany the series. Written by Ian Mackintosh, it was available in paperback and hardback. The story is set in Bali. Rupert and Amy spend a holiday there at Christmas. Very soon what was meant to have been a relaxing holiday, turns into another intriguing adventure!

The following note by Ian Mackintosh (b. 1940) is taken from this novel:
"When I wrote the format and characters for Wilde Alliance, I was working necessarily in a two-dimensional form. Amy and Rupert were dear to me; but they could not come alive, take real shape, go out into the world, until the parts were cast and the artistes started to speak the lines. May I take this opportunity, therefore, to thank Julia Foster and John Stride for giving me parental pride, and for being two of the most professional and delightful people to whom any writer or producer could entrust his product. Amy and Rupert would surely approve."

Please offer queries, comments and especially VHS material to fenbydale@yahoo.co.uk .

In order to find out more about Wilde Alliance please try the following link:
http://www.action-tv.org.uk/ (Action TV episode guide by Mike Richardson)
This is an unofficial and non-commercial website. The rights to Wilde Alliance are held by Yorkshire Television. The sole purpose of this page is to promote the abovementioned series - no copyright infringement is intended. However, should the copyright holders be unhappy with my use of screenshots the material in question will be removed immediately.
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