Shoestring (TV series)

Last updated

Shoestring
ShoestringDVD.jpg
DVD cover
Genre Detective fiction
Created by
Written bySee list of episodes
Directed bySee list of episodes
Starring
Composer George Fenton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes21 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerRobert Banks Stewart
Cinematography
  • John Baker
  • Peter Burton
  • Keith Champan
Running time50 minutes
Production company BBC Studios
Original release
Network BBC1
Release30 September 1979 (1979-09-30) –
21 December 1980 (1980-12-21)

Shoestring is a British detective fiction drama series, set in an unnamed city in the West of England and filmed in Bristol, featuring the down-at-heel private detective Eddie Shoestring (Trevor Eve), who presents his own show on Radio West, a local radio station. Broadcast on BBC1, the programme lasted for two series, between 30 September 1979 and 21 December 1980, featuring a total of 21 episodes. After the second series was broadcast Eve decided not to return to the role, as he "wanted to diversify into theatre roles". Subsequently, the production team began taking popular elements of the series and revising them for a new series, Bergerac , set in Jersey and first shown in 1981. BBC Books published two novels written by Paul Ableman, Shoestring (1979) and Shoestring's Finest Hour (1980).

Contents

Shoestring was repeated on terrestrial television in January 2002, with 14 of the 21 episodes being shown airing back to back on daytime BBC One. However, due to scheduling, between six and eight minutes of footage was cut from every episode.

The first series was originally scheduled to be released on DVD in its entirety by DD Home Entertainment in 2005, but the idea was abandoned because of the high cost of music rights licensing. In 2011 2|Entertain confirmed that it had picked up the rights to release the series on DVD and announced that the first series would be released on 17 October 2011. [1] They announced that all 11 episodes would be uncut except for one minor music replacement, meaning that it would be the first time the series had been seen uncut since UK Gold repeats of the series in the early 1990s. This DVD was later deleted.

In June 2017, Network Distribution announced that a DVD box set of both series was planned for release on 16 October 2017 and would contain a book on the series written by Andrew Pixley.

Synopsis

Eddie Shoestring is a former computer expert who has resigned after suffering a nervous breakdown. [2] In those days computers were large bulky machines with open reel tape drives creating considerable noise. In one episode Shoestring visits such a computer room and finds it mentally distressing. Following a period of convalescence, Shoestring has turned his hand to private detective work. [3] His landlady, barrister Erica Bayliss, arranges for him to investigate a potential scandal involving an entertainer who works for the local Radio West. [4]

After sorting the matter out, Shoestring visits Radio West to brief his client who has just chaired an unsuccessful planning meeting to come up with new programme ideas. Inspired by a sketch of herself made by Shoestring, Radio West's receptionist Sonia proposes that he is hired as the station's "private ear" [5] to present a weekly broadcast entitled 'The Private Ear of Eddie Shoestring', in which members of the public are offered his services in order to investigate cases affecting them, such as disappearances or the unsolved deaths of loved ones. At first, Shoestring drives an old Hillman Hunter, but when this is destroyed, he purchases a bright orange Ford Cortina estate. The final episode was a Christmas special. The episode "Find The Lady" featured singer Toyah Willcox and allowed her to perform some of her own material in character. The building used to portray the Radio West premises is actually a multi storey car park between Queen Charlotte Street and Welsh Back.

Almost a year after the show finished, Bristol's first independent radio station was started under the name of Radio West on 27 October 1981. [6] In 2022, Shoestring was the subject of 'Eddie Shoestring's Bristol', a documentary presented by Xander Brett for Burst Radio. [7]

Cast

Supporting cast

Episodes

Series 1 (1979)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byOriginal airdate
1"Private Ear" Robert Banks Stewart and Richard Harris Douglas Camfield 30 September 1979 (1979-09-30)
Call-girl Sarah Marshall kills herself on a beach, after stealing the car belonging to a man she had tried to contact – David Carn, a popular DJ with Bristol radio station Radio West.
2"Knock for Knock" Bob Baker Roger Tucker 7 October 1979 (1979-10-07)
Eddie assists Claire Stevens, whose husband was killed in a hit and run by drivers of a white van. A tip-off leads Eddie to a duo of young fraudsters who go 'on the knock', buying antique furniture from gullible elderly people at less than the real value.
3"Higher Ground"Dave Humphries Marek Kanievska 14 October 1979 (1979-10-14)
Higher Ground, a boarding school run by strict ex-Army major Hansford and his wife Jean, is being plagued by sadistic, sick stunts – but Hansford refuses to call in the police, so Jean employs Eddie.
4"An Uncertain Circle""Robert Bennett" (pseudonym for Robert Banks Stewart)Mike Vardy21 October 1979 (1979-10-21)
Marion Cutler asks Eddie to trace her boyfriend, Nick Forrest, who has disappeared from the coastal caravan park where he was staying, though Steve the owner denies all knowledge of Forrest.
5"Listen to Me" Terence Feely Peter Smith28 October 1979 (1979-10-28)
Adamant that her husband Harry was wrongly jailed for killing a shop assistant during a jeweller's shop robbery, Mel Shepherd threatens to jump from Radio West's roof – unless Eddie finds the real murderer.
6"Nine Tenths of the Law"Peter Miller Marek Kanievska 4 November 1979 (1979-11-04)
Mary Phillips asks for Eddie's help after her ex-husband Dennis snatches their little daughter June, a ward of court, with a view to taking her back to Australia with him.
7"The Link-Up"Peter King Douglas Camfield 11 November 1979 (1979-11-11)
After Molly Tasker, director of a local women's refuge, accuses Radio West of ignoring domestic violence, Eddie investigates why the late Jackie Craig, whose wife is in the hostel, was unaccountably wealthy when he drowned.
8"Stamp Duty" John Kruse Martyn Friend18 November 1979 (1979-11-18)
A stamp dealer, Joss Hargreaves, collapses and dies while he is being bundled into a car by heavies working for Strickland, a corrupt businessman whom Eddie is trying to expose.
9"Find the Lady" Philip Martin and Sarah Leigh Marek Kanievska 2 December 1979 (1979-12-02)
Rock singer Toola asks Eddie to dissuade her sacked bass player Mole from his belief that his beauty queen girlfriend Chrissie was killed out of jealousy by the band's manager Malcolm Kenrick.
10"The Partnership" Michael Armstrong Paul Ciappessoni9 December 1979 (1979-12-09)
Sonia, the Radio West receptionist, is concerned for her friend, travel agent Jenny Kelson, whom she sees apparently being threatened by a young man. Eddie photographs and follows him, leading to a remote country house owned by a couple of dog breeders.
11"I’m a Believer"Jim HawkinsMike Vardy16 December 1979 (1979-12-16)
When Maddy Hopkins joins religious cult the Starshiners, her anxious mother, convinced that the group is out to get her trust fund money from her twenty-first birthday, asks Eddie to investigate.

Series 2 (1980)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byOriginal airdate
1"Room with a View""Robert Bennett" (Robert Banks Stewart) Henry Herbert 5 October 1980 (1980-10-05)
Retired music hall singer Lettie Ross witnesses a murder in the empty house opposite her flat but, when the police and her daughter are dismissive, she calls in Eddie.
2"The Teddy Bears’ Nightmare"Leslie Darbon Martin Campbell 12 October 1980 (1980-10-12)
Out fishing, Don sees a thief rob a young couple of the woman's handbag, but the couple themselves flee and fail to report the theft. Don retrieves the bag and Eddie traces it to Christine Page, who says that she and her married lover Ken Bailey, are being blackmailed.
3"Mocking Bird""William Hood" (pseudonym for Robert Holmes [ citation needed ])Ben Bolt19 October 1980 (1980-10-19)
Young women are being mugged around the city and the perpetrator, a caller with an Ulster accent, keeps ringing Eddie and taunting him for his inability to catch him. The police are called in but smug inspector Healey is little help.
4"The Mayfly Dance" Bill Craig Henry Herbert 26 October 1980 (1980-10-26)
Don asks Eddie to locate Jody Brent, a once popular singer whose big hit 'Lazy Daisy' is enjoying a revival on Radio West's easy listening show. Though Miriam, Jody's manager, claims he is in America, Eddie hears that he is living in Wales in seclusion.
5"The Farmer Had a Wife""William Hood" (Robert Holmes)Paul Ciappessoni2 November 1980 (1980-11-02)
To encourage more human interest stories, Don persuades Eddie to help a watercress farmer, David Mortimer, whose wife Rosemary has disappeared for a second time and is being accused by other villagers of murdering her, to try to locate her.
6"Utmost Good Faith"Andrew Payne Marek Kanievska 9 November 1980 (1980-11-09)
After her debt-ridden husband Tim kills himself, Mary Reynolds asks Eddie's help in discovering why her credit facilities have been stopped when the debt concerned was twelve years earlier and apparently cancelled.
7"Looking for Mr Wright""Robert Bennett" (Paula Milne & Robert Banks Stewart) Laurence Moody 16 November 1980 (1980-11-16)
Erica's secretary Lois meets the charming Clive Wright through a dating agency, but he disappears while they are in a restaurant, and the restaurant staff and dating agency workers are equally unhelpful as to whether he even existed.
8"Another Man’s Castle"Dave Humphries Douglas Camfield 7 December 1980 (1980-12-07)
While Philip and Diana Hoskens are moving house, the van containing all their furniture is stolen by a shady landlord, Terry Bowen, to furnish a property he is letting to a young couple.
9"Where Was I?"Peter Miller Jeremy Summers 14 December 1980 (1980-12-14)
Family man Keith Amery goes camping on the moors alone and sees a helicopter land, but then he falls and hits his head, bringing on amnesia. On the advice of Eddie's old psychiatrist Keith's wife asks Eddie to help Keith to recall events.
10"The Dangerous Game" Chris Boucher Ben Bolt21 December 1980 (1980-12-21)
Pete Johnson, a market trader who deals in stolen goods, gives his little son Mike an early Christmas present, an electric racing game called Lunar Race 2000, but it is faulty and blows up, leading to the boy's admission to hospital.

Novels

Two novels were published to tie-in with the series. Both were written by Paul Ableman. The first, simply titled Shoestring (1979) was an extended adaptation of the first episode. The first part of the novel gives details of Eddie's breakdown, treatment, and becoming a detective. This was followed by Shoestring's Finest Hour (1980). This was an original novel, not based on an episode, in which Eddie finds himself a suspect in a murder, and has to discover the real culprit.

Related Research Articles

<i>Silent Witness</i> British crime drama television series

Silent Witness is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squad detective based in Nottingham. Twenty-seven series of Silent Witness have been broadcast since 1996, with series 27 airing in January/February 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyah Willcox</span> British singer and actress

Toyah Ann Willcox is an English singer, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, she has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays and 10 feature films, and voiced and presented numerous television shows.

<i>Bergerac</i> (TV series) British crime drama television series (1981–1991)

Bergerac is a British crime drama television series. Set in Jersey, it ran from 18 October 1981 to 26 December 1991. Produced by the BBC in association with the Australian Seven Network, and first screened on BBC1, it stars John Nettles as the title character Jim Bergerac, who is initially a detective sergeant in Le Bureau des Étrangers, within the States of Jersey Police, but later leaves the force and becomes a private investigator.

<i>Casualty</i> (TV series) British medical drama series

Casualty (stylised as CASUAL+Y) is a British medical drama series that airs weekly on BBC One. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 6 September 1986. The original producer was Geraint Morris. Having been broadcast weekly since 1986, Casualty is the longest-running primetime medical drama series in the world.

Christopher Franklin Boucher was an English television screenwriter, script editor and novelist. He is known for his frequent contributions to two genres, science fiction and crime fiction, and worked on the series Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Shoestring, Bergerac, and The Bill. He also created the series Star Cops.

<i>Ellery Queen</i> (TV series) American mystery television series

Ellery Queen is an American TV drama series, developed by Richard Levinson and William Link, who based it on the fictional character of the same name. The series ran for a single season on NBC from September 11, 1975, to April 4, 1976. Jim Hutton stars as the eponymous sleuth, along with David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen.

<i>The Last Detective</i> TV series (2003-2007)

The Last Detective is a British TV comedy drama series, broadcast on ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable "Dangerous Davies". The series is based on the "Dangerous Davies" series of novels written by Leslie Thomas, and was filmed in the north London suburbs of Willesden, Neasden and Harlesden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Eve</span> British actor

Trevor John Eve is an English actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead. He is the father of three children, including actress Alice Eve. He is the winner of two Laurence Olivier Awards from the nineties in theatre.

<i>Waking the Dead</i> (TV series) BBC television series

Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series, produced by the BBC, that centres on a fictional London-based cold case unit composed of CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000, and a total of nine series followed. Each story is split into two hour-long episodes, shown on consecutive nights on BBC One. A third series episode won an International Emmy Award in 2004. The programme was also shown on BBC America in the United States, though these screenings are edited to allow for advertising breaks, as well as UKTV in Australia and New Zealand and ABC1 in Australia. A total of 46 stories aired across the nine series. The show aired its final episode on 11 April 2011. A spin-off from the series, titled The Body Farm, revolving around forensic scientist Eve Lockhart, was announced by the BBC in January 2011 and ran for just one series.

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a series of radio dramas based on Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes. Written by Bert Coules as a pastiche of Doyle's work, the series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002, 2004, 2008–2009 and 2010. There are sixteen episodes, all of them produced and directed by Patrick Rayner of BBC Scotland. Clive Merrison stars as Holmes, having portrayed the detective in a 1989–1998 BBC radio series of dramatisations of every Sherlock Holmes story by Doyle. Andrew Sachs appears as Dr. Watson, replacing Michael Williams after Williams died following the Radio 4 run of Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Each of the stories is based on a throwaway reference from an actual Doyle short story or novel. The first two series are repeated regularly on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Toyah was an English new wave band fronted by namesake Toyah Willcox between 1977 and 1983. The only other consistent band member throughout this period was Joel Bogen, Willcox's principal co-writer and guitarist.

<i>Johnny Staccato</i> American TV series or program

Johnny Staccato is an American private detective television series starring John Cassavetes which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960.

"Ghost of a Chance" is the second episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 3, 1993. The teleplay was written Noel Behn based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana, and the episode was directed by Martin Campbell. In it Bayliss begins his investigation into the murder of 11-year-old Adena Watson, Munch and Bolander investigate the unusual death of an elderly man, and Howard insists she is receiving advice about her murder case from a ghost.

Son of a Gun (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 3rd episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"Son of a Gun" is the third episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 10, 1993. The teleplay was written by James Yoshimura based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana, and the episode was directed by Nick Gomez. In the episode, recurring character Officer Thormann is shot while on duty, and his close friend Crosetti takes the investigation personally.

A Shot in the Dark (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 4th episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"A Shot in the Dark" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 24, 1993. The teleplay was written by Jorge Zamacona based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana, and the episode was directed by Bruce Paltrow. In the episode, Crosetti focuses his investigation into the shooting of Officer Thormann on one suspect, while Lewis continues to investigate. Meanwhile, Pembleton and Bayliss pursue different leads in the murder case of 11-year-old Adena Watson.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 8th episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 24, 1993. In the episode, Howard and Bayliss attempt to quit smoking, Gee discovers secret asbestos removal in the squad room, and Munch and Bolander investigate the beating death of a 14-year-old boy. The episode was written by James Yoshimura and Tom Fontana, and was directed by Wayne Ewing, who doubled as director of photography.

End Game (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 14th episode of the 3rd season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"End Game" is the 14th episode of the third season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC on February 10, 1995. The episode was written by Rogers Turrentine and directed by Lee Bonner. The episode continues a storyline about the shooting of Beau Felton, Kay Howard, and Stanley Bolander.

"Law & Disorder" is the 15th episode of the third season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC on February 24, 1995. The episode was written by Bonnie Mark and Julie Martin and directed by John McNaughton. The episode concludes elements of a storyline about the shooting of Beau Felton, Kay Howard, and Stanley Bolander.

<i>Dirk Gently</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Dirk Gently is a British comic science fiction detective television series based on characters from the novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams. The series was created by Howard Overman and stars Stephen Mangan as holistic detective Dirk Gently and Darren Boyd as his sidekick Richard MacDuff. Recurring actors include Helen Baxendale as MacDuff's girlfriend Susan Harmison, Jason Watkins as Dirk's nemesis DI Gilks and Lisa Jackson as Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce. Unlike most detective series Dirk Gently features broadly comic touches and even some science fiction themes such as time travel and artificial intelligence.

<i>A Killing on the Exchange</i> British TV series or programme

A Killing on the Exchange is a six-part British television crime drama series, first broadcast on 6 March 1987, that aired on ITV. The series centres on Detective Superintendent Lance Thorne, who investigates the murder of a top financier, whose death uncovers a web of double dealing in the high-flying world of banking, where jealousy and lust are rife amongst the suspects. The series was written by Paul Ableman and produced by Anglia Television.

References

  1. ↑ "Shoestring – Series 1 [DVD][1979]". Amazon. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Trevor Eve on Front Row". BBC. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Shoestring (1979–80)". British Film Institute. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (1985). Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials, Volume 2. VNR AG. p. 376. ISBN   9780918432612.
  5. ↑ Turnbull, Sue (2014). The Crime Drama. Edinburgh University Press. p. 108. ISBN   9780748678204.
  6. ↑ "RW + WR = GWR". Radiomusications. Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Looking back at Eddie Shoestring's Bristol". Epigram. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.