The Main Chance

Cherubic fair-haired and round-faced, John Stride is David Main, a solicitor based in London and the city of Leeds in Yorkshire in the early-'70s. Stride's character is professionally excellent, has perfect manners, tasteful dress sense and a touch of class. The props, furnishings and scenarios are very '70s. The series is also 'rational' and interesting, in fact, television and film in the early-'70s often stood for high quality entertainment when they got it right. The nostalgia-based tv channel, Talking Pictures should be applauded for airing this series. John Stride also acted in Shakespeare productions and I believe that a later tv series in the '70s which acted in is also worth seeking out.

I too watched the first episode on talking pictures but never having heard of it before and I don't think I will be back for episode 2. I can see it must have been new and cutting edge at the time but it has been copied so many times over the next 50 that unless you have some connection with the show you will find nothing new.

Fast-moving, intelligent plots; excellent scripts and acting; credible and interesting characters; and good detail on the law, the show's legal adviser being a prominent solicitor in real life.

I remember Episode 1 of Season 4 very well but apart from that I didn't see it at the time, so the Talking Pictures rerun was new to me. I was riveted, and indeed, now they are showing it again, I am watching once more.

As for Main not being very nice, he throws away his career to stand by a friend who made a bad misjudgment, and he regularly prioritizes cases to help the poor over much more lucrative work. He ain't all bad!

Thank goodness for Talking Pictures bringing this wonderful series back! I remember it from the 70s but I was too young to appreciate it properly. Great stories, acting and fantastic set design. I'll be back later for a more in depth assessment!