Breakaway

1 9 8 0 (UK)
12 x 30 minute episodes

Detective Superintendent Sam Harvey (Martin Jarvis) would like to retire to devote himself full-time to turning his hobby of writing children’s books into a new career – but his plans are put on hold when his parents are murdered in a bizarre incident.

Assigned to investigate, Sam pursues a line of enquiry which leads to mysterious packages, threatening telephone calls, strange numbers in a personal address book and a trail that brings a final solution very close to home.

The cliffhanger endings of each episode ensured audiences were kept on the edge of their seat week after week.

After solving the mystery of his parents’ murder, Sam is convinced to stay on in his police career and heads to Market Cross to investigate the murder of Rita Black. There he is led a merry dance by a collection of characters with various conflicting versions of events – and more than a few red herrings – in a tale of blackmail and murder.

Glyn Houston played Sam’s boss Bert Sinclair. The series was written by Francis Durbridge.

Detective Superintendent Sam Harvey
Martin Jarvis
Chief Superintendent Bert Sinclair
Glyn Houston
Walter Randell
Derek Farr
Margaret Randell
Angela Browne
Leo Corby
Derek Benfield
Scott Douglas
Ed Bishop
Becky Royce
Judy Geeson
Freddie Galbraid
Robert Morris
Isabel Black
Vivien Merchant
Rita Black
Sandra Bryant

Episodes

The Family Affair: Part 1 | The Family Affair: Part 2 | The Family Affair: Part 3 | The Family Affair: Part 4 | The Family Affair: Part 5 | The Family Affair: Part 6 || The Local Affair: Part 1 | The Local Affair: Part 2 | The Local Affair: Part 3 | The Local Affair: Part 4 | The Local Affair: Part 5 | The Local Affair: Part 6