David Main (John Stride), an ambitious and talented lawyer, abandons his London practice to accept a partnership at a conventional firm in Leeds. His modern, aggressive tactics frequently put him at odds with the firm’s staid senior partner, Henry Castleton (John Wentworth), and his daughter Margaret (Margaret Ashcroft). Main’s professional life is mirrored by a turbulent private one, including a failing marriage to Julia (Kate O’Mara), a significant relationship with his secretary Sarah Courtenay (Anna Palk), and a second marriage to Hilary Nash (Estelle Kohler). After Hilary’s death, an act of retribution gets Main disbarred, forcing him to rebuild his career from the outside.
John Stride’s compelling performance as a brilliant but frequently unlikable protagonist was the cornerstone of the programme. The central conflict between Main’s ruthless London mentality and the more traditional ethics of his provincial partners provided a consistent source of drama. Production was sporadic, with a two-year interval between the second and third series and a three-year gap before the final run. The first series was recorded in black and white, with subsequent episodes made in colour. A major narrative reset occurred in the final series when Main was struck off, a development that energised the format and presented the character with a new set of obstacles.
Broadcast: ITV, 45 Episodes, 18 June 1969 – 18 July 1975
Creators: Edmund Ward, John Malcolm (aka John Batt)
Producers: Peter Willes, John Frankau
Main Cast: John Stride (David Main), Anna Palk (Sarah Courtenay), Margaret Ashcroft (Margaret Castleton), John Wentworth (Henry Castleton), Glynn Edwards (Walter Clegg), Kate O’Mara (Julia Main), Estelle Kohler (Hilary Nash), Sharon Maughan (Inge Lindstrom)
