S H O E S T R I N G

  Cast:
Trevor Eve (Eddie Shoestring), Michael Medwin (Don Satchley), Doran Godwin (Erica Bayliss), Liz Crowther (Sonia)

  About:
The cases of Eddie Shoestring, an ex-computer analyst, working as a private detective for a Bristol radio station.

  When:
The BBC ran the program between September 30. 1979 and December 21. 1980, in two series with 21 one hour-long episodes.

Trevor Eve became an overnight star playing the valiant and idealistic, yet strangely vulnerable, almost naive private eye in Shoestring, a quirky detective series developed by writer-producer Robert Banks Stewart. In collaboration with Richard Harris, Banks came up with a private investigator with a slight twist - one who solves cases for listeners of a radio station in Bristol called "Radio West", in effect a 'private ear'. The main character, although seemingly cast from the traditional mould of the hard-boiled detective, is also thoroughly idiosyncratic. Eddie Shoestring is dogged in his pursuit of criminals, but also has to fight his own inner demons. A former computer expert who is recovering from a nervous breakdown which saw him institutionalised after destroying valuable electronic equipment. 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 hard to maintain a steady grip. Trevor Eve imbues the neurotic but sympathetic character with an occasionally manic quality, giving a surprising intensity to scenes when he becomes agitated. In 'Knock for Knock', he becomes so exasperated with a reticent informant that he literally kicks him to get him to talk. Never comfortable with authority figures, Shoestring's nervousness, however, is mainly manifested in the sketches he draws as a form of therapy (actually drawn by cartoonist Gray Jolliffe). The supporting cast includes Eddie's landlady, solicitor and sometimes lover Erica Bayliss (Doran Goodwin) who arranges for him to investigate a potential scandal involving an entertainer who works for the local Radio West. After sorting the matter out, Shoestring is hired as the station's private ear and members of the public are offered his services in order to investigate cases affecting them like disappearances or the unsolved deaths of loved ones. The boss of Radio West, Don Satchley is played by Michael Medwin and Liz Crowther is Sonia, the station's enthusiastic secretary. The series was a huge ratings success when first shown, although admittedly the viewing figures settled down somewhat when the 1979 ITV strike came to an end. Apart from its eccentric but charismatic leading man, the series also made good use of locations in and around Bristol and also featured a memorable theme tune by George Fenton. The scripts were mainly in the Raymond Chandler style, with clever twists and often bleak or ironic finales. The action scenes however could be humorous, like the mud fight in 'Knock for Knock', or violent as with the final confrontation with a stalker in 'Mocking Bird'. Memorable guest appearances include a young Toyah Willcox and a powerful performance by Harry H. Corbett in 'Nine Tenths of the Law' in an uncharacteristically dark and threatening role. Worried about being typecast, star Trevor Eve decided not to return to the role after two series as he wanted to diversify into theatre roles. So the same production team changed the format to be based in Jersey and created Bergerac, also about a detective returning to work after a bad period in his life.

Series One 1979

01. Private Ear
02. Knock For Knock
03. Higher Ground
04. An Uncertain Circle
05. Listen to Me
06. Nine Tenths of the Law
07. The Link-Up
08. Stamp Duty
09. Find the Lady
10. The Partnership
11. I'm a Believer

Series Two 1980

01. Room With a View
02. The Teddy Bears Nightmare
03. Mocking Bird
04. The Mayfly Dance
05. The Farmer Had a Wife
06. Utmost Good Faith
07. Looking For Mr. Wright
08. Another Man's Castle
09. Where Was I?
10. The Dangerous Game

Based on an article by Sergio Angelini
Adapted for this website by A & A