Series synopsis
Bird of Prey is a British drama sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on BBC One on April 22, 1982. It ended on September 27, 1984. It was created by Ron Hutchinson. It stars Richard Griffiths, Carole Nimmons, Jeremy Child and Lee Montague.
Bird of Prey is a British techno-thriller television serial written by Ron Hutchinson and produced by Michael Wearing and Bernard Krichefski for the BBC in 1982.
From its video game-inspired opening titles to its pervasive electronic music track, Bird of Prey went to great lengths to demonstrate its credentials as 'a thriller for the electronic age'. These elements, together with a clever and complex plot that combines a breathless fascination with the still-young field of computing with pan-Eu ...
Premise
Bird of Prey is a British techno-thriller television serial written by Ron Hutchinson and produced by Michael Wearing and Bernard Krichefski for the BBC in 1982.
From its video game-inspired opening titles to its pervasive electronic music track, Bird of Prey went to great lengths to demonstrate its credentials as 'a thriller for the electronic age'. These elements, together with a clever and complex plot that combines a breathless fascination with the still-young field of computing with pan-European fraud, international terrorism, rogue intelligence operatives and organised crime, link it firmly to the early 1980s, expressing that era's growing anxieties about the burgeoning 'Eurocracy'.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Richard Griffiths as Henry Jay
- Carole Nimmons as Anne Jay
- Jeremy Child as Tony Hendersly
- Lee Montague as Roche
- Jan Holden as Mrs Lucas
Guest cast
- Nigel Davenport as Charles Bridgnorth
- Roger Sloman as Harry Tomkins
- Guido Adorni as Mario
- Eddie Mineo as Dino
- Richard Ireson as DS Eric Vine
- Trevor Martin as Trevor Chambers
- P.H. Moriarty as Security Guard
- Ann Pennington as Rochelle Halliday
- Jim Broadbent as DI Stanley Richardson
- Christopher Logue as Hugo Jardine
- Nicolas Chagrin as Louis Vacheron
- Mandy Rice-Davies as Julia Falconer
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 8 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 4 | April 22, 1982 | May 13, 1982 |
| Season 2 | 4 | September 6, 1984 | September 27, 1984 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Input Classified Henry Jay: Civil Servant, mid-thirties. Good Head for Detail. Prospects: Steady promotion. Index-linked pension. Hobbies: Philately, Hi-fi. Current Project: Computer Fraud Report for Whitehall Trade Ministry. Altogether a seemingly puny obstacle to a massive financial conspiracy - with the bureaucratic clout to silence the inquisitive. |
April 22, 1982 |
| 2 |
Mode Murder Murder and the power to subvert officialdom: Henry Jay has good reason to believe in "Le Pouvior" and its likes with the growing evidence of a financial conspiracy. A dead detective's legacy - a file pointing to a Euro MP and a girl in Brussels - leaves Henry no option but to pick up the trail. |
April 29, 1982 |
| 3 |
Process Priority One name recurs in Henry Jay's single-handed investigation into the affairs of "Le Pouvoir" - Euro MP Hugo Jardine. With British Intelligence now implicated in the cover-up, Henry has a story to sell - if he can stay alive long enough. |
May 6, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Death + Taxes Richard Griffiths again stars as the reluctant hero, Henry Jay, the mild-mannered civil servant. |
September 6, 1984 |
| 2 |
A State of the Art Way to Die Henry and Anne go undercover in St. Leonards-on-Sea. His recent promotion means that he has to be vetted and what is uncovered is passed straight to the political head of Henry's department. |
September 13, 1984 |
| 3 |
Ducks in a Row Henry continues to be threatened by the sinister Le Pouvier computer-crime syndicate. |
September 20, 1984 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 22, 1982 |
| Last aired | September 27, 1984 |
| Runtime | 50 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Thursday |