"Detective Waiting" is a highly acclaimed episode of the British television anthology series Armchair Theatre that originally aired on the ITV network on 14 September 1971. [1, 2]
Written by Ian Kennedy Martin—who would later create iconic gritty police series like The Sweeney—the 53-minute color drama functions as a fascinating psychological cat-and-mouse game. It stars a young Richard Beckinsale (in a brilliant performance just prior to his landmark roles in Porridge and Rising Damp) as Lewis, an arrogant and isolated newly qualified detective constable. Unpopular with his colleagues, Lewis plays a tense, high-stakes psychological game by placing a powerful, well-connected criminal boss under constant surveillance, waiting for him to make a single mistake. [3, 4, 5]
Key Cast & Crew
- Writer: Ian Kennedy Martin
- Director: Peter Duguid
- Richard Beckinsale as Detective Constable Lewis
- Barry Linehan as Cummins (the criminal boss)
- Bryan Pringle as Arthur (a uniquely memorable, eccentric butler)
- James Mellor as Sergeant Beck [2, 4, 6, 7, 8]
Are you looking for a full plot breakdown of this specific episode, or would you like to explore other 1971 episodes from the Armchair Theatre anthology?
The Armchair Theatre episode "Detective Waiting" follows an isolated and unpopular rookie, Detective Constable John Lewis, as he conducts an unyielding one-man stakeout against underground crime boss James Cummins. After a psychological sparring match inside Cummins' estate and subsequent political pressure on the department, Lewis's stubborn patience ultimately pays off when he trails a mysterious cash payoff to uncover the conspiracy. Read the full synopsis at BFI Screenonline. [1, 2, 3, 4]
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