Gideon’s Way – S01 E12 – John Gregson – The Great Plane Robbery

Gideon’s Way is a British television crime series made by ITC Entertainment and broadcast by ITV in 1965–66, based on novels by John Creasey (writing as ‘J. J. Marric’). The series was made at Elstree Studios in twin production with The Saint television series, which was likewise produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman. It stars John Gregson in the title role as Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard, with Alexander Davion as his assistant, Detective Chief Inspector David Keen, Reginald Jessup as Det. Superintendent LeMaitre (nicknamed Lemmy), Ian Rossiter as Detective Chief Superintendent Joe Bell and Basil Dignam as Commissioner Scott-Marle. The show did not acknowledge any help from Scotland Yard or any other police force or advisor.

Many well-known British actors appear in guest roles, including Patrick Allen, Keith Baxter, George Cole, Harry Fowler, Gordon Jackson, Ronald Lacey, Anton Rodgers, Rosemary Leach, Gerald Harper, Victor Maddern, Richard Carpenter and John Hurt. There was an early role for Donald Sutherland in the episode “The Millionaire’s Daughter”. Several actors, including Mike Pratt, Angela Douglas, Jean Marsh and Kay Walsh, appear twice in the series, cast in different roles.

This Episode

 £1,000,000 worth of gold is stolen from a Russian Aeroflot plane at a small airfield. The brains behind it, Barley (George Baker) has an alibi, which is just too good. There are complications when the driver of a decoy van is picked up and is obviously in on it. It all begins to fall apart when one of the men, Dobson (Edwin Richfield) is burned by molten gold being recast. Lured by the £100,000 reward, a bent doctor treating him phones the police who follow Barley and others to Tilbury where he plans to escape by boat. Also features George Murcell as Kautsky, Julian Somers as Cameron, and Reg Lye as Dr. Hill.