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Rumpole of the Bailey Season 4 Episodes
Season 4 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 1987 - 1987
Episode 1
Rumpole and the Old, Old, Story
52 mins
Things are not well at the Rumpole household. In his cups at a formal dinner, Rumpole tells an off-colour joke embarrassing Hilda and Mr. Justice Gwent-Evans. As a result, 'she who must be obeyed' throws him out of their Gloucester Rd. flat. He initially moves into Chambers and soon has Sam Ballard after him for being in contravention of his tenancy. In the end, Phyllida Erskine-Brown invites Rumpole to move in with her and Claude, but as Rumpole seems to have no plans to leave, his welcome soon wears thin. In court, Rumpole defends Hugo Lutterworth who is charged with the attempted murder of his business partner. His claims of innocence are tempered by the fact that he was also having an affair with his business partner's wife.
Episode 2
Rumpole and the Blind Tasting
52 mins
Once again, Rumpole finds himself defending a member of the Timson clan, this time Hugh Timson on a charge of possession of stolen goods. Specifically, he is found to have a garage full of expensive wine. Rumpole is concerned that his story, to the effect that he purchased the wine from some unknown individual he met in a pub, will not wash with Mr. Justice Graves who has heard this story before. Rumpole also takes on a new pupil, Ms Liz Probert and even tricks Ballard into thinking that she is the daughter of a well-known clergyman, when in fact her father is the well-known left-wing councilman 'Red' Ron Probert.
Episode 3
Rumpole and the Official Secret
52 mins
Rumpole defends Rosemary Tuttle, an employee of the Ministry of Defense who is charged with a breach of the Official Secrets Act specifically, releasing documents outlining the amounts spent by the Department on biscuits and tea. Rumpole is all set to base his defense on the silliness of the situation, but his client insists that she is innocent. Ballard is prosecuting and strange characters start appearing in Chambers, as do odd sounds on the telephone. In Chambers, Claude Erskine-Brown asks Ms. Probert to accompany him to the opera and is then terrified when Phyllida learns of it.
Episode 4
Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow
52 mins
Rumpole defends Charles Hearthstoke against charges of keeping bawdy houses, in the form of his chain of massage parlours. The case has generated a good deal of publicity as many customers were prominent members of the community and to Rumpole's astonishment, paid with credit cards. Guthrie Featherstone, who sought a massage for for a tennis injury, now thinks that may be identified as one of the patrons and Rumpole arranges for him to preside at Hearthstoke's trial.
Episode 5
Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim
52 mins
Rumpole finds himself on a British army base in Germany defending a trooper who is charged with murdering his sergeant who was found dead outside a local bar and dressed as a woman. He's welcomed with open arms by the regiment's senior officers who expect the trooper to be found innocent, thus preserving the honour of the regiment. He finds any number of possible solutions to the crime and an overly eager legal officer. Rumpole also finds himself before his old Chambers-mate George Frobisher, now a judge in the military justice system.
Episode 6
Rumpole's Last Case
52 mins
Rumpole has finally hit the jackpot in the form of a big win at the track. Having won enough money to now retire, he decides that this will be his last case. Appropriately, he finds himself defending a member of the Timson clan before Judge Bullingham. Since this is his last case he decides to take on the Mad Bull with full force. It's left to Phyllida Erskine-Brown to smooth the judge's feathers, which proves to be quite helpful when collecting his winnings becomes a bit of a problem.
