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Yorkshire Television's hugely successful legal drama, The Main Chance, was so
fast-paced that even the opening credits were played over images of a speeding
train, depicting protagonist David Main commuting between his twin bases in
London and Leeds. John Stride brings great passion and authority as the
protagonist, a man with a pithy verbal rejoinder for every occasion ("If I
wanted to be loved I'd have been a teddy bear"), and who is out for his big
break. His seemingly devil-may-care attitude is contrasted each week with the
steady and cautious approach of his crusty Leeds partner Henry Castleton. Main's
relentless pursuit of material and career success is, however, tempered by his
desire to champion the underdog, for whom he feels an occasionally grudging
kinship.
As Main's fortunes peak and trough, the most visible casualty of his
ambitions is his personal life. By the beginning of the second series, he has
divorced his wife (Kate O'Mara), to whom he initially gives full custody of
their children when she remarries. Over the years, he also has long drawn-out
relationships with his sexy, highly efficient and long-suffering secretaries:
first Sarah Courtenay, who eventually marries to become Lady Radchester, and
later the more exotic Sharon Maughan, who finally returns to Norway after
realising that Main can only really love the Law. His eventual remarriage ends
tragically, with his wife's death at the hands of a drunk driver. Main's
unorthodox attempts to bring to trial those responsible lead eventually to his
being struck off the solicitor's register ('Rule of Law', tx. 2/5/1975).
Initially made in black and white, as the series' popularity grew and it
transferred to colour some episodes even included overseas filming, while the
ever-resourceful Main developed a penchant for technical gadgets. At the
conclusion of the final episode ('Coroner's Verdict', tx. 18/7/1975), however,
Main is back in the provinces at the bottom rung of the legal ladder, alone and facing
an uncertain future.
In a curious anomaly, principal scriptwriter Edmund Ward was initially credited as having 'devised and created' the series with 'John Malcolm', who was also credited with the theme music and served as legal adviser. For the final two series, however, John Batt dropped his 'Malcolm' pseudonym and was credited under his own name.
Sergio Angelini
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1. Shrewd and energetic (4:09)
