''The Main Chance'' is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

first aired on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

in four series between 1969 and 1975. It is a drama series that depicts the sudden transformation in the life of a solicitor, David Main (played by

John Stride John Edward Stride (11 July 1936 – 20 April 2018) was an English actor best known for his television work in the 1970s. Stride was born in London, the son of Margaret (née Prescott) and Alfred Teneriffe Stride. He attended Alleyn's School, ...

), after he moves from

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

. It was created by Edmund Ward and John Malcolm; the latter was a pseudonym for John Batt who was a practising solicitor. Batt also composed the theme music.

Episodes

In all, 45 episodes were aired, each around 45 to 50 minutes long and divided into three parts. The first series, shown in 1969, was in black and white. From then on the show went out in

colour Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

. The first series consisted of six episodes, while subsequent series contained thirteen episodes each. The three later series were transmitted in 1970, 1972 and 1975.

Cast

– David Main *

Kate O'Mara Kate O'Mara (born Francesca Meredith Carroll;Michael CoveneObituary: Kate O'Mara ''The Guardian'', 30 March 2014 10 August 1939 – 30 March 2014) was an English film, stage and television actress, and writer. O'Mara made her stage debut in a ...

– Julia Main (Series 1) * Margaret Ashcroft – Margaret Castleton * John Wentworth – Henry Castleton *

Anna Palk Anna Palk (23 October 1941 – 1 July 1990) was an English actress. Palk was born in Looe, Cornwall, England and educated at Rise Hall Convent in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Lo ...

– Sarah Courtney (later Lady Radchester) (Series 1–3) *

Philip Bond Philip J. Bond (born 11 July 1966, in Lancashire) is a People of the United Kingdom, British comic book artist, who first came to prominence in the late 1980s on ''Deadline magazine, Deadline'' magazine, and later through a number of collaborat ...

– Peter Findon (Series 1–2,4) *

John Arnatt John Edwin Arnatt (9 May 1917 – 21 December 1999) was a British actor. Early life and education John Arnatt was born in Petrograd, Russia on 9 May 1917. His parents were Francis and Ethel Marion (née Jephcott) Arnatt. He attended Epworth ...

– Sidney Bulmer (Series 1–2) *

Gareth Forwood Gareth L. John Forwood (14 October 1945 – 16 October 2007) was a British stage, film and television actor. Forwood was born to actors Glynis Johns and Anthony Forwood. He made his screen debut in 1965 and went on to prosper as a character ac ...

– Julian Webb (Series 2) *

Glynn Edwards John Glynn Edwards (2 February 1931 – 23 May 2018) was a British television and cinema character actor, who came to national prominence for his portrayal of the barman Dave Harris in the 1970s–1990s British television comedy-drama ''Minder' ...

– Walter Clegg (Series 3–4) * Estelle Kohler – Hilary Nash (Series 3) *

Sharon Maughan Sharon Patricia Maughan (born 22 June 1950) is a British actress. Early life Sharon Mughan grew up in Kirkby, Lancashire, with her four siblings. She later changed her surname to "Maughan". Career Upon graduating from RADA, Maughan gained ...

– Inge Lindstrom (Series 4) *

Ingrid Hafner Ingrid Hafner (13 November 1936 – 20 May 1994) was a British actress, born in London. Her father was Raoul Hafner, an Austrian helicopter pioneer, and her mother Eileen Myra McAdam was a descendant of Scottish-born John Loudon McAdam, the roa ...

– Laura Granton (Series 4) *

Gary Bond Gary James Bond (7 February 1940 – 12 October 1995) was an English actor and singer. He is known for originating the role Joseph in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', his performance ...

– Andrew Retford (Series 4)

Home video

All four series have been released on DVD in the UK.NetworkOn Air: ''The Main Chance'' DVD
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References

External links

* 1969 British television series debuts 1975 British television series endings 1960s British drama television series 1970s British drama television series 1960s British legal television series 1970s British legal television series ITV television dramas Television series by ITV Studios Television series by Yorkshire Television Television shows set in Leeds English-language television shows {{UK-tv-prog-stub