The Franchise Affair episode 2 - starring Patrick Malahide (1988) - mystery/detective

Robert Blair (Patrick Malahide), a solicitor living in the country town of Milford, is called on to defend Marion Sharpe (Joanna McCallum) and her mother (Rosalie Crutchley), who are accused of kidnapping and beating a fifteen-year-old war orphan named Betty Kane (Kate Emma Davies).
ALL SIX PARTS WILL BE UPLOADED THIS WEEK
Broadcast 2nd October 1988

[@tonycross5801]

Great story and incidental music, just the right amount of tension with occasional period references.

[@terrymitchell2533]

Looking forward to the next episode, very enjoyable so far, thank you👍🥂

[@drjanines3301]

Fascinating choice of music throughout

[@lydialily846]

I’m thoroughly enjoying this , so so good ..

[@gillethsandico]

Nice. Thank you

[@seriousros7280]

Think I've worked out what's going on here. Can't wait to discover if my theory is correct.

[@cynthiaslater7445]

This supports Christie's idea about the problem with small English villages. Are these two innocent? Even if they are, the village clocks won't let them be. Cheers!

[@ninamartin1084]

Gripping

[@emf49]

That last remark by the car mechanic was disgusting. I wonder if Josephine Tey had that line in her book?

[@maxinejacobson4006]

I’ve just finished the book and remember that too.

[@ahothabeth]

The text in the book reads
"'Nice little number, that,' he said. 'Reminds me of a bint I had in Egypt. Same far-apart eyes. Nice kid she was. Told the most original lies. ' He went back to his paper."

[@stevecharters8965]

Is the screenplay just being incompetent when it destroys any possible suspense by actually showing the women picking up the girl in the dramatization of Scotland Yard's allegations? This would presumably have been unspecified in the original text. And why wasn't the man who watched her get into the car interviewed as a witness?