Paul Temple and the Lawrence Affair

Although half an episode passes by before we even hear of her, the disappearance of Sylvia Ross - daughter of the head of MI5 - becomes the crux of this affair.

Amazingly no one tries. Someone impersonates Johnny Teako (or do they?) but that's all you get.

A welcome twist on the old vehicular homicide theme comes when they leave dry land and their boat is capsized by another craft. I'm not giving it a mark even though they stuck to tradition and had Steve point out that she wouldn't recognise the driver as he was wearing goggles.

Mary Gardner wastes her almost-final breaths telling Mrs Temple "Watch your handbag". She then wastes her actual final breaths telling a police officer to tell Mrs Temple to watch what we assume is the same handbag.

The Temples leave this storied island but only get as far as a yacht in the bay.

The key to the whole mystery seems to be finding Mr Clive Lawrence, last heard of at the Hotel Steinbock, Zermatt.

It's even less precise than a car bomb - the cunning killers decide to booby trap Steve's handbag by planting a gun in it which fires when she opens the clasp.

They managed to lure Paul and Steve into a mews and blast them with a machine gun. Except they shoot the wrong person. They later try (but fail) to get them to go up to Scotland.

The Palace de Dance is hardly glamorous but it is a popular nightspot and is integral to the affair as it was the place Sylvia Ross visited on the night she disappeared. The entertainment is provided by fake-American Johnny Teako and his groovy dance band. But did she ask him for a particular song or did her note say "Mr Clive Lawrence, Hotel Steinbock, Zermatt"?

Mr de Silva - a Harley Street eye specialist - is certainly mixed up in the affair. Possessing the most sinister voice this side of Herr Flick, de Silva, his car, his wife and his chauffeur are all suspects.

If you're working for a murderer it is obvious that you'd try to make a bit of extra cash by blackmailing him. No wonder Mr West was able to live beyond his apparent means.

When things got too hot in Holland, Townleigh decided to move his diamond and drug smuggling gang to Downburgh.

"Goodbye my baby, my baby doll" is a popular dance tune but did Sylvia Ross ask Johnny Teako to play it?

If you're a bum-by-the-sea what better name to have than "Salty" West?

Salty: "Reach into my pocket, Mr Temple... have you got them?"

Paul: "It's Steve's gold earrings!"

Paul stuns Brian Dexter with a highly intrusive "personal question" and the shocked (and slightly sickened Dexter) can barely answer. "Do you wear glasses?" said Paul. The nation was appalled.

Simon Lack is indeed all present and correct. He plays Brian Dexter - friend of Sylvia Ross, friend of Mrs De Silva and man with excellent eyesight (no, he doesn't wear glasses).

Like any good husband, Paul laughs off his wife's claims that a strange man was starring at her, following her around and starring at her some more. "Well why not - you're a beautiful woman" he says before moving on to more important matters. She thought it was a bit sinister, as you would, but no marks are awarded because they never actually use the "i" word.

Only half a notch for this one as Andy Cross put his head in the gas oven - as everyone who talks about it says, it's an old story - after a row with the girl he was stepping out with. But that was a year ago and, relevant or irrelevant, it doesn't merit a full point.

Band leader and generally greasy self-publicist, Johnny Teako is described as "a pseudo-American straight from Battersea". But, even though his accent is false, he is a character, it is American and no one can doubt it is pretty awful.

When will people learn not to do unwise manoeuvring next to a river? The guilty man, woman or person forgot this basic rule of thumb and ended up getting drowned to death for his, her or their trouble. 

15 and one half points - a fine old serial and one which would willingly climb down and rescue a dog even if it did have an injured arm. The serial not the dog.