Francis Durbridge Presents: Breakaway

Francis Durbridge has always been popular in Germany and I've recently enjoyed a DVD entitled Wer ist Mr Hogarth? which thankfully, given that my A-Level German is now extremely rusty, has an English language option. The show in question was the first of two Breakaway stories and stars Martin Jarvis as a detective called Harvey who has just quit his job in order to pursue a career as a children's writer. But his plans get a severe jolt when his parents are murdered.

What follows is classic Durbridge. His parents were supposed to be heading off on a flight to Australia - so why were they in a van bearing the name Marius of Rye, a company that seems not to exist? And why did someone in a helicopter shoot them? Jill Foster, the young woman whom Harvey had heard addressing his father at the airport as 'Mr Hogarth' before correcting herself, must know more than she admits...

The plot thickens nicely as a strange married couple, the Randells, who were his parents' neighbours and had a key to their house, come into Harvey's life. The couple seem to dislike each other intensely, but again it's clear they know more than they are willing to reveal. Cliffhanger follows cliffhanger until the truth emerges...

This is a fun story. You don't watch Durbridge for in-depth characterisation or emotional resonance, you enjoy him for the plot twists. There's an excellent feature on the DVD, with a very knowledgeable German interviewing Durbridge's son Nicholas, who discusses his father's life and work and also shows some memorabilia of interest. After watching one or two harrowing TV dramas lately, I found Breakaway relaxing and pleasant light relief.