The Main Chance

February 20, 1963

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Z-Cars - S2 - E23

Cock-fighting is cruel, bloody and illegal. Its promoters have to work in secret, and so do the police in trying to catch the perpetrators.

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Z-Cars: Season 2 - 42 Episode s

2x1 - On Watch - Newtown
September 19, 1962
Both crews are forced to realise the narrow margin between life and death on a busy night in which Barlow and Twentyman miss one crime and catch two criminals.
2x2 - Full Remission
September 26, 1962
A pretty girl out alone and late at night leads Steele and Lynch to a robbery and to a tearaway more dangerous than any they have encountered before.
2x3 - Truth Or Dare
October 3, 1962
The violent death of a small shopkeeper brings Supt. Miller into Victor Division and into conflict with Barlow, who has his own solution to offer.
2x4 - Information Received
October 10, 1962
Z-Victor Two gets an alarm call to a jeweller's shop. Sgt. Watt gets the information that leads to an arrest, but the case is not as simple as it seems.
2x5 - Friendly Relations
October 17, 1962
The trail of a walk-in thief leads Smith and Weir to a locked room in Newtown and on to a night in Blackpool - but not to see the illuminations!
2x6 - Corroboration
October 24, 1962
Lynch and Steele investigate a break-in at a factory where the night watchman has been attacked and injured. They bring in a man the Newtown police have long wanted to see behind bars. But bringing him in is one thing, keeping him in is another.
2x7 - The Thin Girl
October 31, 1962
A neat operation in car stealing begins to go wrong when the thief tries mixing business with pleasure.
2x8 - Johnny Sailor
November 7, 1962
Johnny attacks a man in a pub - the wrong man. Steele and Lynch have to find him before he finds the right man.
2x9 - Person Unknown
November 14, 1962
Detective Superintendent Miller, aggressive as ever, leads the local Newtown force as they attempt to find a man who has attacked several young girls.
2x10 - Ambush
November 11, 1962
Dick Davis comes out of Walton jail and immediately plans his first job. But after two years in prison Davis cannot match the quality of his planning with the quality of his new accomplices.
2x11 - Known To The Police
November 28, 1962
Hilda Simmons reports that her car has been stolen. But she omits to tell the police that the man who took it is her husband. Smith and Weir have the task of rounding up the 'thief' only to find that the charge has been withdrawn. However, Sgt. Watt recognises Simmons of old, and soon tumbles to what is happening.
2x12 - The Navigators
December 5, 1962
Lynch and Steele are called to a pub fight. Who started it? As Geraghty said: ""Hollis is always starting fights. Too clever for himself this time, though - far too clever"".
2x13 - Business Trip
December 12, 1962
A London gang move north. They plan a short and profitable visit to Newtown. Smith and Weir spend a busy night trying to cut down their profits and lengthen their stay.
2x14 - Five Whistles
December 19, 1962
A quantity of drink and five suits are missing. Steele and Lynch spend a long night looking for the drink while the rest of the Newtown police are at the Christmas party.
2x15 - Search
December 26, 1962
When a child is reported missing on Christmas Day Smith and Weir are first in what becomes a countrywide hunt for him. They search all day and into the night in a desperate attempt to find him.
2x16 - All Up By Seven
January 2, 1963
Arrest usually pile up at night - except in this case that involves a safe, the Army, a divorce and a potted plant.
2x17 - Trumpet Voluntary
January 9, 1963
Eddie plays the trumpet badly and on the streets, so his contacts with the police are frequent. This time, however, there is more than music involved.
2x18 - Five And A Match
January 16, 1963
Export cigarettes are being imported into the Newtown area. Lynch and Steele pick up some fag-ends of information.
2x19 - The Hitch-Hiker
January 23, 1963
A casual lift as the rain pours down - and for Winnie Parker it means a drive of terror. Her kindness in persuading her husband to pick up a hitch-hiker puts her in danger and gives a long night of anxiety and work for Smith and Weir.
2x20 - A Simple Case
January 30, 1963
Bob Steele is late for work. And because of this he becomes accidentally involved in a case concerning a petty thief. He is going through the town's shopping centre when a middle-aged woman comes running out of one of the stores, closely pursued by a security guard. She has apparently been shoplifting. But what seems at first sight to be a 'simple case' confronts Steele with the biggest decision of his life. (This was Jeremy Kemp's last appearance as PC Bob Steele.)
2x21 - Act Of Vengeance
February 6, 1963
The act is sudden, brutal and corroding. The problem facing Barlow is what the victim has done to warrant it.
2x22 - The Listeners
February 13, 1963
Lynch goes out on patrol with PC Dave Graham, the former dog-handler who has been chosen to replace Bob Steele. With Lynch missing the companionship of Steele, the relationship between the new pair is not easy. They quickly run into trouble - with each other and with a pair of thieves with an ear to police business.
2x23 - The Main Chance
February 20, 1963
Cock-fighting is cruel, bloody and illegal. Its promoters have to work in secret, and so do the police in trying to catch the perpetrators.
2x24 - Follow My Leader
February 27, 1963
The trail of counterfeit notes begins in a chemist's shop. Following it is more complicated than Lynch and Graham would ever have believed.
2x25 - Members Only
March 6, 1963
The men want the new club to be peaceful and palatial. John Watt's concern is with the way it is being financed and furnished.
2x26 - Matter Of Conviction
March 13, 1963
A serious crime has to be reported to Headquarters. Barlow's main worry is that the crime may not have been committed at all.
2x27 - The Bad Lad
March 20, 1963
In an attempt to improve the crime statistics Barlow has Smith and Weir devoting valuable time to the theft of a bicycle lamp and John Watt is set to clear up an affair of lead castings pilfered from a factory. Both seem trivial, but Barlow thinks that they are worth some trouble - and as usual he is proved right in the end.
2x28 - Enquiry
March 27, 1963
Despite all the anger and resentment they arouse nothing must deflect Inspector Bamber from the most difficult enquiries of his career - into suspicions that Victor Division contains a policeman who is a thief.
2x29 - Pay By Results
April 3, 1963
Glossop is a name all too familiar to Newtown CID. His record includes larceny, assault, shopbreaking, gaming and assault on police. So when he escapes from prison and is reported to be back in Newtown Barlow makes it his personal business to find him. But knowing Glossop's reputation, the informers are reluctant to talk.
2x30 - The Peterman
April 10, 1963
A big bump in the night and the hunt for the safebreakers is on. But the safebreakers are hunting too - for the expert.
2x31 - The Birds Of The Air
April 17, 1963
Only when the birds have flown does Z-Victor One get called to the Atlantic Hotel, where a man and woman are wanted for not paying their bill. Barlow has to set snares to catch them.
2x32 - Train Of Events
April 24, 1963
A mailbag robbery in Newtown and Barlow is in his element as the masterly organiser at the centre of operations. He sends Lynch and Graham to set up a road block, chivvies John Watt into scouting for information and reminds Sgt. Blackitt of the golden rule: ""Can't afford to let things stop or get bogged down"".
2x33 - By The Book
May 1, 1963
""Crimes like this, there's always two, always. I've never known it otherwise"". And DCS Robins is talking about murder.
2x34 - Nothing Serious
May 8, 1963
A vicious bunch of thugs and a young couple in love. Lynch and Graham are involved with both while their own working relationship reaches flash point. PC Sweet and the relative newcomer DC Hicks also get caught up in the action.
2x35 - Alarm Call
May 15, 1963
The alarm rings and the police dash to the scene. This is the reflex action a clever crook can calculate on - except when PC Jock Weir decides to take charge.
2x36 - A Try By Weir
May 22, 1963
It's the night after a big rugby football match. Lynch and Graham get a surprise when they are sent to investigate a spot of trouble at a pub on the Newtown to Seaport road, for there they find Jock Weir. He is having a drink with friends to celebrate playing on the winning side, but with the arrival of Lynch and Graham the evening turns out to be anything but a happy one.
2x37 - Quiet Confidence
May 29, 1963
Fancy Smith's devotion to duty takes him, on his night off, to visit a young offender's father, with results that make him bitterly and furiously angry.
2x38 - Scare
June 5, 1963
The crew of a merchant ship about to dock at Seaport are looking forward to shore leave. They have money to burn and an itch to burn it in Rosie's Club. When a smallpox scare leads to all leave being stopped, two sailors have other ideas and sneak ashore. Lynch and Graham have to find them to prevent a possible smallpox epidemic.
2x39 - Caught By The Ears
June 12, 1963
Cattle are identified by marks on their ears. Sgt. Watt and Z-Victor One have to find their own way of identifying the people responsible for a large-scale fraud.
2x40 - Come On The Lads
June 19, 1963
In soccer mad Newtown tickets for the big match are at a premium. Everyone wants to go, villains and police alike. Con man Johnson has eight tickets to distribute to people who might be useful to him, but mistakenly hands them to Paddy, a fixer who has his own ideas about who to give them to. Lynch and Graham also have tickets and are on their way to the stadium when they come into violent contact with a gang of men in a stolen lorry.
2x41 - The Whizzers
June 26, 1963
A team of pickpockets and the attempt to track them down leads Jock Weir into serious trouble with the public and with the Chief Constable.
2x42 - Police Work
July 3, 1963
The Coroner's demand for the presence of a witness sends Smith and Weir to a lonely cottage, to be greeted with a kind of violence even they do not expect.

2x1 - On Watch - Newtown

2x2 - Full Remission

2x3 - Truth Or Dare

2x4 - Information Received

2x5 - Friendly Relations

2x6 - Corroboration

2x7 - The Thin Girl

2x8 - Johnny Sailor

2x9 - Person Unknown

2x10 - Ambush

2x11 - Known To The Police

2x12 - The Navigators

2x13 - Business Trip

2x14 - Five Whistles

2x15 - Search

2x16 - All Up By Seven

2x17 - Trumpet Voluntary

2x18 - Five And A Match

2x19 - The Hitch-Hiker

2x20 - A Simple Case

2x21 - Act Of Vengeance

2x22 - The Listeners

2x23 - The Main Chance

2x24 - Follow My Leader

2x25 - Members Only

2x26 - Matter Of Conviction

2x27 - The Bad Lad

2x28 - Enquiry

2x29 - Pay By Results

2x30 - The Peterman

2x31 - The Birds Of The Air

2x32 - Train Of Events

2x33 - By The Book

2x34 - Nothing Serious

2x35 - Alarm Call

2x36 - A Try By Weir

2x37 - Quiet Confidence

2x38 - Scare

2x39 - Caught By The Ears

2x40 - Come On The Lads

2x41 - The Whizzers

2x42 - Police Work

S1: Series 1

S2: Series 2

S3: Series 3

S4: Series 4

S5: Series 5

S6: Series 6

S7: Series 7

S8: Series 8

S9: Series 9

S10: Series 10

S11: Series 11

S12: Series 12