Scotland Yard s Chief Inspector Rose, portrayed by the charismatic William Mervyn (All Gas and Gaiters), was first introduced in The Odd Man and It’s Dark Outside, Granada s cult crime series of the early 60s, and this sequel sees the acerbic detective emerging from a restless retirement to take on a further series of cases.

Gillian Lewis plays Rose’s beautiful secretary, Drusilla, and Donald Webster his enigmatic manservant, John; guest stars include Terence Alexander, Allan Cuthbertson, John Le Mesurier and Julie Goodyear.

Retirement has afforded Mr. Rose the time not only to cultivate a cottage garden on the south coast, but also to write his memoirs. And it’s the impending publication of those memoirs that brings a number of figures crawling out of the woodwork and back into his life: criminals and former colleagues alike, who know that his vast personal collection of case files contains a wealth of incriminating detail. Time may have mellowed Rose a little, but he’s as sharp as ever, and now sets about a succession of new investigations with customary aplomb and evident relish.