When Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt) goes to investigate sinister nocturnal goings on at the cemetery near Marty Hopkirk's grave, he is knocked out by a man wearing 18th-century clothing complete with breeches, stockings and buckled shoes. Both Marty (Kenneth Cope) and Jeannie (Annette Andre) think that Jeff imagined it all; so he visits the funeral parlour run by Dighton (Bernard Kay) who tells him that no work has been scheduled to take place near Marty's grave. But while Jeannie is talking to Dighton, Jeff sees the man again who knocks him out in the graveyard. He regains consciousness and is taken to Mandrake Hall by a man who calls himself Mandrake (George Murcell) and admits to being a charlatan. He is a businessman who made his money out of selling cattle food, but bought the name, title and the mansion since it sounded more distinguished than his own name, Wortlespoon. Mandrake has a 20-year-old son called Harry (Nigel Terry) who is an agoraphobic hippie who lives like a recluse in the basement. Mandrake offers Jeff a fortune to try and help him turn his son into a suitable heir, which he refuses. However, as he is leaving the estate, he recognises the gardener, Harper (Geoffrey Hughes), as his attacker in 18th-century garb. Whilst lying low from the police, Jeff agrees to take up Mandrake's offer and under the cover of darkness he investigates the greenhouse where he finds a secret passage leading up to Harry's room and the cemetery. But, Harry has been abducted and the men in 18th-century costume were clearly designed to scare anybody away who got in the way of the kidnappers' plans. But, who are they? Is it an outside job or was Harry himself somehow involved? Will Mandrake bother to pay the ransom or has he found somebody else to be a more suitable heir?
Although it begins rather eerily with its gentle nod to gothic horror, this episode is played largely for comedic effect. The chemistry between Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre is priceless here. Jeff worries Marty and Jeannie because he is totally convinced that he was beaten up by a man in the middle of the night in a cemetery dressed in 18th-century costume. They put it down to hallucinations as a result of the blow to his head. In a hilarious sequence, Jeannie forces him to see a doctor and, because Jeff snaps at his daft questions, the doctor believes him to be violent and a danger to the public. On the pretext of leaving the room to get a nurse to dress his head wound, the doctor is actually on the phone for an ambulance, two strong men and a straitjacket. Jeff is informed by the ghostly Marty who was listening in and, in horror, Jeff jumps out of the window screaming "I'm off!" Jeannie, of course, is hysterical as she cannot understand how Jeff could possibly have known that. George Murcell is quite good as the eccentric Mandrake with the troubled son whom he wants Jeff to turn into the ideal son and heir. This provides the more serious and thought provoking aspect to the story. Mandrake is a man with everything money can buy: a title, family estate, name and, in his own words, "even the lavender scented love letters tied up in ribbon". But, he is to discover that there are certain things that all the money in the world just cannot buy; being able to turn his son into the perfect heir who will "refound the Mandrake dynasty", which is phoney anyhow for one. After the son rebels against his father, he gives up on the idea and marries his glamouress housekeeper, Martha (Patricia Haines), who plans to give him lots of children. Meanwhile, unknown to everyone, things turn out right for Harry too in a touching and amusing climax. In addition, Cope gets to do some more amusing comedy where Marty goes to watch a football match and, using his ghostly powers, helps England win by blowing the ball so they'd score that vital goal. For this sequence stock footage of the 1966 England vs West Germany World Cup Final was used.
All in all, a very funny episode with a little thought provoking drama thrown in that should please fans of the series.
Although it begins rather eerily with its gentle nod to gothic horror, this episode is played largely for comedic effect. The chemistry between Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre is priceless here. Jeff worries Marty and Jeannie because he is totally convinced that he was beaten up by a man in the middle of the night in a cemetery dressed in 18th-century costume. They put it down to hallucinations as a result of the blow to his head. In a hilarious sequence, Jeannie forces him to see a doctor and, because Jeff snaps at his daft questions, the doctor believes him to be violent and a danger to the public. On the pretext of leaving the room to get a nurse to dress his head wound, the doctor is actually on the phone for an ambulance, two strong men and a straitjacket. Jeff is informed by the ghostly Marty who was listening in and, in horror, Jeff jumps out of the window screaming "I'm off!" Jeannie, of course, is hysterical as she cannot understand how Jeff could possibly have known that. George Murcell is quite good as the eccentric Mandrake with the troubled son whom he wants Jeff to turn into the ideal son and heir. This provides the more serious and thought provoking aspect to the story. Mandrake is a man with everything money can buy: a title, family estate, name and, in his own words, "even the lavender scented love letters tied up in ribbon". But, he is to discover that there are certain things that all the money in the world just cannot buy; being able to turn his son into the perfect heir who will "refound the Mandrake dynasty", which is phoney anyhow for one. After the son rebels against his father, he gives up on the idea and marries his glamouress housekeeper, Martha (Patricia Haines), who plans to give him lots of children. Meanwhile, unknown to everyone, things turn out right for Harry too in a touching and amusing climax. In addition, Cope gets to do some more amusing comedy where Marty goes to watch a football match and, using his ghostly powers, helps England win by blowing the ball so they'd score that vital goal. For this sequence stock footage of the 1966 England vs West Germany World Cup Final was used.
All in all, a very funny episode with a little thought provoking drama thrown in that should please fans of the series.
