Yorkshire Television's hugely successful legal drama, The Main Chance, was so fast-paced that even the opening credits were played over images of a speeding train, depicting protagonist David Main commuting between his twin bases in London and Leeds. John Stride brings great passion and authority as the protagonist, a man with a pithy verbal rejoinder for every occasion ("If I wanted to be loved I'd have been a teddy bear"), and who is out for his big break. His seemingly devil-may-care attitude is contrasted with the steady and cautious approach of his crusty Leeds partner Henry Castleton. Main's relentless pursuit of material and career success is, however, tempered by his desire to champion the underdog, for whom he feels an occasionally grudging kinship.

As Main's fortunes peak and trough, the most visible casualty of his ambitions is his personal life.

Initially made in black and white, as the series' popularity grew and it transferred to colour some episodes even included ...