Shoestring was a BBC television show set in Bristol. It featured a private detective with his own show on Radio West, the local radio station. The programme ran between 30 September 1979 and 21 December 1980, in two series with 21 one hour-long episodes. Star Trevor Eve decided not to return to the role after two series, as he wanted to diversify into theatre roles, so the same production team changed the format to be based in Jersey and created Bergerac, also about a detective returning to work after a bad period in his life.
Pete Johnson, a market trader dealing in dodgy goods, gives his young son Mike an early Christmas present - a powered moon buggy called Lunar Race 2000. As soon as the buggy is plugged in, it bursts into flames, causing Mike severe burns, and he finds himself in hospital. However, Pete lies to the hospital staff about the cause of the accident, as he had bought a box of the games believing them to be stolen.Eddie meets Mike while he is at the hospital delivering presents in the children's ward, and a doctor tells him that Mike has given a different story which may need investigation. Eddie gets the truth out of Pete, who says he has sold the other moon buggies, and Eddie begins broadcasting warnings about the potentially dangerous toy - but then the radio station is threatened with legal action by Wing's, the manufacturers, who say there is no such product...
Pete Johnson, a market trader dealing in dodgy goods, gives his young son Mike an early Christmas present - a powered moon buggy called Lunar Race 2000. As soon as the buggy is plugged in, it bursts into flames, causing Mike severe burns, and he finds himself in hospital. However, Pete lies to the hospital staff about the cause of the accident, as he had bought a box of the games believing them to be stolen.Eddie meets Mike while he is at the hospital delivering presents in the children's ward, and a doctor tells him that Mike has given a different story which may need investigation. Eddie gets the truth out of Pete, who says he has sold the other moon buggies, and Eddie begins broadcasting warnings about the potentially dangerous toy - but then the radio station is threatened with legal action by Wing's, the manufacturers, who say there is no such product...
Suffering from over-work, Keith Amery takes off onto the moors with a tent to get away from it all. While there, he has a strange experience, bangs his head and loses part of his memory. Eddie's mission is to find out what has happened. Meanwhile, the mysterious Australian Denise tricks her way into Eddie's confidence.
Suffering from over-work, Keith Amery takes off onto the moors with a tent to get away from it all. While there, he has a strange experience, bangs his head and loses part of his memory. Eddie's mission is to find out what has happened. Meanwhile, the mysterious Australian Denise tricks her way into Eddie's confidence.
Eddie is asked to investigate when Philip and Diana Hosken's furniture vanishes while being moved to their new house. Retired boxer Terry Bowen, an acquaintance of Erica's, proves to be up to no good.
Eddie is asked to investigate when Philip and Diana Hosken's furniture vanishes while being moved to their new house. Retired boxer Terry Bowen, an acquaintance of Erica's, proves to be up to no good.
Erica's friend Lois goes on a blind date with Clive, but he is chased out of a restaurant dining room into the bathroom and disappears. Eddie investigates.
Erica's friend Lois goes on a blind date with Clive, but he is chased out of a restaurant dining room into the bathroom and disappears. Eddie investigates.
At the request of a bereaved wife, Eddie investigates when Tim Reynolds jumps to his death from the top of a building in the city centre. Reynolds was developing a new fuel-efficiency computer system and was also in debt, and two shady business men, Rodgers and Parry, are somehow mixed up in a dishonest computer deal.
At the request of a bereaved wife, Eddie investigates when Tim Reynolds jumps to his death from the top of a building in the city centre. Reynolds was developing a new fuel-efficiency computer system and was also in debt, and two shady business men, Rodgers and Parry, are somehow mixed up in a dishonest computer deal.
Rosemary Mortimer, the wife of a water cress farmer, has disappeared for the second time, and her husband David is being persecuted by villagers who believe he has killed her. Don wants Eddie to raise the profile of his radio show, and Eddie offers to help Mortimer find what has happened to Rosemary.
Rosemary Mortimer, the wife of a water cress farmer, has disappeared for the second time, and her husband David is being persecuted by villagers who believe he has killed her. Don wants Eddie to raise the profile of his radio show, and Eddie offers to help Mortimer find what has happened to Rosemary.
Satchley asks Eddie to find a long-forgotten rock star whose records have found new popularity on Radio West's nostalgia program.
Satchley asks Eddie to find a long-forgotten rock star whose records have found new popularity on Radio West's nostalgia program.
Eddie finds himself on the edge of another breakdown when a caller taunts him with several muggings and an attack on Sonia, daring the ""Private Ear"" to catch him.
Eddie finds himself on the edge of another breakdown when a caller taunts him with several muggings and an attack on Sonia, daring the ""Private Ear"" to catch him.
Don sees a man stealing a handbag from a woman's car, and when he asks Eddie to return the empty bag to its owner, the Radio West 'private ear' hears a nasty tale of blackmail.
Don sees a man stealing a handbag from a woman's car, and when he asks Eddie to return the empty bag to its owner, the Radio West 'private ear' hears a nasty tale of blackmail.
A 76-year-old woman asks Eddie to look into something she saw through the window of the empty house across the street that she believes to be murder.
A 76-year-old woman asks Eddie to look into something she saw through the window of the empty house across the street that she believes to be murder.
Shoestring was a BBC television show set in Bristol. It featured a private detective with his own show on Radio West, the local radio station. The programme ran between 30 September 1979 and 21 December 1980, in two series with 21 one hour-long episodes. Star Trevor Eve decided not to return to the role after two series, as he wanted to diversify into theatre roles, so the same production team changed the format to be based in Jersey and created Bergerac, also about a detective returning to work after a bad period in his life.
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as Eddie Shoestring
as Erica Bayliss
