The Saint on TV

Episode 40: The Miracle Tea Party

"THE MIRACLE TEA PARTY"

A pretty nurse visits London. A packet of tea is slipped into her bag and a
man is murdered in a telephone booth. How these two incidents link up
provides the Saint with a problem that plunges him into another tense
adventure in "The Saint" episode "The Miracle Tea Party."

Roger Moore not only stars as the Saint, but is the director of this episode
in which he has the support of his old "Ivanhoe" partner, Robert Brown -
this time as a "heavy" - and a particularly outstanding cast which includes
Conrad Phillips (famous as TV's "William Tell"). Nanette Newman, Fabia
Drake, Charles Houston, Patrick Westwood and Basil Dignam.

Putting in a telephone call at Waterloo Station leads to some unexpected
results for Simon Templar, the Saint (ROGER MOORE). Also waiting to put in a
call is an attractive young nurse, Geraldine McLeod (NANETTE NEWMAN), who
has just arrived from the navel base where she works, and is surprised to
come face to face with a man named Franklin (EDWARD JEWESBURY), assistant
storeman at the base.

Franklin is looking nervous, and the reason for his nervousness is his
spotting two men who have been watching the arrival of passengers. One is
named Atkins (ROBERT BROWN); the other, Barlow (MICHAEL STANDING).

Franklin slips something into Geraldine's bucket bag, without her knowing
it, and then enters one of the 'phone booths. At the same time, Geraldine
goes into another booth. The Saint, in an adjoining booth, spots her and
smiles admiringly. Neither sees Barlow slip his hand into the booth occupied
by Franklin and drop a tiny vial. Franklin clutches at his throat and
collapses. He is dead by the time the Saint and Geraldine go to his
assistance - and it is the Saint who finds the vial. He has a prescription
for the shocked nurse: a double Martini followed by the best dinner in
London.

How deeply they are becoming involved is shown when the Saint realises they
are being followed, but he shakes off the pursuers. Then they find the
package that Franklin slipped into Geraldine's bag a package labelled
Miracle Tea. But instead of tea, the contents are five pound notes. And of
the back of the package is an announcement about radio broadcastings
advertising the tea, with details of a win-a-disc contest. The Saint has a
feeling that this might in some way be connected with the money found in the
package.

When Simon is tricked into leaving Geraldine for a few minutes, she is
attacked by Atkins, who gets away with the package and the money. Simon
decides that it's time to get in touch with Commander Richardson (BASIL
DIGNAM), of the Special Branch, and learns that Franklin was one of his best
operators, on an assignment at the naval base because of suspected leakage
of classified information: in particular, nuclear components.

The tea is traced to a health store near the base owned by a man named
Osbett (PATRICK WESTWOOD), and the Saint's next step is to go home with
Geraldine, where his is invited to stay with her and her Aunt Hattie (FABIA
DRAKE), and Geraldine reports back to the base hospital, where she works for
Dr Sandberg (CONRAD PHILLIPS).

The Saint soon discovers that Osbett's Health Store is a clearing house of
some kind. But how does it work? Where does Dr Sandberg come into the
complex picture? Is there a secret code in the prize-winning numbers given
out in the Miracle Tea radio contest? Any why is Geraldine kidnapped?

A breakneck race by the Saint in a car to get to London ahead of a train
provides the climax and solution.........

NB All spellings and punctuation as in the original.

PRODUCED BY - ROBERT S. BAKER AND MONTY BERMAN
DIRECTED BY - ROGER MOORE
SCRIPT SUPERVISION - HARRY W. JUNKIN

ROGER MOORE - SIMON TEMPLAR
FABIA DRAKE - AUNT HATTIE
NANETTE NEWMAN - GERALDINE McLEOD
CONRAD PHILLIPS - DR SANDBERG
BASIL DINGHAM -
COMMANDER RICHARDSON
CHARLES HOUSTON - NORTON

VIKTOR VIKO - INESCUE
PATRICK WESTWOOD - OSBETT
ROBERT BROWN - ATKINS
EDWARD JEWESBURY - FRANKLIN
NEVILLE WHITING - WILSON
MICHAEL STANDING - BARLOW