Rumpole of the Bailey, Season Seven (1992)

It seems strange to think that as many episodes of Rumpole of the Bailey were broadcast in the 1990s as in the 1970s. It doesn't feel like a 1990s TV programme at all, largely thanks to the lead character, who feels ever more out of place as the passing of time leaves the '70s further and further behind, and it is increasingly implausible that Horace Rumpole was "called to the bar" before the outbreak of the Second World War yet is still practising in the ever-advancing present.

Rumpole's attitude is ever to resist the modernisation of his life, whether by Hilda at home or by his colleagues in his barristers' chambers, and to hearken back to an idyllic past that may never have existed. The early 1990s is just about the last period when a computer could have remained believably missing from his world. It seems to me that this must have reflected the beliefs of the series writer, John Mortimer, since this is one area in which Rumpole was never shown to be mistaken.

Not that this stopped Mortimer from writing about topical stories of the day. The final season kicked off with Rumpole and the Children of the Devil, based on the then-recent Orkney child abuse scandal in the most thinly veiled way possible. Less comedic in tone than most of the later Rumpole stories (save for a subplot in which Ballard and Erskine-Brown, the most religious-minded of Rumpole's colleagues, are alarmed by Rumpole's defence of supposed "devil worshipers"), the author's opinion of the social worker responsible for bringing the charges against Rumpole's client is plain for all to see - she is portrayed as being prejudiced (in the sense of having pre-judged the case) and ready to willfully misinterpret everything in the worst possible way to make the defendants look guilty. I think it is safe to say that Mortimer is not a fan.

A new member of the regular cast is introduced at the start of the season - Dot Clapton (played by Camille Coduri, not long after she was Faith in Nuns on the Run), Henry's new assistant. Dot fills the gap in the cast left by the absence of both Dianne (Henry's previous assistant) and Uncle Tom. Of these, Uncle Tom is by far the most missed - he never had a large role in any given episode, but he often had the funniest lines out of any of the supporting cast. Alas, it seems that his actor, Richard Murdoch, died in between the filming of seasons six and seven.

Rumpole and the Miscarriage of Justice sees Rumpole in the unusual position of defending a police officer accused of corruption, rather than being the one accusing them of it. What makes this even more interesting is that this officer, Detective Superintendent Gannon, was played by Tony Doyle, who was at the same time as this was broadcast appearing over on the BBC in Between the Lines as Chief Superintendent John Deakin, one of the greatest corrupt police officer characters ever seen in a TV detective series.

This rooftop location scene in Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle has the BT Tower visible in the distance. The existence of this tower was still an official secret at this time, not that this stopped it from frequently appearing in London-set TV programmes, from Doctor Who to The Goodies.

In Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson, Rumpole defends the titular Joby Jonson, who was played by a before-he-was-famous John "State of Play" Simm. Simm isn't even the most impressive guest actor in this episode, as not only does it feature Julian Fellowes as an MP, but also Julian "Scaroth" Glover as the outwardly benevolent but secretly up-to-no-good Sir Sebastian Pilgrim. Well, as the closest Rumpole ever came to meeting a diabolical mastermind, who better to play him than a former Bond villain?

Along with Julian Curry as series regular Claude Erskine-Brown, they could have called this one The Three Julians. Speaking of Claude Erskine-Brown, this episode concludes the long-running subplot whereby he has been trying to become a QC. Unable to do so without the support of Ballard, the head of chambers, Phyllida Erskine-Brown (Patricia Hodge making her once-a-season appearance) tricks Ballard into giving it. This leads to Judge Graves commenting upon the news:

"Claude Erskine-Brown? They must be giving away silk gowns with pounds of tea nowadays."

The problem with this is that the series presents Phyllida Erskine-Brown as some sort of irresistible siren, able to effortlessly seduce Ballard until he is putty in her hands. Quite aside from this being utterly out of character for the happily married Ballard to fall for this, Mrs Erskine-Brown is completely unbelievable as someone who could pull off this kind of temptation.

The traditional once-a-season episode away from London comes in the form of Rumpole and the Family Pride (a more conventional variant of the format-breaker than last season's Rumpole at Sea), which once again involves a member of Hilda's family in need of the services of Rumpole - this time one who married into the aristocracy, giving the Rumpoles an experience of the upper crust. Patrick "Captain Duff" Ryecart plays Lord Richard Sackbut, and the episode also features appearances by John "Sir Arnold" Nettleton and Donald "Eyesen" Pickering - both familiar faces from Yes Minister, of course, but also both had already been in Rumpole of the Bailey in earlier seasons as different characters.

And so we come to the very last episode of all, Rumpole on Trial, in which the tables are turned and it is Rumpole who finds himself... er, on trial. With his QC status going to his head, Claude Erskine-Brown accuses Rumpole of talking to a client after Judge Olliphant had instructed him not to, on top of Rumpole having been rude to that same judge in court - Rumpole lost his temper while suffering from toothache.

Judge Graves returns to preside over Rumpole's hearing. Ballard is, as usual, against Rumpole - that is until Hilda intimidates him into representing Rumpole as his head of chambers - a far more believable form of persuasion than that used by Mrs Erskine-Brown in the earlier episode. Seeing as Ballard is completely useless as an advocate (his days as a worthy courtroom opponent for Rumpole are several seasons behind him by now), the defence really falls to Rumpole's former pupil, Liz Probert (Abigail McKern). With Rumpole standing firm as a matter of principle, even if it ends his career, it is up to her to get him off in spite of his best efforts to be found guilty - a situation all too familiar to us viewers as it was so often the relationship between Rumpole and his clients. This symmetry is very pleasing, and makes this a worthy finale to the series.

As well as treating us with two recurring judges, this episode also features appearances by Peter Sallis (who had already started voicing Wallace & Gromit by the time this was made) as the client Rumpole was accused of talking to but didn't really, and Richard "Slartibartfast" Vernon as Rumpole's dentist, whom he really was talking to.

A highlight of the episode to watch out for is Rumpole's stubborn refusal gesture, when an apology is demanded of him as the price of acquittal, looking a lot like a similar stubborn gesture made by McKern's Number Two, when a prisoner in Fall Out.

So why did the series end when it did? The two essential ingredients to the show - Leo McKern to play Rumpole and John Mortimer to write it - could have carried on for several more years, perhaps even throughout the 1990s (McKern's last acting role was 1999). There was no signs of slowing down the production of the series as it entered the 1990s - indeed the shortest gap between seasons came between the sixth and seventh, only 10 months.

So it seems likely the demise of the series was tied up with the demise of the Thames Television franchise that made it. This came to an end in December 1992, the same month as Rumpole on Trial was broadcast.