Sam Harvey, a Superintendent plans to quit his job to take up a new career, as a children's writer. However his world is rocked when his parents who are off to Australia, are killed in a strange motoring accident. Having dropped them off at a Train Station, the car taking them to the airport is shot at, killing them. Sam encounters some strange people who knew his parents, and the name Hogarth keeps popping up, as does the firm 'Marius of Rye,' who's name was on the van.
I love Francis Durbridge's work, and straight away you just know he's written this, the first part as always features a bizarre crime, people lying, and a perplexed central character. Breakaway is basically the end of Francis Durbridge presents, apart from Bleasdale's Melissa his work has sadly never appeared.
It's well acted, intriguing, the killing was bizarre, and seemed to make no sense. Martin Jarvis was excellent as the central character. Such a shame Joan Benham was bumped off so early on, a wonderful actress who of course appeared in the brilliant adaptation of Melissa several years earlier.
My curiosity is definitely pricked by this episode. It somewhat lacks the charm of the 60's episodes, but I'm looking forward to the next. 7/10