The Secret Service

A Case For The Bishop is the pilot episode of the British Supermarionation television series "The Secret Service". It was written by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, directed by Alan Perry and was first broadcast in ATV Midlands on the 21st September 1969.

Two British-designed desalination plants have exploded as they neared 250 hours of operation and an order for ten plants in the United States now hangs in the balance. Suspecting sabotage, the Bishop assigns Unwin and Matthew to ensure that the last remaining plant, at Port Trennick, stays operational.

Enemy agent George Grey is believed to be being hidden by the influential Sir Humphrey Burton at his country residence. Father Unwin pays Sir Humphrey a visit, enabling a miniaturised Matthew to discover that Grey is to be smuggled out of the house by helijet - if he effects a successful escape, he will take with him details of anti-missile defences and the locations of all reprisal bases!

Aerial photos of a secret experimental World Air Force fighter plane are being offered on the black market, so Father Unwin and Matthew are assigned to determine how the photographer has managed to breach the restricted overhead access to Crayfield airbase. Their investigations lead them to pigeon fancier John Masden, who seems an unlikely candidate for espionage.

£1 million in used bank notes is travelling to London by express train. One attempt to steal the notes has already been made, so the Bishop assigns Father Unwin and Matthew to protect the train's cargo. After the train is hi-jacked, Unwin finds himself unable to stop the vehicle as it hurtles towards London at 80mph.

Top secret plans to correct the orbit of the errant G9 satellite are falling into the hands of the opposition and sabotaged. The Bishop suspects that General Brompton is unwittingly leaking the information at his golf course, so Father Unwin tees off with the General to determine how the secrets are being passed to the other side.