Synopsis
The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs was a 30-minute British television comedy series created by Bernard McKenna & Richard Laing and produced by Humphrey Barclay for LWT. It was transmitted on ITV 15 September - 20 December 1974 and featured David Jason as the inept Edgar Briggs, personal assistant to the Commander of the British Secret Intelligence Service who, in spite of his cluelessness, manages to solve case after case. It has been likened to the earlier American series Get Smart.
Episodes
Season 11E1The AssassinInformed by Buxton that the 'other side' are plotting to kill the Commander, Briggs goes undercover as a restaurant waiter and ends up saving the Commander's life — but nor before he lands himself, and gun, in the soup.30m2E2The DefectorHaving tracked to a heliport two Russian agents suspected of organising escape routes to Moscow for agents on the run, Briggs accidentally switches on the airport's Tannoy system - and broadcast his plans to capture them.30m3E3The LeakWhile attending a cocktail party with his wife, Briggs saves the day handing a roll of 'classified' film to an enemy contact - the man believes he's getting film of a secret missile base but Briggs accidentally hands over his holiday film.30m4E4The Escape RouteAssigned to discover who is behind an escape route, Briggs find himself swimming in muddy water but nevertheless stumbles across the ringleader - and accidently rounds up the gang single-handed.30m5E5The AbductionWhen the Commander is abducted and Briggs is left to engineer his escape, the agent does so, but not until he has bumbled his way through another mission and driven the abductor's getaway car - and the Commander - to safety.30m6E6The ExchangeBusy redecorating his home, Briggs stops his DIY activities to oversee an exchange of spies between SIS and the East Germans and finds himself face to face with enemy agents - with only a paintbrush in his gun holster.30m7E7The CourierSuspecting that a member of the International Symphony Orchestra, a pianist, has devised a clever scheme to smuggle secret information to the KGB, Briggs thwarts the man's plans - but not before he finds himself singing in a radio broadcast.30m8E8The TraitorSuspecting that Edwards, a clerk in the Documents Section, is responsible for betraying the department's agents to the enemy, Briggs exposed a network of traitors - by mistakenly arresting two 'innocent' men.30m9E9The KGBAssigned to organise the defection of a top Russian nuclear scientist, Briggs, heavily disguised, collects the woman in his car. Taking a 'short cut' to evade his pursuers, he gets lost in a multi-storey car park.30m10E10The DrawingInformed that someone at the Naval Section is selling vital missile drawings to the enemy, Briggs enters into a game of roulette with the suspect and discovers that the secret information has been incorporated into the design of a £5 note - one which Briggs hands over to the croupier as a tip.30m11E11The PresidentWhen assassination attempts are made on the life of a visiting president, our hero is put in charge of security. A mistake: before the day is through Briggs will pursue the enemy in a bread van - and leave three security cars crippled in a ditch.30m12E12The AppointmentGiven the task of training new recruit Maxwell. Briggs teaches the man the tricks of self-defence and marksmanship - but forgets to load Maxwell's gun. A fortunate move - Maxwell is a traitor and Briggs finds himself looking down the wrong end of the barrel.30m13E13The ContactAssigned to observe a meeting between an SIS man and his enemy-contact and take photographic evidence, Briggs causes chaos at Victoria Station by hiding on a train - and is carried off non-stop to Brighton.30m
Cast
