Season One, Story One

Cast and Credits		Ep.1	Ep.2	Ep.3
Teddy Talk	Michael Standing
Madame Midnight	Hildegard Neil
Professor Ekdorf	Frederick Peisley
Kal	Dave Prowse
Six	Tony Caunter
Eight	Chris Webb
Reporter	Carla Challoner
Boutique Girl	Nita Lorraine
Ma Epps	Daphne Heard
Mr. America	Bruce Boa
Mr. Russia	Jan Conrad
Writer	Trevor Preston
Designer	Tony Borer
Director	John Russell

Full Story Synopsis

I don't have any detailed information about this episode, however a synopsis for a similar story formed part of Trevor Preston's series proposal document which is in the archives section.

Teddy Talk is manhandled into Madame Midnight's Rolls Royce. The doors slam shut and the car hisses away down the road and out of sight. Unbeknown to the occupants of the car, this was witnessed by Ma Epps, an itinerant old woman who sells firewood from a broken-down pram.

Meanwhile Tarot had just arrived at his headquarters with Sam, Lulli and Mr Sweet were already there waiting. Sam is looking unhappy and Lulli realises that their mission has not been successful. Mr Sweet realises this too and Tarot reports that the only trace they found of Talk was a visit to the barber's the previous day. Lulli asks about Talk's pad. "It was as bare as old Mother Hubbard's cupboard," sighs Sam, "It reminded me of my old cell at the Scrubs". They exchange further suggestions, but no one has any concrete theories. Tarot decides on the next plan of action. He asks Lulli to pose as Ekdorf's assistant and to contact him or Mr Sweet should anything happen; Sam is to continue the search for Teddy Talk. Mr Sweet is asked to use his "computer memory" and make a list of any physicists working on similar projects to Ekdorf.

In the grounds of a monastery, a number of monks go about their daily business. Inside the building, two monks approach a cell along a dark, bare, stone corridor. One of them unlocks the cell door and enters the cell leaving the other monk on guard outside. Inside the cell, the monk sees Teddy Talk sitting quietly in a corner. The monk, who is known as "Six", takes a habit from under his own and asks Talk to put it on. When persuaded, by Six drawing a Luger, Talk acquiesces.

In Ekdorf's laboratory, Lulli is dressed in a lab coat wearing big spectacles. She is working with Ekdorf checking out his menagerie. Ekdorf is pleasantly surprised by Lulli's competence and she reveals that she spent time working with a vet after the dropped out of Oxford University. This revelation too surprises Ekdorf. They continue working until Lulli spots a movement outside the window and dashes out. She seas one of Madame Midnight's heavies taking photographs of the house before returning to his car and making a call on the car-phone.

Madame Midnight, as always, dressed in black, is sitting in a strange throne-like, black-buttoned, leather armchair that has a complex panel of switches attached to one arm. A black cat stretches out on her lap and Madame Midnight runs black, witch-like, fingernails through its sleek fur. Standing behind her, ready to do her bidding, is Kal her monster bodyguard and mute servant. Six and Eight enter with Teddy Talk and stand him on a strange square plate in the floor. She raises a hand from caressing her cat and presses one of the switches in the panel. Madame Midnight speaks in perfect English yet with a cultured French accent. Teddy wants to leave and demands to know how long he will be held prisoner. He promises he won't talk, "So you don't have to worry." Icily, the reply, "I'm not worried."

Doctor Calder bursts into the room. He heads for Madame Midnight, but Kal steps in his way. Madame Midnight indicates he may approach. He is concerned, "The formulae are incomplete - two important pages are missing." She turns to Teddy Talk, but he says that he took everything he could find. Calder is angry, but so is Madame Midnight when she learns that Calder is unable to make any further progress without the missing pages. Calder protests that they had a deal, Madame Midnight has lost patience and confidence in the man, "Even with the extra information, you don't have confidence that you can accomplish the reversal technique?" "With time," Calder replies. Madame Midnight grim: "I have no time - you have even less - Kal!" The giant takes hold of Calder and removes him from the room. As Teddy Talk goes to move too, Madame Midnight presses another button and Talk is shot rigid with a powerful electric shock through the floor plate. "Be careful Mr Talk, you are only of marginal use to me."

Mr Sweet has prepared a list of scientists, all with international reputations. Tarot recognises one name, who he remembers being involved in some suspect drugs research: Doctor Silas Calder. Mr Sweet confirms this and adds that he had been on the phone most of the morning trying to track Calder down. He discovered that he was last heard of two months ago, in France. Tarot has an idea, "Near Toulouse, perhaps?" Mr Sweet is amazed, "Yes, four miles outside." Tarot is pleased as the various strands of information are beginning to come together.

Sam is standing at a roadside café when Ma Epps appears, trundling her pram. She approaches Sam, saying that she has heard that Sam is looking for Teddy Talk. Once Sam convinces her that he means Talk no harm, she agrees to tell him what she saw. Sam returns to Tarot to tell him what he's learnt, but Tarot has worked out most of it for himself, even the registration number of the car: "MM1".

Madame Midnight has organized her team and Six, Eight and Kal head off in the car to Ekdorf's house. They make their way into the grounds. Lulli enters the laboratory with a tray of afternoon tea and is surprised to find the Professor beaming. He has been examining the two pages that Talk dropped and has realised that they hold contain key formulae. Their attention distracted, they fail to notice Kal watching them through the window. When Lulli next leaves the room, Kal slips silently into the lab. He silences Ekdorf then slips a chloroformed pad over his face. The old man passes out just as Lulli returns. Kal sees her and lets Ekdorf slither to the ground. As Six climbs through the window to help, Kal moves to stop Lulli from getting away, but she grabs a tray of white powder from the bench and throws the contents in his face. Kal is momentarily blinded and as he stumbles, Lulli side-steps and escapes through the door.

Tarot is with Sam at the headquarters when suddenly, Tarot's expression blanks. Sam is concerned, then Tarot snaps out and turns to Sam, "She's in trouble - get the car." To Lulli, Tarot cries, "Run, Lulli, Run!"

Lulli, scarcely needs any encouragement as she runs for dear life, away from Kal and Six, through the overgrown grounds of the house. She first evades them by hiding in a broken-down greenhouse, them slips away onto the nearby common. But they are still following her.

Tarot with Sam, in the 'E' type hammer along.

Eight drives the Rolls up to the front of the house. He steps out and scans the garden but can see no one, so he opens the rear door then disappears into the house. A few moments later he returns carrying Ekdorf. He is careful with the old man, and gently sits him in the back seat and tugs a travelling blanket around him.

Tarot's car, still snarling round the country roads.

Kal and Six are gaining on Lulli. She has hidden in some bushes and is delighted when Six runs past less than ten feet away. As he goes out of sight, she moves from cover to make off in the opposite direction, but runs straight into the grip of Kal who, not wanting to lose her again, presses the chloroformed pad over her face. Lulli manages a single word before she passes out: "Tarot!"

Tarot is driving very fast when suddenly he loses concentration. Sam realises what has happened and grabs the wheel. The car skids as Tarot comes to and brakes. "Want me to drive?" asks Sam. "No time," replies Tarot as the car takes off again.

Lulli is placed next to Ekdorf on the back seat then Kal, Six and Eight climb into the car and it moves silently down the drive, and away. She awakes in a cell and is heard by the occupant of the adjacent cell - Teddy Talk. Lulli asks Talk where they are and he tells her about the monastery. Lulli asks him about the look of the place, Teddy does his best to describe what the architecture.

Professor Ekdorf is now standing on that same metal plate in front of Madame Midnight, he refuses to help her. He is given a mild electric shock, but he remains unshaken, pointing out how old he is, and how unimportant his life is compared to the demands she makes of him. Madame Midnight realises she is making no progress and she signals to Kal to fetch Lulli.

Lulli makes contact with Tarot and relays to him Talk's description of the monastery - Tarot speaks each word out loud. Contact is all too brief as Kal opens the cell door and takes Lulli away. Mr Sweet has listed everything Tarot has said and immediately makes a telephone call. He reveals to Tarot that he spent one year as a monk and has just been speaking to Father David. "Got it," he says, "Berkshire."

Madame Midnight has shown Professor Ekdorf to a well-equipped laboratory. He is appalled at her callousness but is helping her to protect Lulli. Both are unaware that as they speak, Tarot and Sam, disguised as monks, drop from the high wall surrounding the monastery into the grounds. The pair glide across the grounds and enter the cellar. They encounter Six leaving Talk's cell and knock him unconscious. They get Talk to don Six's habit and ask him to lead them to Madame Midnight.

Lulli is bound and gagged in a room with Madame Midnight and Kal. A warning light flashes and Madame Midnight gestures Kal to the door then sinks back and melts into the shadows. The door is opened cautiously and Tarot, Sam and Teddy Talk make their way into the room. Kal surprises them, clubs Sam down, but Tarot avoids his lunges. Madame Midnight appears and throws a switch on the control panel and the room is flooded with a deafening, high-pitch sound. She and Kal are protected by a device each wears in one ear, but Lulli, Sam, Teddy Talk and Tarot are all badly affected, Tarot sinking to his knees. The sounds is switched off, but now Madame Midnight and Kal face Tarot and the others with revolvers. Tarot gets to his feet, in the fight his hood has slipped and he is recognised by Madame Midnight. "A visit from the famous Tarot," she says coldly, "you must dine with me - come, a last meal before I give you to Kal."

I don't have any detailed information about this episode, however a synopsis for a similar story formed part of Trevor Preston's series proposal document which is in the archives section.