Raffles

I was expecting good things from this 1970s series of "Raffles." I can certainly understand why this popular character would be adapted for TV, to cash in on the success of the short stories. Alas, the results are a mixed bag. Altogether - including the pilot episode - 14 instalments were made. For me, that is quite enough. The plotting of most of the episodes is rather weak, causing the narrative structure to become compromised. There isn't much to keep me interested, once a plot is difficult to follow. Anthony Valentine is superbly cast in the title role. As the gentleman thief, his smooth charm and his diction add to his performance. The one who plays his sidekick Bunny, is about as pointless and irritating as could be. The character has little to do throughout the series and shouldn't have been made a regular character. There are a few episodes that I found to be quite satisfactory but that's about all.