An Instinct for Murder (TV story)

***An Instinct for Murder*** was the first episode of the first series *Star Cops*, written by Chris Boucher and directed by Christopher Baker. It was broadcast on BBC 2 on 6 July 1987. It introduced David Calder in the lead role of Nathan Spring. This episode acted as the pilot for the series, and saw Nathan Spring being dragged, against his will, into a case with spacesuit sabotage on space station *Charles de Gaulle*.

## Synopsis

Chief Inspector Nathan Spring prefers things Earthside, thank you very much. But when he gets reassigned from his run-of-the-mill drowning case to a case regarding spacesuit malfunctions on the *Charles de Gaulle* space station, it becomes clear that everyone else apart from him has him as a top contender for the role of Commander of the International Space Police Force.

## Plot

A man takes off his dressing gown and enters a lake to swim. Meanwhile, in space, an astronaut is doing a spacewalk on the exterior of a space station. Two more astronauts join them from behind. On Earth, two divers suddenly surface from the lake and drag the swimmer below. In space, the two new astronauts are assaulting the other. As the astonaut's nitrogen is turned all the way up, causing him to drown, the diver is having a similar problem, as he struggles to breathe below the water. They both simultaneously die. The astronaut drifts off into space as the diver floats, face down, in the lake. The others leave.

Some time later, two officers from the British police force appear at the lake, alongside two medics, to retrieve the body. Later, from his office, Chief Inspector Nathan Spring is watching this footage on his view screen. Spring then enters a heated conversation with his colleague Brian Lincoln about wanting his opinion on the matter. Spring refuses to believe that the man drowned naturally at that spot, whereas Brian wishes to wait for the results of the machine tests, much to Spring's annoyance. Spring is a man who prefers gut instinct over machine analysis. Due to this, Spring insists that the case is properly investigated by humans, regardless of machine findings. Brian is not surprised.

On the space station *Charles de Gaulle*, Chief Superintendent David Theroux of the International Space Police Force is seemingly late back after doing a routine "Star Cops" procudure. He has a heated debate with the Controller, Stephenson, regarding the recent astronaut death. Theroux is certain there's more to the matter, but Stephenson is equally certain that the computers are right with their conclusion of a spacesuit malfunction. Theroux then connects to the network of the Coral Sea space station in an attempt to contact Inspector Pal Kenzy. However, the computer informs him that she is unavailable. The Commander notes that Theroux is very worried about Kenzy, but sticks to his opinion that the death of the astronaut was a rare suit malfunction.

At the moment, a jokingly frustrated Kenzy appears on the view screen. In a discussion regarding death rates and suit malfunctions, Kenzy reveals that the death rate on Moonbase and its orbiting stations are a constantly low number, something which makes Theroux more nervous. Theroux and Kenzy then move to discussing the new Commander's position. Theroux didn't hear back about his interview and Kenzy never even got one. Their conversation gets interrupted as the computer tells them that their attention is required with Euro Shuttle Seven. Kenzy tells Theroux that suit failures are the least of their worries if they get a Commander with slogans where their brains should be. Stephenson gives Euro Shuttle Seven access to dock.

On Earth, Spring is speaking on a view screen to his Commander, who informs him that all evidence is supporting the machines rather than his gut instinct in regards to the drowning. Spring simply doesn't accept that a machine's word can be accepted, due to it being picky with the evidence it accepts. The Commander insists that the two of them require a meeting before signing off, allowing for Spring to call him a bastard. He gets up and asks Box, his handheld device, to book him a table for two at the Lotus Garden. He asks Box to contact Lee to arrange a time to meet her there.

In his office, Spring's Commander states that it's impossible to open a murder enquiry when the machine evidence doesn't support it. Furthermore, the budget wouldn't stretch to it. Spring continues on his argument, bluntly telling the Commander that the machines' outcome was wrong. Spring debates why he gets paid at all if he isn't allowed to follow his hunches. The Commander breaks the tension by showing Spring a new piece of technology installed in his office - a wall-sized view screen that shows images dependent on his moods. In this case, it shows a serene lake. The conversation moves swiftly onto Spring's "forced" application to Commander of the Star Cops. The conversation ends with Spring's Commander forcing Spring to attend the final wave of interviews for the position.

Later, at the side of a lake, Box reminds Spring that it is time to leave for his dinner date with Lee. He asks Box to update him on Hanson and Langley, who have reports due. Box informs him that Brian Lincoln has gone to interview the widow of the drowned man. Back on the *Charles de Gaulle* space station, Stephenson is seeing a Soviet ship leave. Stephenson and Leroux are in another debate about whether or not Leroux's time is best spent on the suit malfunction or doing his actual job in the control room. On Earth, as Spring is getting ready for his date, he is talking to Lincoln on his view screen. Lincoln tells him that the widow of the diver didn't seem very grief-stricken. Lincoln suggests that Spring close the case and move on, as he found his house call somewhat outdated and embarrassing. Lincoln tells Spring that the diver was a collector antique time pieces, however during his visit, he noticed that a couple of the cases had seemingly been emptied. He abruptly ends the conversation and leaves.

At the Lotus Garden, Spring and his partner Lee Jones are eating at their table. In reference to his thinking the diver was murdered, she jokes that Spring seems to be selling instinct like his father selled computers. Lee shows her dislike for the restaurant, much to Spring's surprise. The conversation swiftly moves onto him and Lee starting a family. Lee tells him that if they are to start a family, it has to be soon. On the *Charles de Gaulle*, Theroux has finished his inspection of the spacesuits and says that they're all good.

Spring is at his interview. He is talking to multiple people on multiple view screens. Spring and the interviewers seem to agree that space is currently being run by rogues who don't seem to accept authority. The German interviewer suggests that, if Spring wishes to commute to London regularly, that the European Station may be his best option. With his promotion seeming certain, she sends Spring on a mandatory space training programme. The view screens turn off. Later, Spring is strapping himself into a harness for his training. While in the G-force training pod, Spring learns from Lincoln that the diver owned someone not only money, but cash. However, according to the widow, she had paid the money back. Despite the computer's warnings to desist from conversing with Lincoln, Spring goes on with his conversation, insisting that the answer to the case is in the lake. He orders Lincoln back to the lake to gain evidence that the diver was murdered.

Spring's training continues in a spacesuit in an underwater chamber. He is warned about his negative, and sometimes crude, language. He doesn't take it on board. At the lake, Lincoln is sunbathing rather than working. A dog runs past him, which wakes him up. Now in space, a rocket is seen flying. An attendant asks Spring if he requires anything, to which he says no. Next, Spring is with Leroux and another officer in one of the rooms, getting to grips with the weightlessness. Theroux then goes to show him other parts of the station. In the control room, they are discussing a VIP by the name of Lars Hendvorrsen, self-made "zillionaire", a European Parliamentary Representative, and a disliker of the Star Cops. The team inform Spring that Hendvorrsen's intention to go for a space walk is worrying, considering that some of the suits clearly have no working backpacks, hence the suit malfunctions. Spring is impressed by Theroux's instinct that the computer's labelling it as a suit malfunction just isn't the full picture.

Later, on a view screen, Spring is being updated by Lincoln, who is Earthside. Lincoln states that there is indeed an anomaly with the drowning. The body wouldn't have drifted to that particular part of the lake. Furthermore, the fact that the body was found in the shallows also confuses Lincoln. As Hendvorrsen prepares for his space walk, we hear Spring explaining to an interested Theroux that he reckons the drowned man was a victim of a hit, and that his body was dumped in the shallows to fool the computers. Spring teaches Theroux that the mystery is much easier to solve if you assume it's murder from the beginning, otherwise what you're left with is a coincidence.

Stephenson informs the two spacewalkers, one of whom is Hendvorrsen, that within fifteen minutes they will have to head back. Hendvorrsen fails to respond. Theroux notices that Hendvorrsen's suit has an oxygen failure and calls a blue alert. Outside, Hendvorrsen is dead and his body twirls in space. On the flight home, Spring is listening to a news report of the death, in which he is referred to specifically as having taken on the case of the death of Hendvorrsen... which is a big surprise to him. Later, in a meeting with the Commander of the British police force, Spring is informed that due to him being there during the death, he has been assigned to the case, and should he fail, it has been agreed that Theroux would take over.

Space-side, Theroux gets a message that tells him to report to Detective Chief Superintendent Nathan Spring, which annoys him. During their conversation, Spring asks Theroux whether there are any connections between the deaths excepts the extreme environment of space. Theroux explains that every station has their own suits and the deaths during spacewalks remains constant. Spring states that that's only how the computer sees it. He wishes to know how the people view the situation. Spring suggests that maybe it's the governments buying substandard suits from the companies to save money. When Theroux asks who people would even report that to, Spring angers him by suggested that the Star Cops are paid more than the regular cops to deal with this sort of stuff.

As Spring calms down the conversation, he learns that Theroux, an American, is on a European space station to simply try to make a living. Spring surprises Theroux with his knowledge that Theroux resigned from the American space program. Together, they then inspect some computer figures, reaching the conclusion that if the figures were correct then the number of deaths during simple space walks should be near zero, yet they are both intrigued that it's always two percent of suits that develop faults. Theroux realises that Spring is suggesting that the deaths are deliberate.

Later, Spring is having the same conversation with Lee at the Lotus Garden. She immediately understands that Spring reckons that if there's a constant death rate with the suits, that someone could easily sweep in and snatch the suit making contracts from the Russians, who make them currently. Upon sarcastically asking whether Spring's food was alright, he instantly realises that he forgot to tell box that Lee doesn't like the Lotus Garden. He apologises profusely and gets to why he asked her here in the first place - the fact that he's made the shortlist for Commander of the International Space Police Force. Slightly annoyed, Lee makes it clear that not only did she already know, but it appeared she was the last to know. Spring receives a tip from Box to watch channel WNB. As he tries to juggle his conversations with Box and Lee, he insists a waiter displays the channel immediately.

Spring listens as WNB report that a technician has been charged with murder by negligence with Hendvorrsen's suit, and should she be found guilty, she will be executed. The heated conversation continues with Spring insisting that he is not a Star Cop and does not wish to become one. However, as he explains further, he has no choice but to continue this investigation should he wish to keep his job. He makes her laugh by reminding her that he *is* a fully trained spaceman. The conversation turns heated again, leading Spring to offer to resign for her, but she refuses to allow it.

Space-side, Theroux is taking Spring on a spacewalk. Theroux is telling Spring off for not taking his sickness medication a week before the walk. Stephenson interrupts with their fifteen minute mark. Back on the station, Spring orders Box to order a triple-A personnel base data check on every space station and their crew to see if any of them has any connection to corporate space suit technology or sensitive strategic material. He also instructs Box to look for connections to Extreme Right political groups. He further asks for the location of all staff, at the times of each death within the last twelve months. Spring explains the computer only looks for the location of staff at the specific space station where the death occurred, and ignores the other stations. He instructs Box to make this search visible on every Star Cop base on every station to give other inspectors a chance to form their own ideas.

Later, Spring is preparing for his own, single-manned space walk, as an attempt to draw out any potential shady characters. Spring opens the airlock and steps out into space. To Theroux and Stephenson's confusion, Spring asks for plenty of warning should they see anyone else outside with him. Theroux asks what the view is like, and Spring tells him he is impressed as he looks upon the Earth. Theroux then recalls something that Stephenson had previously said: "nothing gets past your friendly neighbourhood traffic controller", straight up telling Stephenson that had anything dodgy occurred, he must have seen it.

Outside, Spring is turning a corner, and unbeknownst to him, so are two other astronauts. Theroux's attention is interrupted as he notices two extra life signs in Spring's vacinity. As he attempts to inform him, Stephenson points a gun to his neck in an attempt to silence him. Theroux isn't deterred but Stephenson informs him that the other astronauts have jammed Spring's radio. At gun point, Stephenson is leading Theroux through the station to his demise. Stephenson plans to allow Theroux to attempt a "heroic rescue", which will result in a catastrophic mistake. Stephenson explains that, at first, he assumed it was just smuggling, but by the time he'd realised they'd been murdering, it was too late for him to escape it.

Stephenson explains that a faulty suit had been provided and he had swapped it for Hendvorrsen's space walk. Hendvorrsen just so happened to pick the faulty suit. In the suit room, Stephenson orders Theroux to enter the spacesuit at gunpoint. But a floating suit attacks Stephenson and knocks him out. The helmet comes off and Spring reveals himself. He explains that he took out the other two astronauts with a medical laser, which was enough to puncture their suits. Later, Theroux is ticked off that Spring could have trusted him with his full plan. Spring admits that he knows that now. Box informs Spring that it's time for him to leave. Theroux asks Spring again, where he got Box. Spring relents and tells him that it was a gift from his father. Spring admits that, even though his father was "in the business", he never understood how his father could afford Box.

Theroux switches on a news report about Hendvorrsen's death, which states that three senior executives of Pan Con Tel (?), a Dallas based multinational have been arrested for conspiracy. It then states that a spokesperson has denied that the company has been deliberately sabotaging companies from the Eastern block. As Theroux and Spring leave, the next news item is that Spring is highly tipped as the new Commander of the Star Cops. Soon after, in the Commander of the British police force's office, Spring hasn't escaped the position, seeing as he did so spectacularly well in the spacesuit case. Spring's boss explains that Brian Lincoln has been named as having solved the drowning case, not him, thus giving him no leverage on returning back to his old job. Spring's Commander explains that the wife had paid to have her husband killed. Furthermore, it is made clear to Nathan Spring that his job has been given to Brian, leaving Spring with two clear options. He pushes the Star Cops badge towards Spring, who has no option but to take it.

## Cast

* Nathan Spring - David Calder
* David Theroux - Erick Ray Evans
* Commander - Moray Watson
* Controller - Keith Varnier
* Lee Jones - Gennie Nevinson
* Pal Kenzy - Linda Newton
* Brian Lincoln - Andrew Secombe
* Hans Diter - Frederik de Groot
* Lars Hendvorrsen - Luke Hanson
* Marie Mueller - Katja Kersten

## Crew

* Series devised by - Chris Boucher
* Production Associate - Ian R. Wallace
* Production Manager - Gary Downie
* Production Assistant - Karen Jones
* Assistant Floor Manager - Betsan Morris-Evans
* Video Effects Supervisor - Robin Lobb
* Visual Effects Designer - Mike Kelt, Malcolm James
* Stunt Arranger - Gareth Milne
* Weightlessness - Eugene's Flying Ballet
* O.B. Cameraman - Trevor Wimlett
* O.B. Lighting - John Wiggins
* O.B. Sound - Ian Leiper
* Technical Co-ordinator - Peter Granger
* Studio Camera Supervisors - Peter Goldring, Gerry Tivers
* Graphic Design - Charles McGhie
* Properties Buyer - Chris Ferriday
* Videotape Editor - Dennis Collett
* Vision Mixer - Jim Stephens
* Studio Lighting - Peter Catlett
* Studio Sound - Chick Anthony
* Costume Designer - Lynda Woodfield
* Make-up Designer - Jill Hagger
* Theme Composed and Sung By - Justin Hayward
* Incidental Music - Justin Hayward, Tony Visconti
* Script Editor - Joanna Willett
* Designer - Dick Coles
* Producer - Evgeny Gridneff
* Director - Christopher Baker

## References

* The drowning is referred to as Case LS 3241 by the British police force.
* "Star Cops" is a colloquialism used by others to refer to the International Space Police Force. However, it is seemingly accepted by the staff too. Chief Superintendent David Theroux refers to his colleague Pal Kenzy as a "Star Cop officer", and even goes as far as to call his duties "Star Cops duties".
* The Commander of the British police force states that leaving Earth for space is referred to as "out there", and not, as Spring says, "up there".
* According to Box, the Lotus Garden isn't a popular restaurant.
* When talking to Lincoln before the G-force test, he compares being a Star Cop to Dan Dare, stating that he'd much prefer Sherlock Holmes.
* Lars Hendvorrsen, one of the interviewers who later dies during a routine spacewalk, is a representative of the European Parliament, a self-made "zillionaire" and not a fan of the Star Cops, according to Stephenson.
* Theroux once worked as an engineer for the US space program but quit to join the ISPF.

## Story notes

* The credits state: "The BBC wishes to thank the McDonnell Douglas Corporation for their assistance". McDonnell Douglas is an auronautical organisation.
* The 2013 novelisation names the murdered astronaut as Gunter Stein.

## Home video releases

* In 1991, all episodes of the television series were made available on VHS over three tapes by BBC Video. Later, in 2004, the entire series was released on DVD by Network Video over three discs, which included documentaries and as well as numerous interviews.

## External links

* ***Star Cops*** on the Internet Movie Database