About
Raffles was a 1977 television adaptation of the A. J. Raffles stories by Ernest William Hornung. The series was produced by Yorkshire Television and written by Philip Mackie. The episodes were largely faithful adaptations of the stories in the books, though occasionally two stories would be merged to create one. In Victorian-era London, gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, a renowned cricketer, and his friend, the eager but naive Bunny Manders, test their skills in relieving the wealthy of their valuables whilst avoiding detection, especially from the persistent Inspector Mackenzie.
Cast
Anthony Valentine
as A. J. Raffles
Christopher Strauli
as Bunny Manders
Seasons
Episodes
Season 1
The First Step
Raffles is visited by old school chum Harry 'Bunny' Manders, who has fallen on hard times. Penniless himself, Raffles comes up with a scheme to pay off Bunny's gambling debt by getting the money from the most obvious source—a plot that launches the duo into a life of crime.
A Costume Piece
Brash and crude, Reuben Rosenthall is a real 'rough diamond': a self-made millionaire who wears his wealth in the most ostentatious way possible. In other words, he's an irresistible target for Raffles, if not for the more hesitant Bunny. But as the duo find out, Rosenthall has a trick or two up his own sleeve.
The Spoils of Sacrilege
Bunny feels he needs to do more to justify his share of their ill-gotten gains, so the partners in crime plan a job in which he takes the lead. But when things don't quite go as expected—leaving the partners in a tight corner—Raffles has to take charge to get them out.
The Gold Cup
Raffles and Bunny swipe the famous Royal Gold Cup from the British Museum, but a group of criminologists track them down, suspecting Raffles of the theft. The gentleman thief is forced to come up with an ingenious way to prove them wrong.
The Chest of Silver
Raffles tells Bunny that he is going off to Scotland to improve his Scots dialect. During his absence his rooms at The Albany will be renovated, and it becomes imperative that certain items are not found in Raffles' flat. Therefore, Bunny is entrusted with a chest full of silver, and Raffles requests that he lodge the chest of silver with the Bank. Bunny complies, but are things quite what they seem?
The Last Laugh
Visiting a reception at the Italian Ambassador's one evening, Raffles and Bunny conspire to steal an item of jewellery which is on display. But for the help of Faustina, a maid who works at the Embassy, they would have been caught. To repay her assistance, Raffles arranges to rescue her from the Embassy where she is being kept against her will by Count Corbucci, the evil Ambassador. All goes well, but there is a very nasty shock in wait for Raffles, and an endless night.
A Trap to Catch a Cracksman
Loud mouthed Barney Maguire is America's champion heavy weight boxer. At Raffles' Club one evening he brags to Raffles and Bunny that he has a trap which would trap the cleverest of Cracksmen. He also insults the noble game of cricket and ridicules his English boxing opponent. This is enough to tempt Raffles into breaking and entering Maguire's premises, but he is unaware of the nature of the trap which awaits him. It is left to Bunny to save the day.
To Catch a Thief
Somebody is setting himself up in opposition to Raffles as another gentleman thief, and Raffles doesn't like it, as he is being accused by Inspector Mackenzie of things which he did not do. Eventually Raffles pinpoints the thief as Lord Ernest Belville, and he and Bunny break into Belville's rooms in quest of some stolen loot. Eventually there is a confrontation between Raffles and Lord Ernest Belville, and things go very wrong indeed for one of them.
Similar Shows
Shows like this one
Recommended for You
Based on this series
