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.
CreatorsBernard McKenna, Richard Laing
The Assassin
Sep 15, 1974
Informed 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.
The Defector
Sep 22, 1974
Having 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.
The Leak
Sep 29, 1974
While 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.
The Escape Route
Oct 6, 1974
Assigned 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.
The Abduction
Oct 25, 1974
When 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.
The Exchange
Nov 1, 1974
Busy 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.
The Courier
Nov 8, 1974
Suspecting 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.
The Traitor
Nov 15, 1974
Suspecting 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.
The KGB
Nov 22, 1974
Assigned 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.
The Drawing
Nov 29, 1974
Informed 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.
The President
Dec 6, 1974
When 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.
The Appointment
Dec 13, 1974
Given 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.
The Contact
Dec 20, 1974
Assigned 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.
