9:10PM, Dec 25, 2008
Rupert Penry-Jones stars as Richard Hannay in the Beeb's adaptation of John Buchan's classic novel, The 39 Steps.
In the days running up to WWI, this roller-coaster action adventure sees Hannay attempt to outwit a German spy ring and save the nation from invasion.
Hannay's life changes for ever when British spy Scudder barges into his flat, with information about a German spy ring based in Scotland. Fearing for his life, he persuades a reluctant Hannay to take his coded notebook to Captain Kell of the Secret Service Bureau – stressing it is a matter of grave national security.
But Hannay finds himself wrongly accused of murder when Scudder is killed by German spies desperate for his notebook.
Spurred on by this bizarre turn of events, Hannay flees London for Scotland – hoping to uncover the German espionage ring and to prove his innocence. As the police and spies both close in on him, he struggles to decode Scudder's secret notebook.
Hannay is chased by bloodhounds, shot at by the spies, attacked by a bi-plane, and nearly rolls under the wheels of a car driven by Harry Sinclair and his sister, suffragette Victoria Sinclair.
To Hannay's horror, in a series of comic misunderstandings, he finds himself on the run with Victoria. The last thing he needs is to be stuck with an opinionated female. However, the couple's mutual loathing turns to romance as they find themselves facing death together.
As he and Victoria decipher Scudder's notebook, Hannay realises it isn't just their future that hangs in the balance but that of the entire nation. In a desperate race against time, he uses all his ingenuity and skill to unmask a traitor and keep the nation safe.
A rip-roaring adventure perfect for Yuletide viewing.
Find out when The 39 Steps is showing on TV.
