High Stakes

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High Stakes was an Independent Television ITV comedy series in the UK written by Tony Sarchet which ran for two series in 2001.

Richard Wilson and Jack Shepherd starred as two British bankers caught up in the dog-eat-dog world of international finance. Jason O'Mara starred as their executive assistant, Greg Hayden.

Nicholas Quinn and Bruce Morton are facing up to the challenge of global capitalism at investment bank Kenrick Maple by fighting among themselves. Nicholas regards Bruce as a challenge to be dealt with by employing his considerable interpersonal skills. Bruce regards Nicholas as a challenge to his sanity. Greg Hayden is a young high-flier caught in the middle.

[edit] Main cast

[edit] Episode summaries

Series One

101. Soulmates 
April 22, 2001
Nicholas Quinn, the new chairperson of Kenrick Maple bank, decides that the bank needs a new culture of trust and openness, so that people can safely admit to their mistakes, and, thereby, give the bank a better chance at damage limitation. Kate, a financial journalist, interviews Nicholas and Bruce Morton, the managing director and deputy chairperson. An investor uses astrology to make his investments. Bruce asks Greg Hayden to arrange a meeting for him with a member of Clay's team, Rebecca Parsons. Clay may be in trouble. After Clay plots Bruce and Nicholas's astrological charts, he pleads with Nicholas and Bruce for one of them to leave the bank. Nicholas asks Bruce to go to Birmingham for a meeting with a Latvian Trade Delegation the following afternoon. Nicholas contacts Delphina, a hypnotist, and convinces her to hypnotize Clay without his knowledge. First program in an on-going series.
102. An Act Of Defiance 
April 29, 2001
Greg Hayden, from Kenrick Maple Bank, is on the phone to his girlfriend, Lisa, who is in London for the weekend. He is anxious for Nicholas to approve the Strategy Review, but, when Nicholas returns from a Stress Management seminar, he makes many changes to the Strategy Review. Pearce, from Security, offers to lend Nicholas a book "The Psychology of Office Sexual Encounters." Bruce has a secret meeting with Wallis, and they plot against job cuts in Nicholas's Strategic Review. Finch comes in to ask if he can volunteer for redundancy. Bruce sees Greg changing his shirt in the office, and learns that Lisa is over from New York. Bruce tries to persuade Nicholas to call off an investigation about sex in the office. Nicholas assumes Bruce is the guilty party. Nicholas questions Natalie, his new temp, about work relationships; so she thinks he is talking about sex with him, and is horrified.
103. The Devil Is In The Detail 
May 6, 2001
Bruce Morton arrives for work at the bank, happy to hear from Greg that Nicholas Quinn is in his office. Bruce is angry about a new trader reporting system that Nicholas has introduced. A successful trader, Mary Mansfield, tells Nicholas at the lunch that she has made 46 million pounds for the bank. Bruce questions Brian Wallis, head of Trading, about Mary's trading. She is a quant analyst whom Brian allowed to do a little trading to get a feel for it. Nicholas asks Professor Donnelly to check over Mary's transactions. Donnelly tells Nicholas that Mary has made a big loss--83 million pounds! Nicholas, Bruce, Greg, and Pearce, from Security, hold a meeting. Mary has gone missing--they wonder who tipped her off, and whether she has an accomplice. Greg gets a phone call, telling him some good news related to Mary.
104. The Poacher 
May 13, 2001
Bruce Morton, managing director of Kenrick Maple Bank, tells Greg Hayden that he is expecting some emails from their Far East Traders. They are addressed to him using the joke nickname "Monkey Balls." Greg tells him that Nicholas Quinn, the chairperson, has installed computer software that is acting up, and people have to send faxes, rather than emails. Needing to fill the post of head of Eurobonds, Nicholas decides to employ the services of a head-hunter, Christabel Webster. She is an extremely dangerous operator, more bent on poaching the bank's staff than helping them. Nicholas questions Greg about an "offensive" fax he has received addressed to "Monkey Balls." Nicholas, Bruce, and Greg are stunned to hear that Christabel and her assistant have tried to lure one of their teams away to New York.
105. The Challenge 
May 20, 2001
Bruce Morton takes over as chairperson of Kenrick Maple, while Nicholas Quinn is away at a European Banking Conference for four days. Bruce tells Greg that he saw Mike Burchett and Pete Salter skulking in the corridor. Bruce's instinct tells him that Pete and Mike are thinking of leaving the bank and he decides to question Mike. Bruce goes for an evening drink with Mike and is disappointed with what he finds out. Greg tells Bruce that they must stop Pete and Mike from staging a Boardroom coup. Nicholas returns, to be told that Mike has made an important decision.
106. Dream Team 
May 27, 2001
Emily, the bank's Corporate Affairs spokesperson, has prepared a statement about the repayment of a 30-million-pound loan to the bank, from Michael Calderwood, at the Crastock Group. Stapnall-Phillips, head of Corporate Finance, tries to reassure Bruce Morton and Nicholas Quinn that Crastock is not going to collapse. Bruce and Nicholas ask Calderwood to repay the loan, and he agrees. Later, Nicholas and Bruce must ask Calderwood, again, for repayment of the loan. Nicholas is thrilled when Calderwood gives him a gold flute, and invites him and Bruce to his birthday party. Back at the bank, Nicholas is uneasy about accepting the gold flute. Nicholas notices a Mr. Hargreaves' card with the flute, and he asks Greg to call to arrange a repair to a dent in the flute. Bruce and Nicholas arrive back from a trip to Germany with Calderwood, to find Mr. Hargreaves, who has a story to tell about the ownership of the flute.

Series Two

201. The Magic Word
Bruce Morton, managing director of Kenrick Maple; and Nicholas Quinn, chairperson; arrive, discussing confrontation and a video, "We Can Make Time." Bruce lies, and tells Nicholas that he has watched it. Bruce is annoyed when Nicholas delivers a relaxation tape to his office. Bruce tries to convince Nicholas that he can confidently leave the meeting to him, because they are in agreement about how to handle the client, Gaz Whitney. Nicholas tells Bruce to remember "ye-na-zehn." As Nicholas bends down to put the relaxation tape into the machine, he hurts his back. A doctor is called, explaining that he has given Nicholas a muscle relaxant. Fiona Wootton briefs Bruce on his morning meeting with the problem client, Gaz Whitney. Gaz refuses to accept Bruce's advice to change his Company's finances. Bruce blurts out "ye-na-zehn," and Gaz suddenly becomes interested in his opinions. Nicholas comes in, still drugged up.
202. Father Figure
Bruce Morton, managing director, is with Carol Aldrich, Kenrick Maple's director of human resources; and Donna, who was to join their staff to work with Carol. They are explaining to Donna that they are reducing their staffing levels. Carol is shocked when Nicholas tells her that they are getting rid of her, and giving her job to Donna. Greg mentions to Bruce that he's seen Bruce's son, Charlie, at the bank. Bruce wants to keep his identity secret--he's working under a false name. Nicholas Quinn, chairperson, is anxious to make the Bank a happy place to work. Donna has started her job, and reports to Nicholas that Charlie has a fake CV. When Nicholas and Donna are heard approaching, Bruce ushers Charlie into the stationery cupboard to hide. Nicholas hears a thud coming from the cupboard, and he opens it to reveal a guilty-looking Bruce and Charlie. Nicholas plays his flute for Bruce--recommending it as a cure for stress.
203. The Friend
David Gudgeon, from Isoderma Technologies, accompanied by his chief scientist, Dr. Frank Draper, gives a presentation to Bruce, Nicholas, and Fiona about facial itches and their new face lotion, CK 194X. Gudgeon gives a bottle of their face lotion to Fiona to try. Greg and Emily are meeting with a journalist, Larry Saxtead, who is asking about Nicholas's relationship with his old school friend, Gudgeon. Gudgeon suggests an evening drink with Nicholas and Brian. Greg reports back to Bruce about the meeting with Larry. Bruce describes Gudgeon as a snake-oil salesman. Greg suggests to Nicholas that he shouldn't be involved financially with Gudgeon, but Nicholas misunderstands. Greg is with Fiona, whose face is now red and puffy. Emily and Greg find out that the face lotion has not been properly tested, and report back to Bruce and Nicholas, who are now sulking.
204. The Do-Gooders
Greg arrives for work in the morning with Emily. Protestors outside the bank have hit him with eggs and flour. Bruce complains about an ugly sculpture that Nicholas has installed by Bruce's door. Greg is dressed in a different suit, but he has been splattered again with egg and flour. The protestors are against the Bank's involvement with the Kerenkilu Dam Project. Emily suggests that the bank shows that it does have a social conscience, so it gets involved with a charity. Fiona shows in Anna Foster, Director of Firstplace Charity, to meet Nicholas and Bruce. Later, Fiona is collecting for the charity with a "Bad Tie Day." She doesn't realise that Bruce is not party to the bad tie day, and criticizes Bruce's tie. When Bruce goes into his office, he is delighted to see that the sculpture has been removed. Nicholas arrives, furious that Anna is planning a sleep-out on the roof.
205. The Big Deal
Nicholas Quinn is checking final details with Greg for a merger between Meadles and Lewis Pebby. Nicholas's wife rings him on his mobile, and he tells her he'll be home at about 7 o'clock. Bruce Morton and Adam Cantwell try to re-assure Andrew Weycroft, chairperson of Meadles, who is not happy about the merger. Greg is alarmed when Nicholas tells him that he has invited Rockway for dinner. Greg tells him that Rockway is unstable. Nicholas gets a call from his anxious wife. Bruce explains that there's a huge hole in Lewis Pebby's accounts. Nicholas gets another call on his mobile from an increasingly worried wife, coping with their dinner guest. Bruce and Nicholas try to persuade Weycroft that Lewis Pebby should buy Meadles. He is just about to agree, when Fiona knocks over a glass, and breaks the spell. Nicholas becomes wonders if it's time to resign. Nicholas's wife is having terrible problems with Rockway.
206. Project Italy
Bruce comes out of his office as Greg and Emily are exchanging mobile phones. Greg admits to Bruce that he is having a relationship with Emily, but Bruce says that everyone knows their secret. Bruce is more worried that Nicholas is having secret meetings with Julian Berrick, the bank's Chief Financial Officer. Bruce asks Greg to find out what's going on. When Greg goes to see Berrick in his office, he finds himself sitting next to a transparent box containing Berrick's pet African bird-eating spider. Nicholas arrives, and starts talking about Project Italy. Bruce is further intrigued when Nicholas asks Greg to organize a special meeting of Directors and Heads of Departments. Adam jumps to the conclusion that the Bank is being bought by an Italian company. Brian is thrilled that he has kidnapped Berrick's spider. Bruce wants to know all about Project Italy in return for the spider. Berrick caves in.

[edit] External links

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