I'm a Believer

Maddy Hopkins is approached by her mother in Bristol city centre, as she tries to sell albums related to
the Starshine people, a religious cult that the girl has joined. Refusing to have anything to do with her
mother, Maddy leaves with the other starshiners, who reject material goods.

Mrs Hopkins tells Eddie that her daughter will be twenty one very shortly, and at that point her trust fund
will become available to her. Concerned that the Starshiners are trying to manipulate Maddy of this
money, Eddie tries to speak to Maddy during another of her record selling attempts. Eddie is only able to
come away with a copy of the record, which he shows to a Radio West DJ.

The DJ identifies the radio label and Eddie asks for a further favour - that his colleague invites some of the
starshiners onto his programme for an interview.

Internal politics are brewing up a storm at Radio West. Eddie is at loggerheads with the head of news,
who has been listening to his confidential tapes in the hope of getting a good story. Eavesdropping on
Eddie's conversation with the DJ, the head of news asks the ambitious reporter Felicity Lamb to follow the
private ear in the hope of getting a good story.

Tracing the record label to its owner and producer, Eddie arrives at a studio based on a boat, where he
meets the American Jim Huckle, who offers little help in terms of filling in background information about
the Starshiners.

Eddie also visits the starshiners at one of the properties they are renovating in Bristol. A bemused
Maddy shows Eddie around the house and describes the communal conditions they live in, and their
simple living arrangements. Unconvinced, Eddie visits an estate agents where he learns of a deal made
by 'a charitable organisation' to buy a Bristol property.

Listening to the Starshine interview on Erica's radio, Eddie learns that the group are making their way to
a country house for a retreat. Maddy and her fellow Starshiner talk of their guru, Stephen Steele, who is
currently at the South Pole.

Visiting the estate agents in search of contact names and information, Eddie is accosted by two men in
the dark --one of whom is Huckle - and beaten up. Tracing Steele to his 'retreat', a country house, Eddie
finds him meditating in an attic. He is an urbane, elderly man.

Unaware that Felicity Lamb is following him, Eddie travels to the Starshiner's retreat, where he is
surprised to find the group being lectured by Huckle's secretary. Felicity Lamb is spotted by two
Starshiners who throw her, and Eddie, out.

At a nearby pub, Eddie spots Huckle's car, which he tails to an expensive mansion. The mansion is the
real home of Steele. After another visit to the Starshine retreat, during which two of the men attempt to
attack him, Eddie and Felicity are able to convince the others that they are being conned, out of their
savings and unemployment benefit, by Steele, who is deriving a profit from the properties they renovate
and the records sold.

An angry group of Starshiners invade Steele's mansion and Eddie holds an auction - in which he sells off
all of the fake guru's property for around five pounds….

Bringing Series One to a close, "I'm a Believer" is a
punchy episode which balances a case involving a cult
religion with Eddie having to hold his own against
competitive Radio West journalists. Filmed earlier in the
series' production order, it is apt that "I'm a Believer" is
placed last, forming as it does an episode which
strengthens Eddie's place at Radio West. The Eddie - Don
relationship is particularily strong, too, as the two men use
golf analogies to convey their meaning and mood. Felicity
Lamb manages to be pushy and independent without
appearing too self-centred - she's somewhat reminiscent of
the tough female journalist leads which emerged in
American films at the time. The Starshiners are a dubious
looking bunch, trekking around Bristol in their monkish
robes. Surely attempting to flog appalling progressive rock
to further your aims was a very bad move in the post-punk
world of 1979….A light-weight, breezy episode that ends
Series One in an upbeat way. Eddie's auction is wonderful!

More conflict for Eddie here as we get our, strangely, only glimpse in the series of the Radio West
newsroom. Much against his wishes, he is eventually forced to bring along reporter Felicity Lamb, on the
grounds that the newsroom should be benefiting from his cases too.

However, it turns out all right as there is no conflict of interest. The Starshine cult is the front for a property
scam which Eddie unravels, and everyone - especially Don, who throws a party at episode's end! - is happy
with the outcome.

Filmed fourth, this was the last of the 11 Series One episodes to be broadcast. It is actually a very suitable
conclusion, given the 'successful', upbeat conclusion (and no character dies in this story).