Rumpole of the Bailey debut on 17 December 1975 to good reviews by the critics. Aware of the potential for further stories centred on Rumpole, Irene Shubik approached the BBC's Head of Plays, Christopher Morahan, and obtained permission from him to commission a further six "Rumpole of the Bailey" scripts from John Mortimer. However, Morahan left his post at the BBC a short time later and his successor was not interested in turning "Rumpole of the Bailey" into a series. At around this time, Shubik was contacted by Verity Lambert, Head of Drama at Thames Television, who was looking for ideas for an up-market
Derrick Bailey Air Services, which he set up in 1968 when British United Airways pulled out of the Alderney to Guernsey route, the island's regular link with its neighbour. According to the obituary on the BBC Channel Islands website, the Aurigny airline's colours, with a yellow tail section on its planes, were chosen by Bailey in memory of his father's horse racing colours. He is succeeded to the baronetcy by his oldest son Sir John Bailey, born Edinburgh. Bailey died at his home on Alderney on 19 June 2009. Derrick Bailey Sir Derrick Thomas Louis Bailey, 3rd Baronet, DFC (15 August 1918