Rumpole of the Bailey drama series. Impressed with "Rumpole of the Bailey", Lambert offered Shubik the opportunity to bring the series to Thames. John Mortimer readily agreed, since it would mean more money, and Shubik (and "Rumpole") duly left the BBC in late 1976. "Rumpole of the Bailey" made its Thames Television debut on 3 April 1978 in a series of six episodes. These introduced and established the supporting characters including Guthrie Featherstone (Peter Bowles), Claude Erskine-Browne (Julian Curry) and Phyllida Trant (Patricia Hodge). The role of Hilda was recast, with Peggy Thorpe-Bates taking on the part. Other than McKern, David Yelland (who played
Out of the Unknown commission a full series of "Out of the Unknown" scripts before moving on to "The Wednesday Play" and handing "Out of the Unknown" over to a new production team. At the same time, Michael Imison also moved on to produce "Thirty Minute Theatre". Shubik went on to become a noted television producer of series such as "Play for Today", "Playhouse" and "Rumpole of the Bailey" and instigated, but did not produce, the acclaimed adaptation of "The Jewel in the Crown". For series three, Shubik commissioned dramatisations of stories by Robert Sheckley ("Immortality, Inc."); Isaac Asimov ("Liar!" and "The Naked Sun"