Dr William Ranford (Nigel Hawthorne) and James Meetham (Edward Judd), directors of a cosmetics firm, are charged by The Movement of Protection of Laboratory Animals with conspiring to cause the unnecessary suffering to experimental animals in their laboratories. A mistake in a Home Office licence has allowed this prosecution to be brought as a test case.
Nigel Hawthorne is best known as Sir Humphrey Appleby in "Yes Minister" and later "Yes, Prime Minister", as well as a prolific stage career and starring in "The Madness of King George". Fulton Mackay (Dr Mckernan) was known from his appearances in Doctor Who (The Silurians) and the Avengers, but would go on to star in "Porridge". Joan Heath (Dr Weatherby) played May Hardman in Coronation Street, the first character to be killed off in the series.
