Mr Palfrey is a mild, unassuming middle-aged man - the quintessential middle-rank British civil servant, who enjoys a spot of fishing in his spare time. Mr Palfrey is also a spook. As a senior investigator for the Special Intelligence Service, Palfrey's office is based close to the Houses of Parliament. His work is assigned by his female boss, known only as 'the Co-ordinator', and assisting him is Blair, a younger man adept at dealing with the nastier aspects of counter-intelligence. Beginning life as a pilot in Thames' Storyboard anthology and notable for its intelligent, highly credible depiction of Cold War-era counter-espionage, Mr Palfrey of Westminster stars Alec McCowen (Travels with My Aunt) as the meticulous master spycatcher; John Shrapnel, Leslie Phillips, Ronald Hines and Martin Jarvis are among several high-profile actors making guest appearances, and writers include George Markstein (The Prisoner) and Philip Broadley (Public Eye, Department S). The series is produced by Michael Chapman (Public Eye, The Bill).