Episode
Benson: Checkmate
Overview
An 11 year old Soviet is brought to the mansion for a professional chess tournament. While the boy is homesick and wanting to be out of the public's eye, he sees Katie who hides him in her room. All hell breaks loose when the Soviets can't find him and accuses the US staff of kidnapping him. The Soviets then threaten war if the boy is not returned.
Details
- Series
- Benson
- Season
- Season 1
- Episode
- Episode 18
- Air date
- 1980-02-07
- Runtime
- 30 min
Episode context
Checkmate is Episode 18 in Season 1 of Benson. It aired on 1980-02-07. The runtime is 30 min.
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Episode 17: Kraus Affair
Kraus falls for the Butcher, but she loses her self-confidence asking him out.
Episode 19: Cold Storage
Just before a very important banquet with guests, Benson and Kraus go in the old storage room to look for something and the door shuts on them. With minimal healthy air and a freezing temperature Benson and Kraus have to find themselves a way out. Benson risks it all when he starts a fire near an old heat duct and the mansion fills with smoke. That is the way the firemen tracked them.
More episodes from this season
Episode 16: Bugging the Governor
Somebody bugged the mansion and Benson tries to find out who by trapping them inside. It turned out that Taylor's lover, who was inside the mansion before, dispensed all equipment in the building.
Episode 20: Old Man Gatlin'
The Governor's loudmouth father comes to visit and wreaks havoc among the staff. Benson then gets so fed up with the arrogance and the idea of the father breathing down his son's back that he traps him in the kitchen. Benson supervises him until the Governor's speech is over.
Episode 15: Chain of Command
The Governor gets sick and has to stay in bed. Ed, his younger replacement takes advantage of the position and responsibilities of Governor too far. Ed tries to become the permanent replacement for the Governor. Benson catches this and tries to stop it.
Episode 21: Power Play
A load of dead fish and sludge is delivered to the Mansion by a conservationist.
Episode 14: Just Friends
Governor Gatling is trying to get Howard Walker, the entrepreneur to settle his new factory in his constituency. Benson on his own tries not to let this go through because him and Howard's wife had a love affair years ago.
Episode 22: Takin' It to the Streets
Wanting to know how the ""little people"" really feel about politics and their real needs, Governor Gatling and Benson visit a mangy bar to talk to the constituents but land in trouble when a man picks a fight with Gatling at the bar, not knowing who he is.
Episode 13: One Strike, You're Out
The domestic workers demand more money and Benson grants their requests to give them a raise. The blue-collar people go on strike after Governor Gatling refuses their plea. At the same time, very important people come to dinner and Benson has to do all the duties. He does all he can do, and with his smarts he turns it into a disaster so that they can get a taste of what it's like not to have them.
Episode 23: The Army Wants You
Benson, a war veteran suspicious when he is told to report for an ""evaluation."" It seems that on their record, Benson Dubois died in the Korean war, so treating Benson like some kind of a spy or something, the Fed's watch and follow his every move. Even the staff is trying to link spydom with his work habits.
Episode 12: Taylor's Bid
Taylor quits being the advisor to Governor Gatling and decides to run for a public office. The Governor starts to need Taylor back when he can't manage his own political responsibilities.
Episode 24: Marcy's Vacation
Marcy is going on vacation and she gets worried that Lorraine, her replacement may do a better job than she does and get dismissed for good.