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This is a list of episodes from the London Weekend Television comedy series The Fenn Street Gang , a spin-off of Please Sir!
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This is a list of episodes from the London Weekend Television comedy series The Fenn Street Gang , a spin-off of Please Sir!
All of the descriptions are taken from the episode descriptions in the sleeves of the Fenn Street Gang DVDs, released by Network. All of the transmission dates are for the original London Weekend Television transmissions. Alternative transmissions on other ITV regions are not listed.
| No. | Episode | Writer/s | Director | Original ITV Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Should Auld Acquaintance" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Friday 17 September 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Christopher Biggins No longer able to say "Please Sir!" when they have a problem, Form 5C from Fenn Street Secondary Modern are out in the cold hard world. But school friendships die hard and the mob determine to preserve their group identity. | |||||
| 2 | "The Start of Something Big" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | David Askey | Friday 24 September 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Christopher Timothy Things are not going too smoothly for Eric and Sharon. While Eric is busy having a brush with the Law, Sharon realises that there are other fish in the sea. It is then that ace "tec" Frankie Abbott comes onto the scene – on his first case! | |||||
| 3 | "Leave It to Me, Darling" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Friday 1 October 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: John Alderton The Fenn Street Gang get a new member – Bernard Hedges | |||||
| 4 | "Horses for Courses" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | David Askey | Friday 8 October 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Sally Thomsett Dennis knows who his real friends are – or does he? Things come to a head when Maureen takes him to a party. | |||||
| 5 | "Meet the Wizard" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | David Askey | Friday 15 October 1971 8:30pm | |
Guests: John Alderton and Robin Askwith Penny (Bernard's wife) decides that a woman's place is certainly not at home but the problem is keeping her job a secret from Bernard, who has rather old-fashioned views on women. Because, when at last he does get off the dole, his new job brings him into contact with all sorts of people. | |||||
| 6 | "Distant Horizons" | Tony Bilbow | David Askey | Friday 22 October 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Andria Lawrence The course of Duffy's and Sharon's true love never did run very smoothly, but as they grow older it becomes positively bumpy. When Sharon meets a sensitive student and Duffy gets his first taste of real competition, something just has to give . . . | |||||
| 7 | "Change Partners" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Friday 29 October 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: John Alderton Bernard still waits to start work at London University, while at home the bills keep on piling up. When a friend suggests a lucrative part-time job, he jumps at the chance but the kind of work involved makes him wished that he had looked before he leaped . . . | |||||
| 8 | "The Thin Yellow Line" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Graham Evans | Friday 5 November 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Tony Selby When the career of "Hank" Abbott, private detective come to an inglorious end, the British Army opens its arms to a new recruit. Had the Army realised what it was getting, the open arms might well have become clenched fists. | |||||
| 9 | "All Mod Cons" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | Graham Evans | Friday 12 November 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Dudley Foster When Dennis leaves home he finds he's taken on more than he can handle. So has Eric. He's taken on Peter Craven in an optimistic attempt to contemplate a decorating job. | |||||
| 10 | "These Foolish Things" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Alan Wallis | Friday 19 November 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Justine Lord The final dust-up between Duffy and Sharon; Abbott in hospital with a stab wound; Dunstable's flat as a rendezvous . . . | |||||
| 11 | "Rough Justice" | Tony Bilbow | Alan Wallis | Friday 26 November 1971 8:30pm | |
| Dennis falls into bad company and is introduced to Russian bitter. The result is an appearance in the Magistrate's Court. Bad enough, you may think, but when Duffy, Craven and Mr Smith (one of their old teachers) appear for the defence, things go from bad to worse. | |||||
| 12 | "Who Was That Lady?" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Alan Wallis | Friday 3 December 1971 8:30pm | |
Guests: Jan Francis and Andria Lawrence Duffy is feeling the strain of separation from Sharon but is not above chatting up a bird – especially when her father is in a position to put a bit of business his way. | |||||
| 13 | "Kill or Cure" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Alan Wallis | Friday 10 December 1971 8:30pm | |
| Maureen is a bundle of nerves as she waits for her "O" level results which will affect her nursing career. What better cure for the nerves than a nice date with a "nice chap"? So Duffy and Craven, with the best will in the world, pick the "nice chap". But where there is a will there is not always a way. | |||||
| 14 | "When Did You Last See Your Father?" | David Barry | Alan Wallis | Friday 24 December 1971 8:30pm | |
| Until now, Frankie Abbott's mother has kept the awful secret of his father private. But Frankie is growing up – even if he is 10 years late about it – and his questions finally reveal the skeleton in mum's cupboard. | |||||
| 15 | "A Fair Swap" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | Bryan Izzard | Friday 31 December 1971 8:30pm | |
Guest: Nicholas Grace The happiest day of a girl's life is her wedding day – that is unless she's being married from the Duffy household! The whole affair of the wedding of Duffy's cousin, Deborah, however, is somewhat complicated by Maureen's kidnapping, and the assistance of Frankie "nurse" Abbott. | |||||
| 16 | "The Clean Weekend" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Alan Wallis | Friday 7 January 1972 8:30pm | |
Guest: Bob Todd Eric and Sharon get back together and the gang have a day out at the seaside. When they decide to stay the night in a hotel, Eric and Sharon get themselves into all kinds of trouble. | |||||
| 17 | "Tally Ho" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | Bryan Izzard | Friday 14 January 1972 8:30pm | |
| With a bit of help from Craven, Dennis Dunstable tries to make his abusive alcoholic dad turn over a new leaf. | |||||
| 18 | "Horse of the Year" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Alan Wallis | Friday 21 January 1972 | |
Guest: James Beck Dennis has to decide how to spend his birthday money, and spends it on a horse at an auction. | |||||
| 19 | "From Sudbury with Love" | Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker | Mark Stuart | Friday 28 January 1972 8:30pm | |
Guest: Lynda Bellingham Frankie Abbott hits town looking for a new girlfriend. | |||||
| 20 | "Who's Minding the Shop?" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Alan Wallis | Friday 4 February 1972 8:30pm | |
| A road accident means that the Fenn Street Gang become shop-keepers. | |||||
| 21 | "The Great Frock Robbers" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Bryan Izzard | Friday 11 February 1972 8:30pm | |
| Sharon's job at the boutique is in jeopardy when she is blamed for not spotting a gang of shop-lifters. It seems things can't get any worse, and then Frankie gets the job of store detective . . . | |||||
| No. | Episode | Writer/s | Director | Original ITV Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Crunch" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Sunday 15 October 1972 7:25pm | |
| Duffy discovers that running a small family business is not all beer and skittles. He can't even afford the beer! | |||||
| 2 | "Smart Lad Wanted" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Sunday 22 October 1972 7:25pm | |
| Bowler, the local villain who "runs everything except London Transport", offers the out-of-work Craven a job. Craven's friends warn him about getting mixed up with Bowler, but he has never been one to listen to advice that didn't suit him. | |||||
| 3 | "The Woman for Dennis" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Sunday 29 October 1972 7:25pm | |
| The gang are delighted when the lonely Dennis Dunstable announces he has found a girlfriend. Then they meet the "girl" – battle-scarred and pushing 40. Sadly, it appears that Cupid may need a little correction . . . | |||||
| 4 | "Menagerie a Trois" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 5 November 1972 7:25pm | |
| Abbott's hypochondriac mother throws off her bandages when she falls for a man. Abbott's jealousy drives him from home, and he decides to inflict himself on Dennis. But Abbott and his mother deserve each other too much for the parting to be permanent. | |||||
| 5 | "That Sort of Girl" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 12 November 1972 7:25pm | |
| Struggling to stay in business, Duffy needs, but cannot afford, some new ladders. Sharon enters a beauty contest to try to get enough money to buy them, but Duffy has strong views on beauty contests and Maureen has strong views on men who have strong views on beauty contests. | |||||
| 6 | "The Left-Hand Path" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Sunday 19 November 1972 7:25pm | |
| Working for the crooked Mr Bowler has brought Craven a flash car and flash clothes. Working for himself has brought Duffy packed lunches and overalls. Craven cannot resist showing off, but showing off with Bowler's money is not only silly, but also very dangerous. | |||||
| 7 | "The Lady with the Lamp" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 26 November 1972 7:25pm | |
| At last Maureen passes her O-levels and begins a new career as a "real" nurse. Little do the patients and the staff realise what they are in for with the arrival of a modern-day Florence Nightingale gone berserk! | |||||
| 8 | "The Loneliest Night of the Week" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 3 December 1972 7:25pm | |
| Dennis and Frankie find contact with the opposite sex difficult. With advice from Craven and Sharon, Dennis feels that dancing lessons might be a way of making friends. Abbott, of course, has a much better idea, an idea that could lead to disaster . . . | |||||
| 9 | "Father's Day" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Howard Ross | Sunday 10 December 1972 7:25pm | |
| Mr. Dunstable has his last drunken row with his wife – who leaves him. So he decides to move in with Dennis. But Dennis, now making sweet, if slow, progress with his girlfriend, has other ideas. | |||||
| 10 | "Low Noon" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | David Askey | Sunday 17 December 1972 7:25pm | |
| Mr, Bowler likes Peter Craven working for him because he has "style". He very much wants Duffy on his payroll, too, because he has even more "style". Duffy says no, but Mr Bowler is a determined man who thinks anyone will change their mind – with a little persuasion . . . | |||||
| 11 | "And Baby Makes Four" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 31 December 1972 7:25pm | |
| Craven moves away from home and gets himself a flat – which he regards as a potential "come up for coffee and do you have to go home?" set-up. Then he gives a lift to a heavily-pregnant hitch-hiker, and his love-nest begins to look like a nursing home. | |||||
| 12 | "Is That a proposal, Eric?" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Howard Ross | Sunday 7 January 1973 7:25pm | |
| Sharon has been Eric Duffy's girlfriend since the Third Form at fenn Street School, and she is beginning to think that she will only be his girlfriend when they are drawing their pensions. This leads Sharon to take drastic steps. Eric only takes one step – but it's a big one. | |||||
| 13 | "Private Eye & Public Nuisance" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 14 January 1973 7:25pm | |
| Frankie Abbott is enjoying life on the dole, spending his days in bed and only waking occasionally to play with his new camera. This his mother meets private investigator Mr Drew and persuades him to re-employ her son. | |||||
| 14 | "Dypsomania on Sea" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Howard Ross | Sunday 21 January 1973 7:25pm | |
| When Dennis is persuaded to take a holiday by the sea, his father goes too and takes the cure. but, much to the horror of elderly residents of a certain hotel, the sea air revives the spirits in both father and son! | |||||
| 15 | "Is Anybody There?" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 28 January 1973 7:25pm | |
| The gang go other-worldly when Maureen gets them interested in spiritualism. At a meeting held by Mr Grout, a local medium, he tells them that one of them could easily turn out to be a medium too. Abbott immediately assumes that he has psychic powers, but a surprise is in store for Maureen! | |||||
| 16 | "How to Handle a Woman" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Howard Ross | Sunday 4 February 1973 7:25pm | |
| The relationship between Craven's parents consists of Mrs Craven yelling and Mr Craven obeying. So he decides to incite his father to rebellion, and succeeds – in splitting them up! | |||||
| 17 | "Business Deficiency" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 11 February 1973 7:25pm | |
| The writing is on the wall for Eric Duffy. What he needs to get his decorating business more firmly established is to put the whole thing on a more formal footing. | |||||
| 18 | "Absent Friends" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Howard Ross | Sunday 18 February 1973 7:25pm | |
| Duffy and Sharon's engagement is made official at last – so, of course, there has to be a party. What better time than now for the happy couple to have all their old school friends around them? Or is it? | |||||
| No. | Episode | Writer/s | Director | Original ITV Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "An Englishman's Home" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 27 May 1973 7:25pm | |
| Duffy and Sharon are engaged and looking for a home of their own. They think they've found one but Frankie Abbott loses them the chance to buy it. Full of remorse, Abbott sets out to try to make amends. | |||||
| 2 | "Mother Knows Best" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 3 June 1973 7:25pm | |
| Taking a girlfriend home for the first time is always a nerve-racking experience. But when you have a mother like Frankie has, the confrontation is particularly difficult! | |||||
| 3 | "Alone At Last" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 10 June 1973 7:25pm | |
| Wedding bells are finally ringing for Duffy and Sharon and after all the traditional marriage day hang-ups, all they want is to be alone. But fate has yet one more trick in store. | |||||
| 4 | "Making Whoopee" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 17 June 1973 7:25pm | |
| Honeymoons should be unforgettable. Well, Duffy and Sharon will always remember their honeymoon in Majorca – but not for the usual reasons! | |||||
| 5 | "After the Ball" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 24 June 1973 7:25pm | |
| Craven has been walking the tightrope of life too long, and naturally it is the idiot Abbott who makes him lose his balance. The question is – can Duffy provide the safety net? | |||||
| 6 | "The Ant and the Grasshopper" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Philip Casson | Sunday 1 July 1973 7:25pm | |
| Duffy has taken Craven on as first assistant painter, but their industrial relationship is soon put under strain. Something has to give, and it looks as though the result might be a rise in the unemployment figures. | |||||
| 7 | "Abbott of Arabia" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 8 July 1973 7:25pm | |
| Mrs Abbott exerts her authority over Frankie once too often. It changes him into a latter-day "Red Shadow" and he gallops off with Celeste (his new girlfriend) to the registry office . . . | |||||
| 8 | "Full Circle" | John Esmonde and Bob Larbey | Mark Stuart | Sunday 15 July 1973 7:25pm | |
| Sharon has a little secret. Unfortunately it is somewhat difficult to share with Eric when they are not even talking . . . | |||||
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