Mike Bassett: Manager
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Mike Bassett: Manager is a British TV comedy series, which began transmitting from September 29, 2005 on ITV1. It is a follow-up to the film Mike Bassett: England Manager, and stars Ricky Tomlinson in the title role Steve Edge as his assistant, and Amanda Redman as his long-suffering wife, Karine.
The series picks up some time after Mike took England to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup (the exact date is unspecified, though in the second episode Mike implies that he lost the England job four years ago, which would seem to set the series in 2007). The side's attempt at qualifying for the 2004 European Championships ended in disaster, resulting in Mike being sacked. Since then, a spell at Newcastle ended in similar fashion after getting them relegated two seasons in a row, while his returns to former clubs Norwich and Colchester fared little better. Mike decides to retire, but at the last minute is offered the manager's job at Wirral County F.C. (often seen as being a pseudonym for Tranmere Rovers F.C., the main team of The Wirral), whom his father was a player for. They seem doomed to be relegated to the Football Conference. Not helping his job is the fact that the chairman is senile, the chief executive is eagerly awaiting relegation so that he can sell their ground and Karine isn't pleased with the idea of retiring in Ellesmere Port rather than Spain.
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[edit] Episodes
[edit] Episode 1: Football's Coming Home
Axed from England, Newcastle, Norwich and Colchester in quick succession - Mike Bassett heeds the call to manage his boyhood club, Wirral County. After persuading his wife Karine to forego a sun-kissed retirement on the Costa Del Sol, Bassett gears up for a final shot glory in Ellesmere Port. Things don't get off to a good start however, as the team concedes a goal in less than ten seconds, causing the chairman to have a heart attack.
[edit] Episode 2: Going Dutch
After a terrible start to the league campaign it's up to Mike Bassett to try and turn the club's fortunes around, the only problem being that they have no fortune to spend. As a result Mike comes up with the idea (actually Karine does) to do a 'Sam Allardyce' and make a loan signing. But with no money he must use that of his own without Karine knowing and so signs up-and-coming Dutch striker Ronnie Van Needlemans after watching him score several goals on a video sent by his agent. As it turns out Ronnie isn't the striker from the video but is in fact the goalkeeper. Mike doesn't even get a reserve goalkeeper to use, as an argument with the side's regular keeper results in him receiving a concussion that rules him out for the rest of the season.
[edit] Episode 3: Flat Pack Four
With Wirral County firmly rooted to the bottom of the table Mike must find a way to get the goals back from his goal shy striker. This calls for Dr. Moss, a hypnotist who can hopefully get the goals out of him. In the next game he scores a hat-trick... in his own net. Mike Bassett also realises the fact that the club maybe taken over by a cheap Ikea knock off. This calls for Moss again to hypnotise the buyer into making a mockery of Wirral and therefore get himself chased out of town. Also Mike fights with Scunthorpe's Scunny Bunny on the touchline.
[edit] Episode 4: Return Of The Paralytic Son
With Wirral County looking doomed the fans turn on Bassett wanting results or his head. Not only that but former England wonder kid Kevin 'Tonka' Tonkinson turns up on his door step. With the help of Bassett and a cold shower a drunken Tonka leads Wirral to a 2-1 victory despite the death of his wife in a car-llama incident hours prior.
[edit] Episode 5: Seven Brothers For Seven Brothers
Following a glorious winning streak reformed alcoholic Tonka has lifted Wirral County out of the relegation zone. Along with his on the pitch brilliance he also causes the relegation rivals Mansfield's bus to crash and injure most of their squad. Bassett then finds out Tonka is going on a stag night and to keep his star man off the drink Bassett drinks all his spiked drinks on his behalf ending up drunk himself and in the process injures Tonka when he punches him to the ground putting him out for the rest of the season. Mike then returns home to find Karine has left him.
[edit] Episode 6: Abide With Me
With Karine gone for 2 months Mike's world has fallen apart and with one game to go Wirral look set to go down after a dismal run after Tonka's injury. Mike then finds out that his father threw away the FA Cup final in 1954 for money to help fix Mike's legs as a boy and allow him to play football. With this to spur him on he gets back with Karine and heads to the Wirral County ground. After a passionate speech to players, fans and reporters it's up to Wirral to get a better result than Mansfield or face relegation and even with Tonka playing despite his injuries they stay up. They lost 2-0, but fortunately Mansfield got beaten 6-0, allowing Wirral to survive on goal difference. After this Mike leaves the club in Doddsy's hands and sets off to Spain with Karine, though a deliberately ambiguous ending suggests that he might stay yet...
