The first series, of six episodes, aired from 16 October to 20 November 1989 on Mondays at 8.30pm. A Christmas special aired on 26 December 1989 at 9.00pm.
The second series aired for fifteen episodes from 6 September to 13 December 1990 on Thursdays at 8.30pm, followed by a Christmas Special on Christmas Day at 8.20pm.[1]
The twelve-episode third series aired from 31 August to 16 November 1991 on Saturdays at 8.00pm, followed by a Christmas special on Christmas Day at 8.00pm.
The fourth series, of thirteen episodes, aired from 6 September to 29 November 1992 on Sundays at 8.40pm, with a Christmas Day special at 8.00pm.
Series Five for thirteen episodes on Sundays at 8.20pm from 5 September to 28 November 1993, with a Christmas Special on 25 December 1993 at 8.00pm.[1]
The sixth series aired from 18 September to 18 December 1994, for twelve episodes, on Sundays at 7.30pm. A Christmas Special followed on 24 December at 8.55pm.
A special flashback episode, The Chigwell Years, was broadcast on Sunday 3rd March. It is now regarded as part of the seventh series.
After a 3 year hiatus break, A ten-episode seventh series aired from 26 May to 28 July 1997 on Mondays at 9.30pm, with a Christmas special on 27 December 1997 at 9.25pm.
The eighth series aired from 5 January to 9 February 1998, on Mondays at 8.30pm, for six episodes.
The ninth (and final) series, also of six episodes, aired from 16 November to 24 December 1998, mostly on Mondays at 8.30pm.[1]
Out of a total of 102 episodes, 95 are 30 minutes long. The 1990 Christmas special is 75 minutes, the 1993 Christmas special is 60 minutes long, while the 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1997 Christmas specials are 50 minutes in duration. The final episode, which aired on Christmas Eve 1998, is 40 minutes long.[1]
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
1 |
"Nicked" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Tony Dow |
16 October 1989 (1989-10-16) |
Sharon visits Tracey's luxury house 'Dalentrace' in Chigwell and meets Dorien for the first time. Meanwhile, their husbands Chris and Darryl take part in an armed robbery and are later jailed for twelve years. Sharon moves from her high-rise Edmonton flat to stay at Dalentrace with her sister. |
2 |
"Just Visiting" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Tony Dow |
23 October 1989 (1989-10-23) |
While Sharon is ecstatic that her no-good husband Chris has been sent to prison, Tracey is desperately missing her beloved Darryl and is on tranquilizers. Now she faces another hurdle - trying to find a way to tell her son, Garth, that his father is in prison. |
3 |
"Shift" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Tony Dow |
30 October 1989 (1989-10-30) |
Sharon's day hasn't started well. Her attempt to prepare coffee leaves the kitchen peppered with coffee beans, and then Tracey accuses her of not paying her way. Tracey is having problems with money, so she and Dorien try to sell some clothes. Meanwhile, Sharon has to go back to her job at the supermarket, but she isn't feeling welcome. |
4 |
"Women's Troubles" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Tony Dow |
6 November 1989 (1989-11-06) |
Tracey thinks she might be pregnant. However, on visiting the doctor, Sharon is horrified to discover she is in fact pregnant by Dave, a man she has only recently met. Tracey can't stop herself telling Dave, who is delighted and immediately phones his mother with the good news. Sharon then confesses to Tracey that she has had an abortion. |
5 |
"Cheat!" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Tony Dow |
13 November 1989 (1989-11-13) |
Sharon is indignant on discovering that 'Fat Stan', to whom she's sublet the flat in Edmonton, is using the property as an outlet for hot goods - including prostitutes. Nevertheless, it does bring about a money-making scheme. Tracey, meanwhile, is still suffering from a combination of depression and financial problems. She and Dorien go out to a dinner-and-dance, where Tracey gets hit on by Dorien's husband Marcus. |
6 |
"Substitute" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Tony Dow |
20 November 1989 (1989-11-20) |
Sharon is considering divorcing Chris, and Dorien has football hero Patsy Edwards temporarily living in her house, who becomes very fond of Tracey. She doesn't want to be unfaithful to Darryl, however she suspects him of having an affair with a mysterious woman called Juliet. |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
8 |
"Getting a Grip" |
Peter Tilbury |
Nic Phillips |
6 September 1990 (1990-09-06) |
Tracey is shocked to receive overdue bills. There is also a letter from Garth, telling Tracey he has had a fight at school and she will have to pay for half the damage. To top it all off, the central heating breaks down and Dorien recommends two female plumbers, Alison and Gloria. Tracey and Sharon hire them, but shortly after they leave, the tank starts leaking. |
9 |
"Sweet Smell of Success" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Nic Phillips |
13 September 1990 (1990-09-13) |
Sharon's former neighbour, Lisa, has made a fortune hawking a cheap perfume, 'Aromantique', around the town. Sharon and Tracey jump on the bandwagon, as they are in desperate need of money. However, when this proves unsuccessful, Tracey decides to sell Darryl’s Jaguar and advertises it on the Internet. When a prospective buyer comes to view it, he drives it away. Tracey is later told it has been repossessed as Darryl never kept up the payments. At the next prison visit, Darryl tells her he hid £25,000 in the car’s spare wheel. When Tracey tries to buy the car back, Dorien buys it first to save Tracey’s embarrassment at having the car repossessed. |
10 |
"Young Guns" |
Keith Lindsay and Martin Tomms |
Nic Phillips |
20 September 1990 (1990-09-20) |
Garth brings home a 17-year-old handsome school friend, Richard, for the holidays. Sharon and Tracey suspect Garth is gay, and Dorien tells them she thinks Richard is also gay. When Tracey tells Darryl, he is more concerned about how he'd explain it all at the golf club. Soon after, she and Sharon speak to Garth, who says he is not gay. Moments later, Dorien says she was wrong about Richard being gay, as she has just slept with him. |
11 |
"Muesli" |
Steve Coombes and Dave Robinson |
Charlie Hanson |
27 September 1990 (1990-09-27) |
The release of a fellow inmate plunges Darryl into depression. The anguish rubs off on Tracey, who decides that in an attempt to understand what Darryl is going through, she will live like a prisoner for the weekend. Sharon decides to join her and they set up the spare bedroom like a prison cell. When Dorien gets locked out of the house while Marcus is away, she stays at Tracey and Sharon's and acts a prison officer. On Sunday, Dorien returns to her house to find that it has been burgled and forgets to unlock Tracey and Sharon. After a short while, they climb out of the window and start throwing roof tiles in an attempt to get Dorien's attention. However, when one tile ends up going through the car of police officer investigating Dorien's burglary, they end up in a real police cell. Meanwhile, Darryl's cell mate, Gary, cheers him up by trying to relive how Darryl spent his weekends before being sent to prison. |
12 |
"Keep off the Grass" |
Sue Teddern |
Charlie Hanson |
4 October 1990 (1990-10-04) |
Sharon and Tracey witness a friend of their husbands', Vinny Hutchins, making a speedy getaway from a post office raid in which a pensioner has been injured. While Tracey is all for turning him in, Sharon vehemently disagrees as it's against criminal ethics. After visiting Darryl and Chris, they change their minds; Sharon because Vinny beats his wife. When Dorien is round, they see an appeal on 'Crime Busters' and Dorien recognises Vinny. Sharon and Tracey, after hearing about the reward money, decide to tell the police but Dorien rings first, and uses the money to buy a kitchen from her toyboy Luke, who has been threatened with a move to Northern England unless he sells more kitchens. Tracey, however, blackmails Dorien to give her the kitchen so Vinny's wife can sell it to fund a new life abroad. |
13 |
"Mice" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Charlie Hanson |
11 October 1990 (1990-10-11) |
Tracey is disgusted by the state of Sharon's bedroom - in particular the mouldering kebab in her bedside drawer. It appears Sharon's squalor has spread throughout the house when Tracey discovers they have mice. After cleaning the house and buying poison, Sharon buys a cat, but it does not seem to have any effect. Eventually, Sharon rings pest control, who reveals that he has been at Dorien's house trying to get rid of a major mice infestation, and the mice have come over from her. |
14 |
"Brief Encounter" |
Peter Tilbury |
Nic Phillips |
18 October 1990 (1990-10-18) |
Sharon goes to the aid of 53-year-old, Don Sheridan, when he is mugged at Chigwell tube station. That evening they accidentally meet at a bar, and he says he is in Chigwell on business as financial adviser to Marcus, who apparently is near to going under. They go out several times, and sleep together, despite him being married. On his final night before going home, they plan to re-live the 1960s by taking drugs, which Sharon had been given to pass to Chris in prison, but the police arrive to give back Don's wallet, causing Don to flush the drugs down the toilet. Meanwhile, Dorien pays £2000 to have her telephone number changed to 071, as she sees it as more exclusive. |
15 |
"You Pays Yer Money" |
George Costigan and Julia North |
Charlie Hanson |
25 October 1990 (1990-10-25) |
With an upcoming parliamentary by-election, Sharon discovers that Tracey did not register her to vote in Chigwell. However she did register Darryl, not wanting to admit he was in prison. Darryl agrees that Sharon can buy his vote for £350. Meanwhile, Dorien is backing the Green Party as she fancies the party's agent. While Sharon will vote Labour, Tracey is unsure who to vote for, so she arranges for each candidate to pay her a visit. At the polling station, Tracey votes Labour, as does Dorien when realises the agent is having a relationship with the Green candidate. |
16 |
"Trust" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Nic Phillips |
1 November 1990 (1990-11-01) |
Tracey is doing her best to quit smoking and is having psychotherapy, where she develops a crush on the psychotherapist, Gerald. Darryl suspects she is having an affair and forbids her to see Gerald again. However, soon after Tracey meets him in a wine bar. She tells Gerald of her feelings, and he says they should not see each other again, as she has developed an emotional dependency. Sharon and Dorien then persuade Tracey not to tell Darryl the feelings she had for Gerald, and before long she is back on the cigarettes. |
17 |
"Thirty Something" |
Peter Tilbury |
Nic Phillips |
8 November 1990 (1990-11-08) |
As Sharon approaches her 30th birthday, she looks back on her life and regrets her lack of education. She pays a visit to her Edmonton council flat, where she meets Lisa, whose criminal partner is in the property business and Sharon considers buying the flat. Tracey disapproves of the idea. Dorien, however, is more encouraging and goes with Sharon to the flat. However, Lisa's partner is soon sent to prison, and Sharon then takes his place on a holiday with Lisa to Benidorm with Club 18-30. |
18 |
"Love on the Run" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Charlie Hanson |
15 November 1990 (1990-11-15) |
Darryl is in hospital, and plans to escape for one night so he can spend it with Tracey. With the help of a nurse, the guard is drugged and Darryl and Tracey go to a hotel. Meanwhile, Sharon is spending the night with Martin, an artist she recently met. The following morning, the taxi Darryl and Tracey are in is stopped by the police and the driver is arrested for drink-driving. Tracey rings Sharon, who then drives with Dorien to pick Darryl and Tracey up and take them back to the hospital. They get back just after the guard wakes up and get away with the escape. |
19 |
"Old Friends" |
John Ross |
Sye Bysh |
22 November 1990 (1990-11-22) |
While at Tesco, Tracey runs into Trish Taylor, her best friend from school, and invites her to stay as she has recently left her husband. This annoys Sharon, who is also worried that when Darryl gets out of prison Tracey will make her move out. After taking Dorien's advice, Sharon goes out with Trish and they get on well. Meanwhile, Tracey is annoyed with both Sharon and Trish - Trish for constantly talking about their younger days, and Sharon for not cleaning a disgusting saucepan that has been in the sink for several days. However, Trish soon leaves and goes back to her husband. |
20 |
"Parting" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Nic Phillips |
29 November 1990 (1990-11-29) |
Chris begs Sharon to visit him, but she tells him that she plans to sell her wedding ring and forget she ever met him. Then Chris reveals that one of his testicles is expanding, but Sharon doesn't believe him. However, he is soon diagnosed with a malignant tumor in the testicle. She goes to see him in hospital and Chris says he still loves her, but Sharon still decides to end their relationship. Tracey is annoyed by this, but Sharon wants to move on with her life. She does agree to continue seeing Chris on occasion. |
21 |
"Jobs for the Girls" |
Sue Teddern |
Sue Bysh |
6 December 1990 (1990-12-06) |
In order to make money for Christmas, Sharon becomes a dog-walker and cat-sitter, and soon comes up against stiff competition from Dorien's 13-year-old friend Adrian Gold. Meanwhile, Tracey becomes a typist and, after having problems with the typewriter, uses a word processor. She agrees to type up a manuscript for a novel that Dorien has written. However, Sharon later notices that Dorien's manuscript is largely copied from The French Lieutenant's Woman, and Dorien admits she just wanted Sharon and Tracey to think she had a talent. |
22 |
"Someone Else's Baby" |
Frankie Bailey |
Charlie Hanson |
13 December 1990 (1990-12-13) |
With the Antiques Roadshow coming to Chigwell, Sharon, Dorien and Tracey go into Tracey and Sharon's loft. Sharon discovers some letters written by her mother suggesting either she or Tracey were adopted. After some arguing between Sharon and Tracey, Sharon invites round their mother's sister, Auntie Sylvie, who finally tells them that they were both adopted but they are still biological sisters. Meanwhile, Dorien goes to the Antiques Roadshow with a family heirloom, but to her horror discovers the Russian Empire vase is in fact a mid-20th century East End fake. |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
24 |
"Keeping Up Appearances" |
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran |
Nic Phillips |
31 August 1991 (1991-08-31) |
While a prison visit ends with Sharon being ejected, Darryl's appearance seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Nevertheless, he asks Tracey to look sexier on her next visit, so Dorien offers to loan her a selection of revealing outfits. |
25 |
"Tinker, Tailor" |
Peter Tilbury |
Charlie Hanson |
7 September 1991 (1991-09-07) |
When a man, Charles FitzRoy, knocks on the door one evening asking for some water for his car, Sharon tells him all about Dorien and her relationships, which he seems interested in. After visiting Chris in prison, Sharon suspects that FitzRoy may have been a police spy interested in the proceeds of Darryl and Chris' crimes. Soon after two policemen come round and they ask about the whereabouts of Dorien and Marcus, who needs to be questioned about a major fraud case of which he was the accountant. Sharon tells them they are on holiday in Zurich. When Dorien returns she finds that a Sunday newspaper has an article on her private life, and Sharon and Tracey are relieved that the source - them - is not revealed. |
26 |
"Baby Come Back" |
Sue Teddern |
Nic Phillips |
14 September 1991 (1991-09-14) |
Sharon is at the shopping centre selling double glazing when she meets up with Dave, with whom she had an affair, and whose baby she aborted. However, it transpires that Dave already has a wife who is in fact eight months pregnant, which causes an uneasy relationship between him and Sharon. Meanwhile, Dorien agonises over what to wear to her nephew's briss, and Tracey finds herself missing family life. |
27 |
"Just Family" |
Geoff Rowley |
Nic Phillips |
21 September 1991 (1991-09-21) |
Darryl's parents, Les and Olive Stubbs, get into touch for the first time since his trial. Despite always disliking them, Tracey invites them round for dinner. Dorien insists on coming round for the evening and helping with the cooking - although it later turns out she did this as she was expecting a boyfriend to call her on their number. A few days later Les and Olive write a letter to Darryl saying that Tracey's house is depraved and he suggests they move their from the pre-fab in Poplar. Tracey and Sharon are horrified by this. When Darryl's parents and Tracey all visit him in prison, an argument soon occurs and he remembers what his parents are like and says they cannot move in. |
28 |
"Confidence" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Charlie Hanson |
28 September 1991 (1991-09-28) |
With money tight, Sharon has got a job but Tracey seems reluctant to follow, despite Sharon and Dorien's encouragement. Tracey admits to having little confidence having never been allowed to work during her marriage, but Sharon volunteers her to do some voluntary work for Siobhan, the editor of the prisoners' dependents newsletter. Sharon then goes with her when she goes to apply for a receptionist job but is scared off by the application form which makes her realise how little qualifications or experience she has. Sharon gets the job by lying on the application form. |
29 |
"The Lost Weekend" |
Peter Tilbury |
Nic Phillips |
5 October 1991 (1991-10-05) |
It's Thursday night. Dorien's date has been cancelled, and Sharon and Tracey are bored. When the VCR blows up, Dorien generously offers to pay for an activity weekend for the girls. Sadly, hang-gliding seems to be the only thing on offer. |
30 |
"History" |
Peter Tilbury |
Nic Phillips |
12 October 1991 (1991-10-12) |
Dorien suggests a car-boot sale, and the girls are keen - Sharon can get rid of some of Chris's old stuff, and Tracey will sell things that son Garth has outgrown. However, the clear-out unearths an old photo with Darryl at a party, under the table with someone else. Sharon is chucked out of the house by Tracey after keeping it a secret. |
31 |
"Poetic Justice" |
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran |
Charlie Hanson |
19 October 1991 (1991-10-19) |
Chris and Darryl are temporarily in Albany prison on the Isle of Wight. Sharon cedes her visit to Dorien so she can interview Chris about sexual deprivation for her OU dissertation. But while Dorien becomes the centre of attention, Tracey becomes the victim of food poisoning after eating at a motorway cafe. |
32 |
"Favour of the Month" |
Geoff Rowley |
Nic Phillips |
26 October 1991 (1991-10-26) |
Desmond Gibbs, an 'old prison friend' of Darryl's, turns up at Dalentrace to visit Tracey. With a squash injury keeping Marcus at home - and curtailing Dorien's amorous adventures - Sharon suggests that the accident-prone Desmond acts as temporary chauffeur. |
33 |
"Cuckoo" |
Peter Tilbury |
Charlie Hanson |
2 November 1991 (1991-11-02) |
Sharon's flat is now housing belligerent squatters Cedric and Egbert; her neighbour has also been acquiring mail-order items using Sharon's identity. Chris offers to sort things out - with the aid of 'Batty' Harold and his mates, who specialise in GBH. |
34 |
"Schooling" |
Geoff Rowley |
Charlie Hanson |
9 November 1991 (1991-11-09) |
Sharon warns Tracey that her son will be a "mummy's boy" if she isn't careful. Sharon has also taken to dressing up to leave the house, claiming she is going for job interviews. In fact, she is lunching with the up-market Mark and they're now on their sixth date. However, her hopes of happiness are dashed when discovering Mark is an over-grown kid controlled by his mother. |
35 |
"Business" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Ni Phillips |
16 November 1991 (1991-11-16) |
Sharon's cleaning job has caused her to develop an allergy. Returning from the doctor, she finds a letter from Chris telling her that his Uncle Costas has died and left him a cafe and drinking club. She later visits the cafe and asks Tracey to help her out, but Sharon just lets Tracey do all the work. |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
37 |
"Breadwinner" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Terry Kinane |
6 September 1992 (1992-09-06) |
With the cafe going well, Sharon is in the money and rather full of herself. Tracey doesn't like being dependent on her and wants to start a job. In prison, Chris is being obnoxiously vocal about the thriving business and getting right up the noses of his fellow inmates. |
38 |
"Food for Thought" |
Sue Teddern |
Terry Kinane |
13 September 1992 (1992-09-13) |
Garth has deliberately blown his chance of a City job, as he wants to go on a catering course in Nottingham. Tracey is upset, but offers to go along with it if he does well in Sharon's cafe. Meanwhile, Dorien has enrolled on a psychology course in Harlow, posing as a penniless widow to gain her tutor’s sympathy. |
39 |
"Commitments" |
Sue Teddern |
Terry Kinane |
20 September 1992 (1992-09-20) |
With Marcus away, Dorien briefly moves in with the newly-available Luke. Chris tells Sharon of his plans to marry Tina, a 'sweet' girl from Cyprus with whom he has been corresponding. But it transpires Tina has ulterior motives and takes the cafe away from Sharon. Fortunately, when Tina sees that the cafe is not what Chris made it out to be, she departs from his life and Sharon is back in business. Dorien later returns to Chigwell. |
40 |
"Wipe That Smile off Your Tape" |
Miles Tredinnick |
Terry Kinane |
27 September 1992 (1992-09-27) |
Sharon joins a video-dating agency, and Dorien shoots the tape - on which Sharon lies outrageously about her status. She gets tapes from two potential suitors: Mike, who's 'big in the leisure industry', and Jimmy, a nervous flying instructor. |
41 |
"Caring" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Terry Kinane |
4 October 1992 (1992-10-04) |
Sharon and Tracey's ageing Aunt Sylvie, who cared for them as teenagers, is in hospital with a broken leg. Sharon insists that she comes to live at Dalentrace rather than go into an old folks' home. But Sylvie proves to be a bit of a handful and eventually it causes the girls to think about how they will spend their old age. |
42 |
"Nine and a Half Days" |
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran |
Terry Kinane |
11 October 1992 (1992-10-11) |
Sharon begins a relationship with Gil, a fellow Support Group member who feels he doesn't want to stay with his wife after her release. Gil wants them to move to Norfolk, but Tracey isn't keen on Sharon's decisions. As Sharon is preparing to tell Chris about her new man, worrying news about his cell-mate stops her in her tracks. |
43 |
"Belongings" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
18 October 1992 (1992-10-18) |
Sharon has become fed up with the rowdy mechanics and one-cup old ladies who form the clientele of the cafe, and closes it down. Dorien urges her to re-launch it as an upmarket bagel bar, but the Greek connection proves hard to shake. |
44 |
"Hungry for Love" |
Geoffrey Deane |
Terry Kinane |
25 October 1992 (1992-10-25) |
Tracey goes on a strict diet after Darryl makes an innocent remark about her weight. As the hungry Tracey becomes increasingly ill-tempered, Dorien is vexed by the fact that her new personal trainer hasn't made a pass at her yet. |
45 |
"Time and Tides" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
1 November 1992 (1992-11-01) |
Garth has got into the Guinness Book of Records as a champion pancake-tosser, though Darryl doesn't think a sponsored pancake toss is something to be proud of. Meanwhile, Dorien gets a new lease of life, thanks to the miracle of HRT. |
46 |
"Sisters Are Doing It" |
Sue Teddern |
Terry Kinane |
8 November 1992 (1992-11-08) |
Tracey is suffering sexual harassment in her new temporary job as a secretary. She says it's badinage that she simply has to tolerate; Sharon and Dorien feel a Thelma and Louise-style revenge is a more appropriate response. |
47 |
"The Front" |
Peter Tilbury |
Terry Kinane |
15 November 1992 (1992-11-15) |
Dorien's manuscript, Promises To Keep, has been taken up by a publisher, but it's too raunchy to publish under her own name. She has already given her name as 'Sharon Theodopolopoudos'; now she needs the girls' help to keep up the pretence. |
48 |
"Okey-Cokey-Karaoke" |
Geoffrey Deane |
Terry Kinane |
22 November 1992 (1992-11-22) |
Sharon and Tracey participate in a singing competition to win money for a holiday. Only solo acts are permitted, so Sharon goes onstage alone - and wins the heat. But when stage fright assails her at the final, Dorien steps in her place, ironically singing Like a Virgin, and wins the money for the girls. |
49 |
"Loyalty" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Terry Kinane |
29 November 1992 (1992-11-29) |
While Dorien seeks a destination for all the money Marcus has given her, it's all bad news for Sharon - the landlords have refused permission for alterations at the cafe, and intend to double the rent. There is a solution, but it would involve using Dalentrace as collateral. |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
51 |
"High Fidelity" |
Jenny LeCoat |
Terry Kinane |
5 September 1993 (1993-09-05) |
Dorien's pursuing male model Jason with little success, while both Sharon and Tracey are attracted to his friend, Mark. As Mark can't read, Sharon gives him lessons - but it's Tracey he's interested in. Sharon is quick to remind her sister she is still married. |
52 |
"Bang" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Terry Kinane |
12 September 1993 (1993-09-12) |
Sharon accidentally blows up the kitchen after leaving the gas on. As the insurance policy only covers 75 per cent of the cost, Sharon asks her friend Nobby to fit a new kitchen cheaply. Dorien invites Sharon and Tracey to stay with her while the kitchen is fitted, as a way to avoid a weekend with her mother-in-law. However, Dorien proves to be a far from gracious host, and the sisters quickly outstay their welcome. |
53 |
"Non-Starter" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
19 September 1993 (1993-09-19) |
Dorien tries, and fails, to sell her unwanted furniture, and Sharon badgers Tracey into giving her driving lessons; thus it's not long before Tracey needs spiritual guidance. Eventually, Sharon's driving errors lead to her crashing into the van taking Darryl and Chris to a new prison, and the girls are suspected of organising a jail-break - before making the joke spot on the news. |
54 |
"Absent Friends" |
Geoff Rowley |
Charlie Hanson |
26 September 1993 (1993-09-26) |
After a spate of burglaries, the sisters find themselves on the agenda of a Neighbourhood Watch meeting at Dorien's house. But is there a connection between the crimes and the anonymous letters and calls Tracey has been receiving? |
55 |
"Suspicious Minds" |
Tony Millan & Mike Walling |
Terry Kinane |
3 October 1993 (1993-10-03) |
While relations between Dorien and Marcus are especially frosty, Chris proudly announces he has done a deal to arrange a delivery of cheap food to the cafe. Sharon is not pleased. |
56 |
"Dead Loss" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
10 October 1993 (1993-10-10) |
Chris gets compassionate leave after his mother dies but, after the funeral, he goes on a drunken bender and is adamant that he is not going back to prison. Dorien, meanwhile, is incensed - her "frenemy" Melanie Fishman has trumped her in the charity stakes. On learning that Chris's mother has died, she sees a chance to regain status by comforting mourners at the wake. |
57 |
"A Brush With the Law" |
Sue Teddern |
Terry Kinane |
17 October 1993 (1993-10-17) |
Tracey reveals a talent for decorating, and Dorien suggests launching an interior design business. The plan is for Tracey to do the work while Dorien scours the countryside for antiques; their first client is to be Melanie Fishman. Sharon meets the attractive Colin in a cinema queue and they click, but he has failed to tell her that he is a policeman. Sharon feels that their future is doomed, though he would still like them to be friends. |
58 |
"Mind Over Matter" |
Richard Preddy & Gary Howe |
Charlie Hanson |
24 October 1993 (1993-10-24) |
Sharon has raging toothache, but also a phobia about dentists. Dorien is terrified of spiders. They agree that if Dorien confronts "Norman" - a beast who recently escaped being flushed down the loo - Sharon will have treatment under hypnosis. |
59 |
"East Side Story" |
Geoffrey Deane |
Terry Kinane |
31 October 1993 (1993-10-31) |
Sharon thinks Garth's social life needs a boost. One solution could be Rosa, the teenage daughter of Marcus's cousin Fay, for whom Dorien is compelled to 'baby-sit'. But Rosa turns out to be not quite so demure as she would like people to believe. |
60 |
"Find the Lady" |
Peter Tilbury |
Charlie Hanson |
7 November 1993 (1993-11-07) |
Tracey meets Darryl's pension advisor, who spots a large unexplained payment in 1988. It seems Darryl and Chris were in on a fiddle suggested by a bent tax inspector, and the money was invested with a financial advisor who now proves elusive. Tracey is worried so it's up to her, Sharon, Dorien and Garth to tackle some detective work. |
61 |
"An Inspector Stays" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Terry Kinane |
14 November 1993 (1993-11-14) |
Sharon's relationship with Colin is blossoming; he is introducing her to culture, and she's started listening to Classic FM over breakfast. Then, he asks if the police can use Dalentrace to mount a surveillance operation. Tracey is unhappy with the undercover detectives staying at her house, and she also fears Garth is taking drugs. Later, the sisters discover the detective is a cheat and using Tracey’s house for immoral purposes. |
62 |
"All Gone Pear Shaped" |
Sue Teddern |
Terry Kinane |
21 November 1993 (1993-11-21) |
Sharon tells Chris that her relationship with Colin is serious, although she doesn't initially reveal that he's a policeman. But when Colin plans a surprise evening with friends - all of whom work in the police - she begins to have doubts. Meanwhile, Tracey helps a prisoner’s wife called Hailey, and Dorien feels left out as the sisters seem not to have time for her. |
63 |
"The Beautiful Game" |
Geoffrey Deane |
Charlie Hanson |
28 November 1993 (1993-11-28) |
Chris urges Sharon to contact a cousin, Helena, whose father is wealthy and whose son, Nicky, is a keen footballer - there could be money in it. At Nicky's next match, Tracey surprises everyone with her tactical brilliance and lands the role of manager. Sharon and Tracey come to blows, as the two have very different ideas with regards to team spirit and sportsman-ship. Sharon and Dorien fall out over a game of Monopoly. |
# |
Episode |
Writer(s) |
Director |
Original air date |
65 |
"Not In My Backyard" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Charlie Hanson |
18 September 1994 (1994-09-18) |
Someone has bought the neighbouring Theydon Lodge, and wants to buy twenty feet of back garden from Dorien and Tracey in order to build a sports complex. Dorien is unwilling, but comes round when Tracey convinces her that their new neighbour is Princess Diana. Dorien has high hopes for raised house prices and status, which only leads to disappointment when 'Diana' is revealed to be a look-alike. |
66 |
"Mrs Robinson" |
Geoff Rowley |
Charlie Hanson |
25 September 1994 (1994-09-25) |
Garth is seeing Linda, an older divorcée - to Tracey's alarm. Chris, meanwhile, has turned his hand to creative writing; Tracey dismisses his effort as 'filth', and Dorien wants to know if any other inmates are writing similar material. |
67 |
"First Time Caller" |
Tony Millan & Mike Walling |
Charlie Hanson |
2 October 1994 (1994-10-02) |
Dorien is taking a first-aid course, albeit for dubious reasons, and Sharon is doing a special breakfast deal for pensioners – but what is Tracey doing that's useful? When Darryl fails to reassure her, a radio show seems to offer the answer. |
68 |
"Compulsion" |
Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran |
Charlie Hanson |
9 October 1994 (1994-10-09) |
Tracey's attempt to master her new knitting machine produces a waistcoat that looks more like a dishcloth. Dorien, meanwhile, is embarking on ever-more indiscriminate spending sprees, so the girls try to get to the root of the problem. It turns out to be a reaction against her mother marrying some other man. |
69 |
"All Day and All of the Night" |
Alun Lewis |
Terry Kinane |
16 October 1994 (1994-10-16) |
To comply with the health inspector's demands, Sharon is having some work done at the cafe. Chris's cousin Georgiou is supposed to be doing it on the cheap, but has instead turned the place into a nightclub - and is splitting the proceeds with Chris. |
70 |
"Appreciation Society" |
Geoff Rowley |
Charlie Hanson |
23 October 1994 (1994-10-23) |
Sharon complains about how hard it is at the café, but Tracey retorts it's just as hard work at home. After a heated argument, Sharon and Tracey agree to change places for a week: Sharon will be Garth's 'mum' and Tracey will run the café. Meanwhile, Dorien has gone into hiding after receiving anonymous letters threatening to expose her affairs. |
71 |
"Moving" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Charlie Hanson |
30 October 1994 (1994-10-30) |
After a conversation with Darryl, Tracey considers selling the house and making a move to the country. Garth, meanwhile, makes himself at home in the newly-converted flat above Sharon's cafe. His relationship with flatmate Kate is supposedly platonic – he's even told her that he's gay - but Sharon is onto him. |
72 |
"Out" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Charlie Hanson |
6 November 1994 (1994-11-06) |
Sharon is angry because Chris has applied for home leave; twelve years should mean twelve years, in her view. It sparks a debate on marriage, and Sharon's in particular—why stay with Chris if he's so terrible? But Chris insists he's a changed man—until he tries to get the probation officer into Tracey’s bath. |
73 |
"In At the Deep End" |
Tony Millan & Mike Walling |
Terry Kinane |
13 November 1994 (1994-11-13) |
Tracey opens a letter to Darryl asking him to install a swimming pool. Sharon says a swimming pool is only a hole in the ground with tiles, and building one shouldn't be difficult; after all, she has a cafe full of builders. |
74 |
"Business Is Business" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
20 November 1994 (1994-11-20) |
Sharon is struggling to combine running the cafe with the new pool business, and is desperate for it to be sold. Chris makes her promise she will sell it to a Greek, but Marcus has a client apparently offering £30,000. Dorien's holiday depends on it. |
75 |
"Puppy Love" |
Sue Teddern |
Terry Kinane |
27 November 1994 (1994-11-27) |
The girls reminisce about their childhood sweethearts, and decide to trace them. There are surprised all round - not least for Derek Henty, now a government minister, who thinks he's fallen victim to blackmail. Sharon meets up with a once spotty-boy who is now a dashing gay hunk. To make Dorien jealous, Sharon pretends the man and herself are a couple to be married. |
76 |
"Still Waters Run Deep" |
Geoffrey Deane |
Terry Kinane |
4 December 1994 (1994-12-04) |
The swimming pool business is thriving and Sharon and Tracey are happy. Then, prospective client Monty Kray asks for a pool to be installed within days, as a present for his wife while they're away. The girls agree, unaware that Kenny and the boys are in Florida. Meanwhile, Dorien is consumed by guilt when Marcus suffers a heart attack. |
77 |
"On the Glass" |
Geoffrey Deane |
Terry Kinane |
11 December 1994 (1994-12-11) |
The order book is empty, and Sharon is cleaned out after a bout of extravagant spending. Dorien is distraught, too - Marcus, annoyingly ever-present while recovering from his heart attack, has slashed her credit-card limit. |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
80 |
"Stand By Your Man" |
Sue Teddern |
Baz Taylor |
26 May 1997 (1997-05-26) |
Brute force or blatant charm; one or the other is needed fast if Sharon and Tracey are to stop their swimming pool business from going down the drain. However, a phone call brings exciting news for Tracey - Darryl is being released from prison in a fortnight. For Sharon the news is far from welcome, especially after Chris reveals he is also being released. |
81 |
"Nearest and Dearest" |
Damon Rochefort |
Baz Taylor |
2 June 1997 (1997-06-02) |
Sharon has a blazing row with Dorien, leading to the latter believing she has to alter her selfish ways. Thus, in an attempt to be more thoughtful, Dorien organises a day of opera and manicures for herself and Sharon. Sharon isn’t keen on the idea and explains she’s attending a funeral on that day - however, her plan goes pear-shaped when Dorien offers to come to the funeral with her. Meanwhile, Darryl is just one week away from coming home, and Tracey is seeking some naughty tips. |
82 |
"Cheers" |
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran |
Baz Taylor |
9 June 1997 (1997-06-09) |
Darryl and Chris are released from prison. Fortunately for Sharon, Chris gets hit by a car on the way out of the prison and spends his first free night in hospital. This leaves Sharon free to invite "Snotty Scotty", an old school friend, to Darryl’s welcome-home party. Unfortunately for Tracey, Darryl's homecoming is blighted by temporary impotence and he spends the night down the pub. Meanwhile, Marcus finally catches Dorien in the act with a business associate. |
83 |
"Relative Strangers" |
Geoff Rowley |
Baz Taylor |
16 June 1997 (1997-06-16) |
Dorien has moved in with her mother after being kicked out by Marcus, but then discovers her husband has been leading a double life. Darryl has rediscovered his ardour, and Chris is safely installed in a flat, determined to win Sharon's affections. Darryl throws Sharon out of his house after a heated argument, leaving Sharon no choice but to move in with Chris. |
84 |
"Porridge" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Baz Taylor |
23 June 1997 (1997-06-23) |
Sharon is frantically trying to keep Chris out of her bed, and is prepared to go to any lengths to get a home of her own. Dorien is determined to win custody of the house and, posing as a barmaid, tracks down Marcus’s mistress in order to find out some home truths. Meanwhile, after failing to bring home the bacon honestly, Darryl meets a trickster who supplies him with counterfeit money. This he and Chris are both caught with, and are thus sent back to prison. |
85 |
"Rising Damp" |
Sue Teddern |
Baz Taylor |
30 June 1997 (1997-06-30) |
Tracey is anxious to make up for lost time, and heads out on the pull - but whatever happened to uncomplicated sex? While Garth is baffled by his mum's behaviour, Sharon gets on the TV to appeal for Chris's release, but ends up fighting the channel’s mascot - a man dressed as a dog. Dorien gets her house back from Marcus. |
86 |
"Three Up, Two Down" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Baz Taylor |
7 July 1997 (1997-07-07) |
Dalentrace is in jeaopardy as Sharon and Tracey sink into debt; Dorien's generosity cannot be a permanent solution. But Tracey is becoming a decisive woman, and is taking matters into her own hands. Garth, meanwhile, decides to move in with his girlfriend Kimberly. |
87 |
"Are You Being Served?" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Baz Taylor |
14 July 1997 (1997-07-14) |
Sharon and Tracey try to adjust to life in their new home. Sharon is sleeping in the box room and feeling decidedly broody, since it's decorated as a nursery. Dorien, meanwhile, is delighted with her latest tabloid-worthy conquest - but disappointed that her name hasn't yet featured. |
88 |
"Never the Twain" |
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran |
Baz Taylor |
21 July 1997 (1997-07-21) |
Dorien is holed up in a Lake District hotel, devising juicy titbits with journalist David Kane. Sharon has started thinking about adoption, while Garth is worried about his dad. The sisters set off to visit their husbands in their new prison, Slade, while Dorien is pampered in the hotel. |
89 |
"Three's Company" |
Geoff Rowley |
Baz Taylor |
28 July 1997 (1997-07-28) |
Sharon is still assessing men for their reproductive potential, making Tracey feel rather uncomfortable. 'Nouveau destitute' Dorien suddenly recalls she has a very rich mother-in-law, while Tracey drops the bombshell that she is pregnant and isn't sure it's Darryl's. |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
91 |
"Trouble and Strife" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Hugh Thomas |
5 January 1998 (1998-01-05) |
When Sharon wrecks Tracey's bed, it is the final straw. She promises to get a job and make a contribution - especially with Tracey's baby on the way. A stint in an abattoir ends when she is sacked for stealing meat, but Dorien is looking for a cleaner. |
92 |
"The Essex Patient" |
Damon Rochefort |
Hugh Thomas |
12 January 1998 (1998-01-12) |
Tracey and Sharon hit on a name for their new cleaning business: 'Maids of Ongar'. Then, after a strenuous day's work, Sharon begins to feel ill; before long she's suffering fainting fits. Dorien's energy-channelling session fails to help. She then arrives from the hospital announcing that she has an allergy, but it's later found to be self inflicted due to her over eating. |
93 |
"Maids of Ongar" |
Sam Lawrence |
Hugh Thomas |
19 January 1998 (1998-01-19) |
The girls are short of money, and go to see bank manager Martin Mann. But they suffer a bout of giggles after Tracey calls him 'Mr Mann', and he refuses to lend to the wives of bank robbers - particularly as he was the bank manager Darryl and Chris robbed. |
94 |
"Baggage" |
Georf Rowley |
Hugh Thomas |
26 January 1998 (1998-01-26) |
Sharon and Tracey attend a school reunion. Margie is still a bully, and Poxy Loxy is as leery as ever - though he does give Tracey a perfect chance to play a wicked prank. Meanwhile, Dorien meets someone from the past. |
95 |
"Can't Judge a Book" |
Sue Teddern |
Hugh Thomas |
2 February 1998 (1998-02-02) |
Tracey wants Sharon to lose weight. Sharon doesn't think she can do it, but Tracey offers to help. Later, Sharon's weight-loss campaign suffers a setback when Chris reveals his love for a Rubenesque female visitor, who Sharon talked to in a queue outside the prison. Tracey's efforts to get Dorien to dress her age are sabotaged by the bitchy Melanie Fishman and Dorien's new beau, Richard. |
96 |
"Money" |
Ian Davidson & Peter Vincent |
Hugh Thomas |
9 February 1998 (1998-02-09) |
When Richard asks the girls to clean his house, Dorien asks them to so some spying for her. Garth, meanwhile, is short of money. Should Tracey tell him his endowment policy has matured, or take Sharon's advice and spend it on a holiday? |
# |
Episode |
Writer/s |
Director |
Original airdate |
97 |
"Ghost" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
16 November 1998 (1998-11-16) |
The heavily pregnant Tracey is fed up with Sharon's slobbish habits - in particular her tendency to leave all the kitchen drawers open. But Sharon insists she didn't leave them like that, and when things start to go bump in the night, Tracey becomes convinced they're sharing the house with a poltergeist; thus, the girls and Dorien hold a séance. |
98 |
"Mummies And Daddies" |
Sam Lawrence |
Terry Kinane |
23 November 1998 (1998-11-23) |
Tracey is shocked to hear that Garth has apparently abandoned pregnant ex-girlfriend Kimberley - "typical male behaviour", according to Sharon. However, the two are soon reunited and then engaged. Meanwhile, Dorien needs to get to her boyfriend Richard’s before he returns home to find the malicious answer message she has left him, while Tina - a Maids of Ongar cleaner with man trouble - causes problems for the directors. |
99 |
"Sunday" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
30 November 1998 (1998-11-30) |
To relieve their boredom, Sharon, Tracey and Dorien head off to an antique market. They drive into a deserted warehouse, where a leaflet reveals the market is held in the mornings...and the door shuts behind them. They are trapped, and the only escape route is via a particularly nasty gents' lavatory. |
100 |
"Model" |
Gary Lawson & John Phelps |
Terry Kinane |
7 December 1998 (1998-12-07) |
A security monitor zooms in on Sharon as she browses in a department store. A little later, a woman approaches her; not the store detective, but a scout for a modelling agency specialising in plus-size models. Tracey becomes envious, and Dorien appoints herself manager of 'Sharon T'. |
101 |
"Nuptials" |
Gary Lawson and John Phelps |
Terry Kinane |
14 December 1998 (1998-12-14) |
It is Kimberley and Garth's wedding day. Darryl's father gives Garth a £50 loan rather than a present, telling him to go away until he goes off the idea of marriage. The less salubrious side of Sharon and Tracey's family arrives in a minibus. Meanwhile it’s Dorien’s birthday, but she feels both old and lonely, and has swallowed a bottle of pills. |
102 |
"Holy Ground" |
Geoff Rowley |
Terry Kinane |
24 December 1998 (1998-12-24) |
A solicitor's letter reveals an unknown slice of family history for Sharon and Tracey. Thus, they and Dorien go to Tipperary, Ireland, where the latter now owns a horse and the girls' Uncle Declan has just passed away. Unfortunately, the sisters arrive to find they have been left a field. Dorien is not happy either, when discovering her horse is a pregnant one, but it is Tracey who ends up giving birth in a stable. |