List of Men Behaving Badly episodes

Contents

Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992, moving to BBC One from 1994 to 1998. A total of six series were made along with a Christmas special and three final episodes that make up the feature-length "last orders".

Each episode follows the lives of flatmates Gary Strang (Martin Clunes) and Tony Smart (Neil Morrissey). Other star characters were Gary's girlfriend Dorothy Bishop (Caroline Quentin) and the occupant of the flat above, later Tony's girlfriend, Deborah Burton (Leslie Ash).

Series overview

Series No. of Episodes Original Broadcast
Series premiere Series finale
Series 1 6 18 February 1992 24 March 1992
Series 2 6 8 September 1992 13 October 1992
Series 3 6 1 July 1994 5 August 1994
Series 4 7 25 May 1995 13 July 1995
Series 5 7 20 June 1996 1 August 1996
Series 6 6 6 November 1997 11 December 1997
Special 1 25 December 1997
Final Trilogy 3 25 December 1998 28 December 1998

Episode list

Series 1 (1992)

# Title Director Airdate
1 "Intruders"[1] Martin Dennis[1] 18 February 1992 (1992-02-18)[1]
Dermot owes rent to Gary but has spent the money on a new suit. Meanwhile the pair fear who'll be moving into the newly vacant flat above them. Such fears are dashed when it turns out to be an attractive blonde, Deborah. 
2 "The Bet"[2] Martin Dennis[2] 25 February 1992 (1992-02-25)[2]
Gary has promised to take Dorothy to a concert, but Dermot has made the same promise to Deborah. Unfortunately there are only two tickets, hence the pair play a game of chess to win them. 
3 "Alarms and Setbacks"[3] Martin Dennis[3] 3 March 1992 (1992-03-03)[3]
Gary has a new alarm system installed into the house, leading to a power cut. But it's not just the alarm system that’s gone haywire, so has Gary and Dorothy’s relationship. 
4 "Animals"[4] Martin Dennis[4] 10 March 1992 (1992-03-10)[4]
Gary and Dermot play a game of squash at a sports centre and see Dorothy with another man. Gary and Dorothy then agree to have an open relationship. Meanwhile, Dermot starts a new job in marketing where he meets up with an old flame. 
5 "Sex and Violence"[5] Martin Dennis[5] 17 March 1992 (1992-03-17)[5]
Dermot lures Deborah into having a meal with him at the flat, but the hired organist is a disappointment and to sabotage the evening further, Deborah’s violent boyfriend returns from abroad. 
6 "My Brilliant Career"[6] Martin Dennis[6] 24 March 1992 (1992-03-24)[6]
Dermot gets a job at Deborah's restaurant, while an arrogant Gary dreads about telling George and Anthea they’re going to lose their jobs. Nevertheless, over a meal celebrating Anthea's birthday, Gary intends to spill the bad news. 

Series 2 (1992)

# Title Director Airdate
7 "Gary and Tony"[7] Martin Dennis[7] 8 September 1992 (1992-09-08)[7]
Gary receives a postcard from Dermot saying he won't be returning home, after finding love abroad, so Gary advertises for a new flat mate. Unimpressed with the offers he receives, he finally settles with record seller Tony Smart. 
8 "Rent Boy"[8] Martin Dennis[8] 15 September 1992 (1992-09-15)[8]
Gary is thrown into panic when evidence suggests that his new flat mate, Tony, is gay. Meanwhile, Tony pretends he speaks German in order to impress Deborah. 
9 "How to Dump Your Girlfriend"[9] Martin Dennis[9] 22 September 1992 (1992-09-22)[9]
Tony is unhappy in his current relationship, and Gary turns on his domestic persona and creates a new cleaning rota for the home. 
10 "Troublesome Twelve Inch"[10] Martin Dennis[10] 29 September 1992 (1992-09-29)[10]
When Gary discovers that one of Dorothy’s records is rare, he sells it to Tony at his record store. However, when Dorothy begins to question her record’s whereabouts, Gary quickly creates a web of lies to cover up the truth. Meanwhile, Tony takes Deborah on a date. 
11 "Going Nowhere"[11] Martin Dennis[11] 6 October 1992 (1992-10-06)[11]
Dorothy, Gary, Tony and Deborah go out shopping. Dorothy contemplates splitting up with Gary, who is trapped in a lift with the career-troubled Deborah. Tony's newly found happiness (a rusty old van), is also going nowhere. 
12 "People Behaving Irritatingly"[12] Martin Dennis[12] 13 October 1992 (1992-10-13)[12]
Tony’s annoying brother and girlfriend are commandeering Gary’s flat, whose tolerance is wearing thin. However the foursome's attitude soon changes when they discover a free holiday is on offer, courtesy of the irritating couple. 

Series 3 (1994)

# Title Director Airdate
13 "Lovers"[13] Martin Dennis[13] 1 July 1994 (1994-07-01)[13]
Gary feels sexually-inferior to Tony, when stumbling onto the subject of how many women the pair have each slept with. Hence Gary largely exaggerates and sets out to find proof of his supposedly many women to an unconvinced Dorothy and Tony. 
14 "Bed"[14] Martin Dennis[14] 9 July 1994 (1994-07-09)[14]
The broken blowing fence is preventing the foursome from getting any sleep and a stomachache is paining Dorothy. In the depth of night, Tony ends up trying to fix the fence several times, and Gary goes to an all-night chemist to get some medicine for Dorothy. 
15 "Casualties"[15] Martin Dennis[15] 15 July 1994 (1994-07-15)[15]
Gary has got into the habit of persistently lying; hence when George is injured in the office and Gary is to blame, he attempts to cover the fact up so that Dorothy doesn’t find out the truth behind the accident. Meanwhile, Deborah has decided to sell her flat. 
16 "Weekend"[16] Martin Dennis[16] 22 July 1994 (1994-07-22)[16]
Gary and Dorothy go on a romantic weekend together; while Tony is left to fend for himself at the flat. Simultaneously, he's lost in thought over Deborah, who has now got a new boyfriend - the arrogant estate agent Ray. 
17 "Cleaning Lady"[17] Martin Dennis[17] 29 July 1994 (1994-07-29)[17]
Gary becomes obsessed with the newly-hired and attractive cleaning lady who has been hired to conquer the squalor of the men's flat. Meanwhile, Tony has found a modelling job and intends to use the cleaning women to make Deborah jealous. 
18 "Marriage"[18] Martin Dennis[18] 5 August 1994 (1994-08-05)[18]
A not-so-sober Gary proposes to Dorothy, an act he regrets the next morning. Tony is jealous of Deborah’s new relationship, and sets up a bugging system to listen in on the pair. 

Series 4 (1995)

# Title Director Airdate
19 "Babies"[19] Martin Dennis[19] 25 May 1995 (1995-05-25)[19]
Gary had a nightmare about getting married to Dorothy and both of them pregnant, Dorothy considers having a baby with Gary, but his lack of maturity is giving her doubts. Meanwhile, Tony has been given the run of Deborah’s flat. This ultimately leads to chaos, as he accidentally spills orange juice into her underwear drawer, after reading her diaries. 
20 "Infidelity"[20] Martin Dennis[20] 1 June 1995 (1995-06-01)[20]

The episode begins with Tony and Deborah sitting watching a drama programme, of which Deborah is engrossed and Tony is finding tediously boring. After failing to divert Deborah's attention away from the TV and onto himself Deborah loses patience and firmly states that although she finds him attractive, Tony's selfishness and immaturity will always prevent them being a couple. Gary meanwhile is starting to grow suspicions that Dorothy could be having an affair after reading an article in a magazine that bears striking resemblance to the couple's relationship (such as receiving guilt inspired presents and giving lame excuses to avoid seeing each other). The evidence prompts Gary to ask Dorothy outright upon her arrival at the flat, to which she simply replies 'that its for you to find out'.

Gary decides to play detective in order to find out Dorothy's whereabouts and begins by hiring a disguise (a Mexican hat) and a red Nissan Micra which he sits in outside Dorothy's parents house to keep watch on any suspicious visitors. Tony meanwhile joins the Happy Companion Scheme at the local old people's home, in the hope that it will prove to Deborah that he is capable of caring about people other than himself. 
21 "Pornography"[21] Martin Dennis[21] 8 June 1995 (1995-06-08)[21]
Tony’s collection of pornography creates a rift in the relationship with his latest girlfriend; while Gary is bitter about not being invited to Deborah’s dinner party, of which Dorothy and her new boyfriend shall be attending. Hence, Gary decides to hold his own dinner party, with Les preparing the food. Inevitably, things don't go to plan. 
22 "Three Girlfriends"[22] Martin Dennis[22] 22 June 1995 (1995-06-22)[22]
Tony is finding juggling three different girlfriends a difficulty. Meanwhile, Gary’s embarrassing father comes stay, and Dorothy and Gary's relationship is pieced back together. 
23 "Drunk"[23] Martin Dennis[23] 29 June 1995 (1995-06-29)[23]
In an attempt to rebuild Dorothy and Gary’s crumbling relationship, Dorothy prepares a romantic meal. Unfortunately, her hopes for a night of romance are dashed when Gary and Tony indulge in heavy drinking at “The Crown”. 
24 "In Bed with Dorothy"[24] Martin Dennis[24] 6 July 1995 (1995-07-06)[24]
Dorothy has just had an operation, but Gary's attempts at taking care of her seem to be having the opposite effect. Meanwhile, Tony is embarrassed with the glasses he has to wear, and is determined the others won't find out he has to wear them. 
25 "Playing Away"[25] Martin Dennis[25] 13 July 1995 (1995-07-13)[25]
Tony resorts to extremes when attempting to remove his tooth without having to see a dentist. Meanwhile, Gary and Deborah are away on a creative writing course, and a tooth-aching Tony and Dorothy get a little drunk and carried away. 

Series 5 (1996)

# Title Director Airdate
26 "Hair"[26] Martin Dennis[26] 20 June 1996 (1996-06-20)[26]
Tony returns from his trip around the world, and isn't pleased to find out Dorothy has moved into the flat. Meanwhile, Deborah is unhappy and Tony tries to impress her with his beard. 
27 "The Good Pub Guide"[27] Martin Dennis[27] 27 June 1996 (1996-06-27)[27]
Gary and Tony are both shocked when their affectionately loved pub (The Crown) is being revamped as landlord Les has been fired and introducing a new landlord Ken. Dorothy too, has concerns of her own; she confronts Gary about doing all the housework and Tony engages in astrology to impress Deborah. 
28 "Cowardice"[28] Martin Dennis[28] 4 July 1996 (1996-07-04)[28]
Dorothy and Tony are avoiding Gary after cowardly stepping out of an aggressive driving dispute. Hence Gary hires a "large man" to prove his manhood. But as always, things do not go to plan. Also in this episode, Tony and Gary speculate whether Debs is in a lesbian relationship with a friend staying with her, and Tony gets a job in The Crown. 
29 "Your Mate v Your Bird"[29] Martin Dennis[29] 11 July 1996 (1996-07-11)[29]
There’s no room in Gary’s flat for a third-person, and he begins having nightmares about telling Dorothy or Tony that one of them must leave. After telling Tony to leave, Dorothy announces she's leaving the flat to move in with Deborah; Tony hence returns. 
30 "Cardigan"[30] Martin Dennis[30] 18 July 1996 (1996-07-18)[30]
Gary seems to be slipping into middle-age mode and finds he is wearing the same clothes as George. To avoid descending into the crisis of age further, Gary organises a night out to a rave. Meanwhile, Deborah is now a mature student and Tony feels rejected, while simultaneously jealous of her newly found student friends. 
31 "Rich and Fat"[31] Martin Dennis[31] 25 July 1996 (1996-07-25)[31]
Gary has come into some money which those around him develop an appetite for; Tony on the other hand has gained a rather large appetite of his own, and a stomach to go with it. 
32 "Home-Made Sauna"[32] Martin Dennis[32] 1 August 1996 (1996-08-01)[32]
Tony makes a sauna out of the shed and Deborah and Dorothy depart from the men to go on a sailing weekend. Tony and Gary are then left to entertain their attractive female neighbours with a barbecue - a wooden one made by Tony. 

Comic Relief Special (1997)

# Title Director Airdate
N/A "Comic Relief Special"[33] Martin Dennis 14 March 1997 (1997-03-14)[33]

Series 6 (1997)

# Title Director Airdate
33 "Stag Night"[34] Martin Dennis[34] 6 November 1997 (1997-11-06)[34]
In yet another attempt to impress Deborah, Tony is now helping pregnant women to give birth in water. Dorothy has agreed to marry Gary, but the events of their wild stag nights make the pair think otherwise. 
34 "Wedding"[35] Martin Dennis[35] 13 November 1997 (1997-11-13)[35]

The group prepare for Dorothy and Gary’s wedding reception, with Tony the nervous Best Man. The day doesn’t go according to plan when the registrar collapses, and in the end the event is called off. However, the couple still venture off into the sunset for their honeymoon. After five long years and an array of desperate efforts, Tony finally gets to sleep with Deborah.

(One of the silent wedding guests (who is in a white suit) appears in series two as Tony’s second-hand record stall helper. Whether this is supposed to be the same character is not disclosed.) 
35 "Jealousy"[36] Martin Dennis[36] 20 November 1997 (1997-11-20)[36]
Lost in happiness and rapt in love, Deborah and Tony are now a couple. In contrast, Dorothy and Gary seem to despise each other. Nevertheless the foursome head off for a weekend away in a caravan, where Tony gets jealous of their camping neighbours and Gary attempts to prove to the group that he can instantly stop smoking, leading to hair-tearing chaos. 
36 "Watching TV"[37] Martin Dennis[37] 27 November 1997 (1997-11-27)[37]
The group settle down for a night in front of the TV, while deciding to play a chain of tricks on an all-too-chirpy Tony. In between their pranks, they reminisce about old TV shows such as The Good Life. 
37 "Ten"[38] Martin Dennis[38] 4 December 1997 (1997-12-04)[38]
Dorothy’s ten-year-old nephew comes to stay, while Gary and Dorothy attempt to save their downward spiralling relationship by visiting a counsellor. Meanwhile, Tony meets Deborah's mother, and despite his best efforts, things go from bad to worse. 
38 "Sofa"[39] Martin Dennis[39] 11 December 1997 (1997-12-11)[39]
Gary is forced to part with his decaying sofa, hence he reminisces about the girls that once occupied it. Tony in the meantime has woken up after a drunken night out and realises he's brought home a live snake. 

Christmas Special (1997)

# Title Director Airdate
39 "Jingle Balls! (aka The Big Christmas Box)"[40] Martin Dennis[40] 25 December 1997 (1997-12-25)[40]
Christmas time, a time of love, food and fun. However at Gary’s home Christmas time is a time of hate, burnt turkeys and deep fat fried phones! Gary is determined to do the cooking, and Deborah wants to split up with Tony, who's thrilled with his new drum set. 

Final Trilogy (1998)

# Title Director Airdate
40 "Performance"[41] Martin Dennis[41] 25 December 1998 (1998-12-25)[41]
Gary and Dorothy are determined to try for a baby; however Gary has a slight impotence problem so collects a heavy collection of pornography to solve the issue. 
41 "Gary in Love"[42] Martin Dennis[42] 26 December 1998 (1998-12-26)[42]
Gary attends a conference in Worthing, and Dorothy, Deborah and Tony tag along for the trip; Tony and Gary make the local headlines by stealing a large ornamental fish, and Gary falls in love - and not with Dorothy. 
42 "Delivery"[43] Martin Dennis[43] 28 December 1998 (1998-12-28)[43]
In the final episode, Tony takes up his new job as a postman; however Deborah believes he's become boring as a result. Meanwhile Gary gets heavily drunk to break the news to George and Anthea the office is closing down; and Dorothy goes into labour, but with a drunken Gary and Tony (who’s now back to his old ways) and an unconscious midwife. 

References

  1. ^ a b c "Intruders". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0757834/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c "The Bet". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646237/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c "Alarms and Setbacks". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0757832/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  4. ^ a b c "Animals". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646207/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  5. ^ a b c "Sex and Violence". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646233/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  6. ^ a b c "My Brilliant Career". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646227/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  7. ^ a b c "Gary and Tony". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646218/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  8. ^ a b c "Rent Boy". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646232/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  9. ^ a b c "How to Dump Your Girlfriend". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646222/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  10. ^ a b c "Troublesome Twelve Inch". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646240/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  11. ^ a b c "Going Nowhere". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646220/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  12. ^ a b c "People Behaving Irritatingly". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646228/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  13. ^ a b c "Lovers". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0757835/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  14. ^ a b c "Bed". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646209/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  15. ^ a b c "Casualties". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646211/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  16. ^ a b c "Weekend". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646242/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  17. ^ a b c "Cleaning Lady". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646213/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  18. ^ a b c "Marriage". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646226/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  19. ^ a b c "Babies". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646208/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  20. ^ a b c "Infidelity". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646224/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  21. ^ a b c "Pornography". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646231/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  22. ^ a b c "Three Girlfriends". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646239/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  23. ^ a b c "Drunk". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646217/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  24. ^ a b c "In Bed with Dorothy". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646223/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  25. ^ a b c "Playing Away". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646230/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  26. ^ a b c "Hair". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0757833/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  27. ^ a b c "The Good Pub Guide". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646238/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  28. ^ a b c "Cowardice". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646215/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  29. ^ a b c "Your Mate v Your Bird". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758329/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  30. ^ a b c "Cardigan". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646210/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  31. ^ a b c "Rich and Fat". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0757836/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  32. ^ a b c "Home-Made Sauna". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646221/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  33. ^ a b "Comic Relief Special". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646214/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  34. ^ a b c "Stag Night". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646235/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  35. ^ a b c "Wedding". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646241/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  36. ^ a b c "Jealousy". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646225/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  37. ^ a b c "Watching TV". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758328/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  38. ^ a b c "Ten". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646236/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  39. ^ a b c "Sofa". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646234/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  40. ^ a b c "Jingle Balls!". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646212/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  41. ^ a b c "Performance". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646229/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  42. ^ a b c "Gary in Love". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646219/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  43. ^ a b c "Delivery". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646216/. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 

External links