Please Sir! is a London Weekend Television situation comedy, created by
John Esmonde and Bob Larbey and featuring actors John Alderton, Deryck
Guyler, Joan Sanderson, Noel Howlett, Erik Chitty and Richard Davies. The
series ran for 55 episodes between 1968 and 1972.
Synopsis The programme was set in the fictional
Fenn Street School, and starred John Alderton as Bernard Hedges, a young
teacher fresh out of training college. The supporting cast included Deryck
Guyler, Joan Sanderson and Richard Davies. Character actors and actresses
formed the supporting cast, including Mollie Sugden as a parent of a student,
Barbara Mitchell as Frankie Abbott's mother, Ann Lancaster as Mrs Rhubarb in
a 1968 episode. Bernard Hedges and the 5C pupils were
replaced by a new teacher and pupils for the final series in 1971–72, while the
original pupils continued in a spin-off series, The Fenn Street Gang, which ran
for 47 episodes between 1971 and 1972. This was followed by Bowler, following
crime boss Stanley Bowler, played by George Baker for 13 episodes.
Like many situation comedies of this era, a film version was released in
1971. This was set in an outdoor pursuit centre, but starred most of the TV cast.
Cast The Staff:
John Alderton as Mr Bernard Hedges Deryck Guyler as Mr Norman Potter
Noel Howlett as Mr Cromwell Joan Sanderson as Miss Doris Ewell
Richard Davies as Mr Price Erik Chitty as Mr Smith
Bernard Holley as Mr Hurst Vivienne Martin as Miss Petting
Richard Warwick as Mr David Ffitchett-Brown
David Howe as Colin Lovelace Lindsay Campbell as Mr. Sibley
Arnold Peters as School Governor Roderick Smith as Philip Larch
The Pupils: Liz Gebhardt as Maureen Bullock
Peter Cleall as Eric Duffy David Barry as Frankie Abbott
Peter Denyer as Dennis Dunstable Penny Spencer as Sharon Eversleigh
Carol Hawkins as Sharon Eversleigh Malcolm McFee as Peter Craven
The Pupils: Charles Bolton as Godber
Rosemary Faith as Daisy Billy Hamon as Des
Barry McCarthy as Terry Stringer Drina Pavlovic as Celia
Shirley Cheriton as Pat Episodes
NOTE: All of these episode descriptions have been taken from the DVD sleeves of
the Please Sir DVDs, released by Network as another).
Note: The first series was in an experimental 40-minute format. The
remaining episodes were in the traditional 25-minute format
The transmission dates and times reflect the listings for the London ITV region.
Listings for the alternative ITV regions are not indicated.
= Series One = This series was recorded and transmitted
in black and white on the VHF 405-line TV system.
= Series Two = All of these episodes were made in
colour, although all the episodes up to The Generation Gap were transmitted in
monochrome, as ITV began colour transmission on Saturday 15 November
1969. All were shown in colour in a repeat run, seen in some ITV regions in
early 1970. = Series Three =
The final three episodes of this series were affected by the ITV Colour Strike,
which affected all ITV programmes recorded between November 1970 and March
1971. As a result of this industrial action, these affected episodes were
recorded and transmitted in black and white.
= Series Four = Unlike the previous series, episodes
were initially broadcast on a Saturday. However there was a week's break in
transmission between Episode 14 and Episode 15. When it returned it was
broadcast in a Sunday night slot. This was only in London. In the other ITV
regions, it continued to be broadcast on Saturdays at 6:30pm, so the rest of the
nation saw the last 7 episodes of this series one day before Londoners saw
them. Characters
Staff Bernard Hedges. A teacher fresh out of
training. He was allocated Class 5C, the most unruly form in the school, at the
beginning of term. At first relation were frosty between Bernard and Class
5C, but gradually Bernard gained the respect of his class and the rest of the
staff. As the series progressed, he is shown to be a caring and very fair
teacher and would always defend his form, regardless of how much evidence is
put towards them. In the movie, he met Air stewardess
Penny Wheeler. After misinterpreting a 'few white lies' made by a pupil
accidentally left behind, she began to take shine to Bernard. After some time
of dating, Bernard attempted to propose to Penny but she already said yes before
he could complete his sentence and they got engaged and later married.
Shortly after Bernard got married, a new term started and was allocated Class 4C
but it was not quite the same as 5C. He later resigned and left.
See also List of films based on British sitcoms
Welcome Back, Kotter References
External links Please Sir! at the British Comedy Guide
Please Sir! at the Internet Movie Database