User Reviews

Sharon is still upset about her break-up with Eric but Maureen feels she can help her out. Meanwhile Eric is trying to move on and that involves winning a decorating contract from builder Mr Matthews. "Get to the daughter, get to the man" seems to be his approach so he has Mr Matthews's daughter Shirley in his sights...

Another rather patchy episode with continuing interest in fondly-remembered characters making up for a moderate story. We do get to see the unusual sight of Maureen acting in a provocative, flirtatious manner around Eric when she sees him with Shirley in the pub. Maureen clearly sees Shirley as Sharon's replacement as Eric's girlfriend so she adopts a somewhat bizarre persona to give Shirley the impression that Eric is already attached. It's not a wholly successful sequence but at least we see Maureen in a rather different guise to her generally demure demeanour.

One of the other positives of these "Fenn Street" episodes is seeing the guest cast. "Please Sir" had a large central cast of staff and pupils so had little room for guest actors unlike other sitcoms like this one. Some of the guests were well-established, even veteran, actors of the other time, others were newcomers whose screen careers proved to be rather brief. Here though two notable young actresses play the parts of Eric and Peter Craven's potential love-interests. Cheryl Hall plays Brenda whom Craven makes a play for while Eric settles on Shirley although that is more because he sees her as the route to a lucrative decorating contract than because he really wants her. Shirley is played by Jan Francis in what seems to have been her first screen-role. Both she and Cheryl Hall give good performances and went on to have very long careers.

Typically all does not go to plan. An episode that is certainly worth seeing to chart the progress of the Fenn Street alumni and to see some familiar TV faces even if it is not the source of any great comedy.