Head and Heart
Colin has a crush on Janet - Norbridge High's new receptionist - but as usual his attempts to woo her fall flat when he manages to knock
himself unconscious. After he awakens, Colin inadvertently thinks he's got a date arranged with Janet for later that night,
but when he turns up he learns that Janet had actually arranged a date with the school's married headmaster Mr. Winters who she
has secretly been seeing. Taking this news to Lynda, the Junior Gazette are left to decide whether Mr. Winter's affair
is news-worthy, especially since releasing the story would wreck both his home and work life. After deciding against publishing it,
Lynda later changes her mind when Mr. Winters is seen on the TV promoting the notion of teaching students about commitment and fidelity. With the story
suddenly relevant, Lynda refuses to stop it going to print just because of her old ties
with the headmaster, but still gives him prior warning to the newspaper's release. The next edition of the Gazette creates
the scandal anticipated, leaving Colin feeling guilty by their
actions but Lynda adamant that she made the right decision.
Notes:
The opening episode of the series once again features pre-sequence titles.
Since the end of the last series, Spike and Lynda have resumed dating.
In this episode it is Spike's birthday.
Continuity:
Colin and Frazz head back to school after having left two years previously, where we see some old faces once again.
Before attempting to ask out Janet, Colin is heard repeating his positive aspects to himself as once advised by Spike in
Monday-Tuesday.
The gang mention Mr. Winters, Mr. Sullivan's and Mr. Kerr's influence in setting up the Junior Gazette.
Colin's Scam:
Stroke Matic.
Quotes:
Frazz: [on Janet] "Look, are you sure she hasn't got a boyfriend?"
Colin: "Well there's this guy in a hat who turns up at her house sometimes. He always arrives late
and stays overnight...so I think he must be her lodger."
Colin: "I'm sorry I'm making a total mess of this, right. It's just that I've been trying to work out a
way to meet you."
Janet: "Why?"
Colin: "I've just moved in across the street from you."
Janet: "Oh?"
Colin: "And may I say you look even nicer up close than through binoculars."
Spike: "Just be relaxed, pleasant and show a genuine interest in her."
Colin: "Just be myself?"
Spike: "No...she doesn't have to find out about that for a bit."
Full Cast:
Lynda Day � Julia Sawalha
Spike Thomson � Dexter Fletcher
Julie Craig � Lucy Benjamin
Sarah Jackson � Kelda Holmes
Frazz Davis � Mmoloki Chrystie
Colin Matthews � Paul Reynolds
Mr. Winters � David Collings
Janet � Natalie Roles
Miss. Hesshope � Miranda Forbes
Interviewer � Latie Pukrik
Director:
Bill Ward
Written By:
Steven Moffat
First Transmitted:
7th January 1992
|
Friendly Fire
Having decided to quit the Gazette in order to follow her long-standing dream of going to University, Sarah is finding it hard
to tell Lynda, despite Spike's attempts to help her. Later that night Spike receives a phone call from Sarah who wants him
to listen as she reads out a letter. The letter recounts Sarah and Lynda's friendship from the day they first met - when the pair were
competing over being the best in their class in an exam.
Lynda soon befriends new girl Sarah as they
decide to start up their own school magazine entitled Damn Magazine. However when Sarah starts to worry about getting
into trouble and tries to leave the magazine, she soon learns the true extent of Lynda's
cunningness, when her new friend pulls out every trick in the book until she manages to get Sarah to agree to stay on. The pair
continue working on the magazine in secret until they find their cover blown when they are caught
using school resources to print their magazine. Convinced they will be in serious trouble, Sarah is more than surprised
when instead
she, Lynda, Julie, Colin and Frazz are recruited to start work on Matt Kerr's new kid paper. The letter then goes a couple
of years further into the future to the point where Sarah
makes the decision that she wants to attend University, much to Lynda's chargrin. Despite her determination to leave, Sarah once more
finds herself putting her plans on hold after Lynda collapses and ends
up in hospital.
Now, back in the present, Sarah finishes reading the letter to Spike, where it is revealed that the letter was written by Lynda
and that in it she is firing Sarah so that her friend can finally go to University without having to face the ordeal of telling
Lynda that she is leaving - a gesture that Sarah is grateful for as she finally leaves the Junior Gazette behind her.
Notes:
The majority of this episode goes back in time to show the progression of Sarah and Lynda's relationship.
Continuity:
We see more of the school magazine Lynda first mentioned back in Page One.
The events leading up to the start of the paper are seen, including the sign 'Trespassers will be exterminated' as
mentioned in Page One.
There are flashbacks to episodes Page One, Photo Finish and Friends Like These.
We see Lynda painting the newsroom which did change colours in between Series 2 and 3. Spike's leaving to go to America is mentioned in this scene, and a reference to Kenny is also later made.
Quotes:
Sarah: [about the title Damn Magazine] "Are you sure?"
Spike: "Why not? It's what the teachers will call it anyway."
Doctor: "And it was a full hour before you called an ambulance?"
Sarah: "I was talking to her."
Doctor: "She was unconscious."
Sarah: "It seemed like a good moment."
Lynda: "The paper! We've only got weeks!"
Sarah: "I've phoned Kenny, he can handle it."
Lynda: "But Sarah, he's a guy. He's got another decade in puberty."
Full Cast:
Lynda Day � Julia Sawalha
Spike Thomson � Dexter Fletcher
Julie Craig � Lucy Benjamin
Sarah Jackson � Kelda Holmes
Frazz Davis � Mmoloki Chrystie
Colin Matthews � Paul Reynolds
Mr. Howard � Paul Anthony Barber
Mr. Winters � David Collings
Doctor � David Harewood
Matt Kerr � Clive Wood
Director:
Bob Spiers
Written By:
Steven Moffat
First Transmitted:
23rd April 1993
|
A Quarter to Midnight
As the rest of the newspaper team meet up at a restaurant, Spike is at the newsroom on the phone to Lynda in an attempt
to encourage her to come along too. Unbeknownst to Spike, Lynda is busy chasing up on a story about dangerous toys
and thanks to a source is currently visitng the company's vault to get some incriminating files. While trying to open the vault with
her lucky number (2345), Lynda finally agrees to meet Spike at the newsroom in a little while and go with him for the meal.
However her plans
soon take a dramatic twist when, after letting her into the vault, Lynda's soure unknowingly locks
her into the vault with nothing but a broken mobile phone for company. Although able to dial out, the phone is of
little use as no-one can hear her on the otherside. When Lynda realises that the vault is air tight and that she has only
a limited supply of air, she continues
to keep calling Spike in panic, an action which proves useless when it only serves to get him annoyed at what he believes are constant prank calls.
The next morning, Spike is starting to get worried about Lynda who didn't show up the night before. When he discovers that
the paper has been continuing to get silent calls he begins to wonder if it might be Lynda trying to call. Managing
to develop a system, the news team soon realise that Lynda is in trouble, but have no idea where she is. When Spike learns that
Lynda also called Colin, Frazz and Polly - a member of the Junior Gazette - Spike is able to discover Lynda's location using
the pattern created by the people she called. Rushing over to the company, Spike meets up with Lynda's surprised
source. The pair are all set to leave, unaware that Lynda is trapped in the vault and slowly dying, but luckily
she is finally saved when the automatic timer accidentally
set by Lynda the day before, opens the vault at a quarter to midnight.
Continuity:
Spike refers to Zoe and Lynda refers to Kenny moving in this episode.
Quotes:
Lynda: "What's your lucky number? Have you got one?"
Spike: "Why? Have you?"
Lynda: "Two thousand three hundred and forty five."
Spike: "Popular choice."
Lynda: "When we were kids, Kenny and I decided we should have lucky numbers. But we got kind of competitive. It's a good thing he moved to Australia when he did."
Spike: [angrily down the phone] "Who are you? Because I don't think I know anybody who would pull a sick little
number like this on me." [pause] "Zoe? Kathy? Moria? Lucy? Betty? Tracy? Whoever you are, this is sick! Perverted! Psychotic!"
[even bigger pause] "Lynda?!"
Spike: [to Frazz while on the phone] "Something's wrong. She's calling for help. I've just been too dumb to work it
out."
Lynda: "You tell him honey. You're dumb."
Full Cast:
Lynda Day � Julia Sawalha
Spike Thomson � Dexter Fletcher
Julie Craig � Lucy Benjamin
Frazz Davis � Mmoloki Chrystie
Colin Matthews � Paul Reynolds
Tiddler � Joanna Dukes
Crawford � Alan Perrin
Director:
Bill Ward
Written By:
Steven Moffat
First Transmitted:
10th April 1993
|
Food, Love and Insecurity
The local scandal of a politician who fled the country with stolen money is soon the topic of conversation at the Junior Gazette
when Frazz reveals that Phillipa - the politician's fianc�e with whom the press are eager to get the full story from - once
dated Spike at school before Spike dumped her. Having moved schools before Spike joined the Gazette, Phillipa is unaware
of Spike's new career, prompting the team to try and persuade him to go undercover and go on a date with Phillipa so that
Spike can find out the full extent of her involvement in the fraud. Despite Lynda's assurances that she is okay with the idea,
Spike is hesitant to be going out with an old girlfriend while his current girlfriend is there, but Lynda is adamant they
be professional about it and even takes the position of waitress at the resturant they have bugged to listen in on Spike
and Phillipa's conversation.
However Lynda soon finds trying to curb her jealously harder than she imagined, especially whilst trying to pretend to be a
waitress. As a nervous Spike desperately tries to get Phillipa to spill the beans,
the operation comes under even more threat from Colin, who unaware of the sting, has come down to the restaurant to eat. In an attempt
to distract him from blowing their cover, Julie invites herself to dine with Colin. The pair are soon having a serious conversation,
in which Colin is despondent about his lack of friends and inability to be normal. Forced to indulge Colin, Julie finds herself accepting
a date with him in hopes that it will make him normal. However despite Julie and Frazz's attempts to keep things under control,
Lynda's jealously proves too strong when she finally
sets off the sprinklers to interrupt the date, resulting in a furious Phillipa discovering she has been bugged and storming out.
Quotes:
Julie: "Some guy she was engaged to disappeared with �4 million pounds of other people's money and most of her
savings too. Now half the press in the country are camping on her doorstep, the police suspect her of involvement in the
fraud and she's received a record number of death threats."
Spike: "Plus I dumped her at school. What a life!"
Julie: [to Lynda and Spike] "The thing is...would it be a problem for you guys? I mean, you know...he'd be...well seducing her."
Spike: "Yeah but I'd only be doing it so I could nail her." [off Lynda's look] "I mean pin her down."
Phillipa: "Lynda Day isn't it? I think we went to the same school. Phillipa Prescott. You obviously don't remember me."
Lynda: "Only from the toilet graffiti. But that was mostly in the boys. And the staff's."
Colin: "So would you be embarrassed to be out with me?"
Julie: "Course not! I wouldn't tell anyone."
Colin: "I was finally having a serious conversation with somebody...and it starts to rain. Indoors!"
Full Cast:
Lynda Day � Julia Sawalha
Spike Thomson � Dexter Fletcher
Julie Craig � Lucy Benjamin
Frazz Davis � Mmoloki Chrystie
Colin Matthews � Paul Reynolds
Phillipa Prescott � Lisa Coleman
Newsreader � Jilly Carter
Man in Restaurant - Geoff McGivern
Woman in Restaurant - Jo Unwin
Angelo - Steve Steen
Director:
Bob Spiers
Written By:
Steven Moffat
First Transmitted:
7th May 1993
|
Windfall
Colin is apprehensive about his date with Julie, so Lynda tries to help him out by telling Julie lies about her current
boyfriend. However this only serves to put Julie in a foul mood regarding men - a mood Colin does little to lighten
when he accidentally sends all three of Julie's pets (dove, cat and goldfish) out of her window while trying to get a �100
note stuck on the outside glass. While Julie is horrified about her pets, Colin is more concerned about the �100 he sees Julie's cat carrying off - but
not before he and Julie spot an address written on the note. Heading over to the address the pair find a pager with a further meeting place and once again
continue on the trail in hopes of finding a big pile of cash at the end. Unfortunately the evening takes another twist
when Colin pretends to be the owner of the pager and ends up being handcuffed to a violent thug named Ed who Colin is supposed to get out
of the country. While Julie is quite smitten with Ed, Colin is far from happy about
being attached to a someone who is eager to fight a gang of bikers who he has a grudge with. However Colin's presence stops the fight from taking
place, when it turns out the bikers are old clients of his, leaving Ed free to go on a date with Julie and Colin once again alone and loveless.
Notes:
The episode starts with a pre-title sequence that shows Julie accepting a date with Colin from Food, Love
and Insecurity.
We find out that Julie has called her homicidal cat Lynda.
Continuity:
Julie goes on the date with Colin that she agreed to in Food, Love and Insecurity.
When Julie's dove flies in to the newsroom, Spike says "not again" - referring to the time the newsroom was full
of birds in Love, Money and Birdseed.
Quotes:
Julie: [in doorway of her flat] "I�ve just got to have a shower. Want to come in?"
Colin: "Great! Yeah! Though I�m actually pretty clean already."
Colin: "How do you think I feel? I was trying to act all nice and normal and suddenly everything's dead. It's like that school zoo trip all over again!"
Full Cast:
Lynda Day � Julia Sawalha
Spike Thomson � Dexter Fletcher
Julie Craig � Lucy Benjamin
Colin Matthews � Paul Reynolds
Waitress - Angela Curran
Ed - Jonathan Cake
TV Reporter - Sam Pasher
TV Policeman - Paul Jerricho
First Biker - Jason Parker
Second Biker - John Alexander
Director:
James Devis
Written By:
Steven Moffat
First Transmitted:
14th May 1993
|
There Are Crocodiles
The spectacular losing of the Junior Gazette's football team is overshadowed for Lynda and Spike when the pair find Gary -
a member of the news team - unconscious in the newsroom's toilets after having taken drugs. As Gary's life hangs in the balance
at the hospital, Lynda is worrying about how this incident could mean the end of the Junior Gazette. Her lack of empathy towards
Gary annoys Spike, who is frustrated that Lynda cares more about the face of the paper than a member of her staff. In the end, Lynda
decides to keep the news of Gary a secret and thus ensure the survival of the paper. However she soon
finds her plan more difficult than she expected thanks to a local magazine hanging
around the premises. When the magazine finally does find out about Gary (who then dies in the hospital) and prints the story,
the rest of the newspaper team are annoyed to learn what happened and Lynda is furious with Spike who she (wrongly) believes sold her out.
After an argument in the newsroom, Spike storms out - just moments before faulty wiring knocks Lynda out unconscious and sets
the Junior Gazette newsroom ablaze. As the newsroom goes up in smoke, Lynda's subconscious haunts her with images of Gary and David Jeffords - who's death
she blamed herself for years earlier. As David taunts her that this is the end, Lynda only becomes more determined that she will
fight and survive the blazing inferno around her.
Later that night Spike is left grieving at home, having been told that Lynda died in the fire. However his grief is
soon suspended when a worse-for-wear Lynda turns up in his room, claiming to have survived. Unsure of whether he is dreaming,
Spike moves to kiss her in order to find out...
Notes:
Because of the ambiguous nature of the episode the only things that we can be sure of by the end of the episode is that
the Junior Gazette newsroom has been completely destroyed and that Colin has quits the paper to join
the local magazine. However despite this, the Lynda that Spike sees claims that she managed to get Colin back and that the insurance
promised to be enough to cover the rebuilding of the newsroom, leaving it up to the viewers to decide how everything really ended.
Continuity:
Flashbacks to Monday-Tuesday are shown, with the character of David Jefford reappearing to haunt Lynda.
Lynda's apparent death wish is commented on, referring to recent events in A Quarter to Midnight.
Continued mention of Julie�s bad taste men is made as was talked about in Windfall.
Quotes:
Frazz: "Colin, let me explain just one general point about the game of football."
Colin: "Hey, sure coach, shoot. I do still regard myself as a beginner."
Frazz: "No matter how badly your team is doing, you are not - under any circumstances, allowed to change sides."
Spike: "Drug abuse is an issue. Why don't we tell them about the dangers?"
Lynda: "Drugs can kill you. What a headline. Next week, why its bad to fall off high buildings." "
Full Cast:
Lynda Day � Julia Sawalha
Spike Thomson � Dexter Fletcher
Julie Craig � Lucy Benjamin
Sarah Jackson � Kelda Holmes
Frazz Davis � Mmoloki Chrystie
Colin Matthews � Paul Reynolds
David Jefford - Alex Crockett
Gary - Mark Sayers
Reporter - Dean Williamson
Photographer - Colin Wyatt
Director:
Bob Spiers
Written By:
Steven Moffat
First Transmitted:
21st May 1993
|
