The programme was set in the fictional Fenn StreetSecondary Modern 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 guest cast, including Mollie Sugden as a parent of one of the pupils, Barbara Mitchell as Frankie Abbott's mother, and Ann Lancaster as Mrs Pearce in a pair of 1968 episodes. 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 1973. This was followed by Bowler, following crime boss Stanley Bowler, played by George Baker for 13 episodes. As with 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.
NOTE: All of these episode descriptions have been taken from the DVD sleeves of the Please Sir DVDs, released by Network. Note: The first series was in an experimental 40-minute format. Repeats of some first series episodes were later edited down into the standard 25-minute runtime, losing a considerable amount of footage as a result. 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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Characters
Staff Mr 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 relations 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, Penny began to take shine to Bernard. After a period 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. Mr Norman Potter. The pedantic and officious school caretaker. He claimed to have been a Desert Rat and constantly complains about the unruly behaviour of Hedge's class 5C. He is fiercely loyal to the headmaster but a thorn in the side of the rest of the staff. His various comeuppances provide much of the ongoing humour of the sitcom.
