LWT At 40: Please Sir!
As part of our features on the 40th anniversary of the ITV franchises; HTV, LWT, Yorkshire and Thames, Flashback takes a look at the late 60’s and early 70’s comedy series, Please Sir! Just one of several well remembered and popular LWT comedy shows from so-called ‘golden era’ of television.
Please Sir!: 1968 – 1972 + a cinema movie
Broadcaster: ITV [LWT Produced]
Cast: John Alderton, Joan Sanderson, Deryck Guyler, Carol Hawkins, Richard Davies and Erik Chitty
Please Sir! Is a fondly remembered LWT comedy for ITV and ran for 55 episodes, and a cinema 
movie, over four years between 1968 and 1972. It starred John Alderton as the teacher, Bernard Hedges, of the infamous 5C class – a troublesome class that most teachers dislike teaching. Joan Sanderson played the snotty and formidable teacher Doris Ewel, Dercyk Guyler played jobsworth caretaker Norman Potter and Richard Davies played welsh teacher Mr. Price. The actors playing the students of 5C were all much older than their characters – as is often the case with movies and comedy shows. Amongst them were Carol Hawkins as Sharon Eversleigh, Liz Gebhardt as Maureen Bullock – who was in love with Mr. Hedges – Malcolm McFee as Peter Craven and Peter Cleall as Eric Duffy.
The show was shot in black and white at first but later moved to colour as it moved into the 1970’s. Set in a London comprehensive [Fenn Street] the comedy often revolved around the student’s rebellious behaviour, pranks played on caretaker Norman Potter and Mr. Hedges attempts to stand up for his class against the formidable Doris Ewel. Hedges was often portrayed as being slightly native and easily fooled by the class but despite this the class liked him. Over the course of the series several notable actors guest starred in the series such as Ann Lancaster.
In 1971 there was a cinematic film of Please Sir! as the British film industry turned to television for ideas for films. Many comedy series in the 1970’s got their own cinema films including Rising Damp, Bless This House and George and Mildred. Fellow LWT series On The Buses had three cinema films – such was the success of the comedy series at the cinema. The Please Sir! film saw the class of 5C go to a school-trip to a camp for several days and the drama that ensures from that – from rivalry with local schools to a romance for Mr Hedges. The film stared Bless This House/Carry On actress Patsy Rowlands as a fellow teacher who was chasing after Mr. Hedges. The film saw the introduction of Penny Wheeler, played by Jill Kerman, who joined the series as a regular after the film – her character was the girlfriend of Mr. Hedges.
In 1972 the series came to an end but a spin-off, The Fenn Street Gang, had already launched. The series ran for 47 episodes over two seasons and focused on the lives of 5C after they left school. The show was about growing up and coming of age and featured nearly all the regular characters of 5C. It ran from 1971 to 1973 and when it ended another spin-off followed, Bowler. The spin-off from a spin-off ran for 13 episodes and followed a character that had appeared in The Fenn Street Gang – Stanley Bowler played by George Baker. After Please Sir! ended John Alderton joined the cast of LWT drama Upstairs, Downstairs for a season as Thomas – alongside his wife Pauline Collins – and reprised the role of Thomas in the late 1970’s for a spin-off from Upstairs, Downstairs. Joan Sanderson guest starred in numerous shows after the series ended. Carol Hawkins appeared in two Carry On films, the ATV Carry On Laughing series and guest stared in shows such as Blakes 7.
Please Sir!, the movie and The Fenn Street Gang are all available to on DVD and have been repeated on television several times over the years. The series still enjoys much popularity and is fondly remembered by audiences.
