London's Burning (1986)
London's Burning is a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall. It was broadcast between 1988 and 2002 in the United Kingdom and was shown in Canada on digital television station CBC Country Canada. In the UK, Discovery's entertainment channel, DMAX have also shown repeats of the later series, mainly 11 through 14.
-
Episode 1 - Episode 1
Release Date: 1997-04-04The series starts off with a brief recap of the road traffic accident that Blue Watch were in at the end of series 9. It is now 3 months since the accident and the Watch are coming to terms with what has happened, However George is not at work. After a conversation between Sicknote and Pearce we find out that Skippy has left the Brigade and gone back to Australia and George is off work with a broken leg. While on the same duty Pearce is called to the Watch room to be met by a stripper gram that Billy and new boy Gregg have got for him in order to celebrate his divorce going through.
-
Episode 2 - Episode 2
Release Date: 1993-04-11The episode starts off with a recap of train fire. While off duty Pearce sees Sandra Hallam out shopping and they discuss Recall's marriage split up. Carol confronts husband Martin over who was driving the car when it hit the cyclist down. Also Sicknote visits a Chinese doctor and comes back with a remedy to cure his skin complaint. Billy is told his Nan has been taken into hospital and Carol and Martin argue over the RTA. On the next shift George returns to work, Georgiadis is told he is going on an exchange visit to Holland and the Watch are called to the houses opposite the station as a woman has locked herself out of the flat and her child is inside with the iron on, the child is rescued safely. Carol returns home to see Martin has trashed the place and left her and sadly Billy goes to the Hospital only to be told his Nan has died.
-
Episode 3 - Episode 3
Release Date: 1993-04-18It's the day of Billy's Nan's funeral and Billy is off on compassionate leave and Clingfilm is covering for him. Due to Nick being in Holland, Carol is in charge and Pearce is promoted to Sub Officer and it is obvious he does not like a woman being in charge. Meanwhile Nick arrives in Holland and is met by Marianne, who we first saw in series 9, then as the two share a quiet moment together her pager goes and her and Nick attend a shout. It's a woman drowning and as Nick and Marianne are first on scene Nick heroically jumps into the water to save the distressed woman. However Marianne is not impressed. Meanwhile back at Blackwall Sicknote makes friends with Acer a dowser who is looking for an ancient underground river. While off duty Pearce visits Sandra Hallam and Gregg visits Tiggy at college, although due to confusion he ends up standing in as the live model for art class. On the next duty the lads play a joke on Sicknote making out there is a Blackwall ghost and the Watch attend a shout at a neighbouring Fire Station where Clingfilm's camper van is alight. On Clingfilm's return to the station Pearce tells him of the news and Recall reluctantly agrees to have a new lodger - Clingfilm. The Police say its arson, could it be his estranged wife Noreen?
-
Episode 4 - Episode 4
Release Date: 1993-04-25Nick leaves Holland and the Watch are called to a shout at a pub where a man has fallen down into the cellar door after being hit by a cyclist. Carol is visited by the Police, but does not let on that her husband has left her and Pearce helps Sandra Hallam to catch a burglar in her shed. Meanwhile Sicknote visits his new friend Acer and decides he wants to buy a Metal Detector. The watch then attend a shout at a second hand car garage and it is a mass of explosions, including the ambulance as it is set alight due to it being to near to the portacabin that's on fire. The Watch are then all invited to a talent night at the Ship A Ground (Jaffa's pub).
-
Episode 5 - Episode 5
Release Date: 1993-05-02The show starts off with Maggie and Sicknote practising for the talent night doing a splendid rendition of send in the Clowns (rather appropriate in a fire station). The Watch are then visited by ADO Davies to discuss the Stations forthcoming safety inspection. The Watch is then called to a shout where a woman is trapped in her car under a huge advertising billboard. Meanwhile Jack visits new lady friend Hilary (Mother of his sons friend) and Nick attends a family get-together. Gregg has a second date with Tiggy and the Watch attend a fire at a Paint Factory. They find the security guard and the shout is a success and Nick arrives home to find Marianne sitting in his living room.
-
Episode 6 - Episode 6
Release Date: 1993-05-09Sicknote's new metal detector arrives and the Watch are called to a hydraulic platform that's stuck at the top of a warehouse. Once on the roof Carol gets a surprise as Clingfilm meets her in the cradle who is working part-time with another company in order to save up to by a new camper van. While off duty Billy meets his new half sister and George is having trouble at home due to Kelly going to Spain and him being left with the children. The next shout is to a Block of flats where a group of youngsters have been doing a renovation that has gone horribly wrong. As they knocked down a supporting wall, which caused the floor to collapse trapping a number of people, luckily due to the Thermal Image cameras they find the trapped lady, although it means they have to knock through a wall in order to retrieve her. On return to the station a photographer who takes a photo of him meets Gregg. He then tells Nick that his girlfriend's father is an MP and that is why they were taking photos and Jaffa warns Jack off of Nicki his niece.
-
Episode 7 - Episode 7
Release Date: 1993-05-16Marianne is having trouble living with Nick's in-laws and Marianne goes to the Station to meet Nick from work. Recall is having trouble with Clingfilm and his Tuba playing and while on the allotment Sicknote finds an unexploded hand grenade with his metal detector and accidentally pulls the pin out and ends up blowing up a neighbours allotment shed. He is then given the nickname of The Blackwall Bomber. The watch are then called to a house fire where they find a dead child and George blames himself as he missed a turning and believed he could have made it quicker if he hadn't have missed the road. It's the Talent night and it goes off with a bang including a rather poor performance from Clingfilm and his Tuba and a stunning performance from Gregg who sings the old favourite 'Wind Beneath My Wings'. Meanwhile Kelly returns from her holiday to Spain with mate Suzie and George is convinced that Kelly had an affair while out there.
-
Episode 8 - Episode 8
Release Date: 1993-05-23The lads are still mocking Sicknote over the hand grenade incident and it's the day of the Health and Safety inspection for Blackwall. George continues to argue with Kelly and Nick starts to worry about the future of the station. On the next Watch Billy's sister appears at the station claiming she has had her purse nicked, so Billy lends her some money. The Watch is then called to a warehouse sale where two youths have set alight to some fireworks, there's a few near misses but everyone is accounted for and the fire put out. Off duty Pearce visits Sandra and Billy's mum turns up at his house with bad news his sisters gone missing.
-
Episode 9 - Episode 9
Release Date: 1993-05-30The first shout is to an industrial estate where a man has got trapped in a chimney after trying to rescue a cat. Blue Watch are called out and the man and cat are both rescued. Off duty Jacks called t o the hospital due to his son being involved in a rugby accident and Nicks finding the strain of having Marianne living with him. The Watch are then informed that the station will be 100 years old and in order to celebrate they will have a centenary event , however there's arguments due to the fact that both Pearce and Sicknote want to be in charge of it, although Recall reluctantly agrees to do it instead. On the next shout there's bad news a message comes through on the tele-printer stating that in stations that have both a Station and Sub Officer, the post of Sub will be abolished and the Sub will be moved to another station. Pearce is delighted, but Carol is upset as it means a move. Blue Watch are then called to a camper van that has fallen and trapped a man underneath and George moves out and goes to live with his sister Beatie.
-
Episode 10 - Episode 10
Release Date: 1993-06-06The Watch is called to a shout where some scaffolding has fallen onto an electricity station and left one man hanging onto a ladder dangling over the electricity station. Nick heroically rescues him using the platform ladder and a hose (Clever old Nick). Carol shares a date with DO Davies and Billy sets out to find his missing sister. Meanwhile while out with his metal detector Sicknote meets a group of protestors who inform him that the woods is going to be turned into a motor way. Sicknote agrees to join the protest and offers a donation of money to the group. Back at the Station Recall hears news that the Station is to close and Carol gets more suspicious of DO Davies.
-
Episode 11 - Episode 11
Release Date: 1993-06-13The first shout is for the Pump there's a strange smell coming from an old boarded up flat, sadly George and Pearce find a body that's been there for some time. ADO Davies arrives at the Station with the results from the Health and Safety report and upsets Maggie by saying that the kitchen is a health hazard. This causes tension and Maggie resigns. Billy finds his sister Jo and doesn't like who she's staying with, as he tries to force Jo into his car the bloke she's staying with appears and Billy attacks him, he is then hauled of to the Police Station. The next duty sees the Watch attend a huge Hospital fire where they have to evacuate the hospital due to the fire spreading through the roof. The Police on Suspicion of murder then arrest Billy; due to the fact the bloke he beat up earlier was found dead in his flat.
-
Episode 12 - Episode 12
Release Date: 1993-06-20The episode opens with Billy calling Recall informing him of his arrest, this gets Recall into trouble for being late and before Nick has a go at him he breaks the news to him. Meanwhile the Police are still questioning Billy, but it looks bad for him as now no one can help him as his sister has run off too. The Watch then attend a Shout at a rubbish dump where two boys have crawled into a mountain of rubbish, but it appears that there is a toxic gas involved. However Pearce leads the rescue into find the boys and recovers them before they run out of air. The Watch then hear he news of Billy's arrest. Meanwhile Carol sees ADO Davies with another woman and a child and makes her realize he may be married. The Police then arrest Billy for murder. George goes round to make up with Kelly only to leave with a flea in his ear after the two have a huge argument.
-
Episode 13 - Episode 13
Release Date: 1993-06-27The Watch is called to a Bungee Jump that has gone wrong and has to go up and retrieve the man who has been left dangling due to the crane motor cutting out. Meanwhile Recall gets to know Nicki (Jaffa's niece) and Sicknote's protestor friends turn up at his house. The watch is then called to a college fire where a man sadly dies. On there return to the Station Recall spots Jo (Billy's sister) and as he approaches her she runs off. He gives chase and catches her. Once she's back at the Station Recall tells her about Billy and she admits that she was the one who killed him.
-
Episode 14 - Episode 14
Release Date: 1993-07-04The episode starts with the charges being dropped against Billy, but sadly Jo gets charged instead. Back at the Station both Sicknote and Pearce are still arguing over the centenary event and Recall informs them that none of them will be helping him. Billy returns to the station and Sicknote attend a protest meeting. Nick is relieved once his in-laws move out and Recall's had enough of Clingfilm living with him. Jack and Recall almost come to blows over Nicki. Luckily George and Gregg stop them before Nick notices what they've been up to. Nick is then met by a resident who is complaining about the noise of the engines and the Watch attend a shot where a van has reversed into a phone box trapping a man inside.
-
Episode 15 - Episode 15
Release Date: 1993-07-11George is missing married life and Nicki has moved in with Jack. Carol receives her letter telling her where she will be posted and this triggers off memories of an incident that occurred in the past. While out on hydrant inspection Sicknote notices a mini riot where a group of residents are persecuting a man who is in his car, claiming he is a paedophile. Sadly the car is set alight by an angry resident with a petrol bomb and the Watch do there best to rescue him. At the end of the shift Recall challenges Jack to a fight behind the tower, luckily George and Gregg notice it before Nick sees them fighting and stops it telling them they're both behaving like kids. Meanwhile Pearce and Clingfilm are held hostage by Clingfilm's ex-wife Noreen, but they are saved by Recall who literally throws her out of his house and Jack gets bared from the pub.
-
Episode 16 - Episode 16
Release Date: 1993-07-18While out on a hydrant inspection Kelly's mum appears and starts lecturing George on married life. Luckily Jack realizes what's going on and sounds the sirens, they all jump into the appliance only to be told by Jack that there's no fire and he was just doing it to get rid of Kelly's mum. Back at the station Nick is told they will have a new type of siren fitted to the appliances, due to the complaint made by the resident. Clingfilm goes in search for a new camper van and Sicknote attends another protest meeting and ends up sleeping under the stars. Billy sees Nick and decides he needs a break from Blackwall and Clingfilm leaves Recall's in his new camper van.
-
Episode 17 - Episode 17
Release Date: 1993-07-25It's Friday 13th and the Pump goes on standby at Upton for the day, Carol's new station if the Merger goes through. The Pump leaves and the ladder are fitted with its new siren and Pearce immediately takes a shine to the technician Fiona. The first shout is to a rubbish fire in the woods where his protestor friends meet Sicknote. Meanwhile at upon the crew arrive only to notice that there is no power, Gregg looks at the fuse box and notices a fuse has been removed, not knowing why he replaces it immediately. The pumps first shout is to a stuck lift where two identical twins were stuck in a lift one going up and one going down, at first George believes he is seeing double until Carol explains. Their next shout is to a car mysteriously circling a car park. On their return to upon they see the station is on fire, Carol calls it in and extinguish the fire. Once the Upton Sub returns he informs them they had a problem with the fuse box, Gregg keeps quiet and does not mention what he may have done. George realizes he's being stubborn and returns home.
-
Episode 18 - Episode 18
Release Date: 1993-08-01The first shout is to a ship where a protestor has climbed the mast in order to hang a protest banner and Sicknote is shocked when he realizes it's his protestor friends again. DO Chapman arrives at the Station with good news? He informs Nick that the post of Sub is not going to be abolished, but advises him to go for promotion due to the fact that Station Officer may be abolished instead. Off duty George and Kelly have a Barbecue in order to celebrate them being back together and Nick attends a leaving party for his in-laws, who are going to fly back to Cyprus, now he has Marianne and Sicknote gives up on the road protest after realizing if it takes the alternative route it will run behind there house. On the next duty the crew that stood by at Upton are called into Nicks office and Gregg owns up to causing the fire. The Watch is then called to a huge fire at a bus depot where three children are trapped. It's a number of huge explosions and danger lurks as Gregg tries to rescue the girl who is at the emergency exit at the back of the bus. He climbs up and as he is about to rescue the girl there's an explosion and Gregg falls down. The series ends with Gregg lying in hospital and Tiggy telling him she is in love with him. (Rather emotional and features Stephen Houghton singing).