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.
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Episode 1 - Episode 1
Release Date: 1990-09-30A flat is alight and parents and two children are trapped. The mum dials 999, but soon collapses. Nancy is on control and hears the screams, but she is helpless. She calls back through to the operator, so the location can be tracked. The Watch arrive and Hallam, Josie and George work together to free the children, but the parents are both dead. It is revealed that Charisma has left the Watch to work at staff and they all begin to go on about how they think the Watch is jinxed. Tate states that the Watch is not jinxed and Josie agrees with him. George then upsets Josie, reminding her that she doesn't have to worry, because she won't be with them for much longer! The Watch later find Josie crying in the dorm, George apologises and Josie tells them all that she will miss them when she leaves and it is pointed out that she's only transfering, not leaving the country! Bayleaf goes to see a Mrs Roger, about child minding Melanie, who is is now looking after permentantly while Karen is in hos
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Episode 2 - Episode 2
Release Date: 1990-10-07Josie is acting Sub at her new station and supervises a shout involving a crashed lorry and some hot tar. Tow workmen are injured - one sprayed with molten tar, the other lying beneath a propane cylinder. Blue Watch arrive on scene and have to take their orders from Josie. Tate watches with pride as she organises the rescue of the two men and the immediate evacuation of the area. Blue Watch are then called out to a night fire in a ship's engine room. The hold is already full of foam when they learn that the Chief Engineer is still down below. Malcolm leads his team down on a perilous mission because the foam means they cannot see or hear anything. Everything has to be done by touch. Eventually they resurface with the injured engineer. As a break from playing practical jokes on Colin, Blue Watch decide to do up an old car for Maggie who has passed her driving test at the sixth attempt. They park it in the station yard, to the horror of ACO Bulstrode who is making an official visit. Malcolm tells him it is for practising drills for RTAs. Bulstrode asks to see a demonstration which involves the removal of the car roof. Kevin has to tell Maggie that her car is now a convertible.
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Episode 3 - Episode 3
Release Date: 1990-10-14A drug war leads to a fire in a block of flats. Colin chases one of the suspects and is threatened with a knife. Fortunately, Bayleaf has followed him and comes to his rescue but at the cost of a slashed face. The crew read the riot act to Colin, warning his "go it alone" approach could have resulted in a fatality. Hallam's wife Sandra is convinced he is having an affair, while Sicknote's campaign to save the City Farm earns him a standing ovation at a public meeting. The Watch are called out to a horrific train crash. The implications of the job finally dawn on Colin as he and George take time to talk to a young girl trapped in a compartment. She has to have her legs amputated. Colin breaks down in tears and is comforted by Bayleaf.
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Episode 4 - Episode 4
Release Date: 1990-10-21After Hallam saves a distressed claimant who set fire to himself in a DHSS office, Blue Watch are called to a collapsed trench on a building site. The foreman has ignored warnings that the trench is unsafe and now a young worker has been buried alive. Malcolm uses his own body to protect the lad from a further collapse and saves his life. Tate tells the Watch he is putting Malcolm up for a bravery award. Malcolm becomes a hero and is interviewed by the national press, much to the annoyance of Sicknote, who's petition to No.10 about the City Farm only recieves coverage in his local newspaper. Technique is thrown out of the Brigade for mooonlighting and warns Bayleaf who has been doing some decorating to make ends meet. Bayleaf has to leave the job unfinished and George takes up ballroom dancing to find his ideal woman.
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Episode 5 - Episode 5
Release Date: 1990-10-28High up on the side of an office tower block, a window cleaner's arm gets stuck in a cradle mechanism. In the absence of a high line rescue team, a terrified Sicknote is sent down on a rope. Sicknote frees the mechanism and repairs the wound but then has to be lowered all the way to the ground where he collapses. Malcolm learns that Jimmy, the lad he rescued from the trench, is extremely brain damaged. At the suggestion of Clare, Bayleaf applies for a transfer, which is turned down. Sicknote temporarily takes over as Mess Manager but his health food is greeted with distaste. Technique is giving Marion the runaround. When she and the watch go down to the Swan and Sugarloaf (SAS) to see him in competition, he humiliates her and announces he is going on a date with a female bodybuilder called Tuesday. A fight breaks out during which Technique head-butts Colin and is sent flying across the pub by Jaffa.
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Episode 6 - Episode 6
Release Date: 1990-11-04Kate Stevens joins Blue Watch and proves herself at an accident involving two cars and a chemical lorry. She helps Bayleaf release a woman but hears a baby cry and pulls it out just before the chemicals ignite. Another shout takes the crew to a man-mountain called Benny who has suffered a heart attack. With the use of a hydraulic platform, they winch him out of a window. George's tango partner, Kelly, suggests he moves in with her and Tony reveals he is considering quitting the Brigade to set up a boutique business with his new girlfriend.
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Episode 7 - Episode 7
Release Date: 1990-11-11Blue Watch are on night duty and have been called out to a number of what Tate calls "looney tune shouts" - a dustbin fire, a pregnant cat stuck up a tree and so on. If nothing else, the crew are pleased that Bayleaf is back in the mess, but as usual when they start to tuck into a meal, the bells go off. Tate confiscates Malcolm's sandwich but the butter on it comes in handy for releasing a mans head stuck in some railings as part of his stag night. When they return to the station, Blue Watch find supper has become a burnt offering. Colin is commandeered to get a Chinese takeaway but comes back with nothing but rice and noodles. Kevin meets his dad who has been released from prison. The old man says he's going straight and asks Marion to put him up. but as soon as they're backs are turned, he makes off with her gas and electric money. Bayleaf has a narrow escape when he falls through the ceiling and is only sved by his lifeline to Kate. Sicknote announces he is standing in the local elections.
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Episode 8 - Episode 8
Release Date: 1990-11-18George is suffering from last minute nerves before he and Kelly appear on a TV talent show. He only agreed because apart from the SAS, no one has satelite. The Watch are called out to a shout at an old man's flat. Tate knows the occupant but despite cutting through the security door, they find him dead in bed. While Malcolm goes to collect his bravery award, Tate goes for a routine medical and is devastated to told he is to be taken off duty immediately. Sadly, he tells Hallam his career is at an end. After a call to a flooded funeral parlour, Tate holds his farewell party in the SAS. Bayleaf puts on a video for entertainment, and George can only watch in horror as it is him and Kelly doing the tango!