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dinnerladies
1998 - 2000 7.4 (32 votes) 2 Seasons
Official Website
Genres
Comedy
Networks
BBC Two
Created By
Victoria Wood

dinnerladies

Overview

Dinnerladies is a BBC sitcom written by and starring Victoria Wood that chronicles the antics of a group of workers in a canteen in the north of England. Bren tries to maintain a semblance of order in amongst the chaos, while dealing with the canteen supervisor, slightly sex-obsessed cancer sufferer Tony. Dolly and Jean are the bickering menopausal older women, always at odds but best friends beneath it all. Then there's thick-as-two-short-planks Anita, and the terminally uninterested Twinkle, more concerned with having a good time than anything else. Making up the motley crew are military man handyman Stan, all rules and regulations, and ditzy Philippa, who never seems to get anything right.

Key Crew

Producer: Geoff Posner, Victoria Wood

Top Cast

Maxine Peake
Maxine Peake

Twinkle

Thelma Barlow
Thelma Barlow

Dolly Bellfield

Anne Reid
Anne Reid

Jean

Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati

Anita

Duncan Preston
Duncan Preston

Stan Meadowcroft

Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood

Brenda

Celia Imrie
Celia Imrie

Philippa Moorcroft

Andrew Dunn
Andrew Dunn

Tony Martin

Seasons

Season 1 poster
Season 1 (1998)

No overview available.

6 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Monday
1998-11-12

On an otherwise typical Monday morning, Bren's canteen is thrown into crisis when Norman the bread man fails to deliver the granary torpedoes. Should she sign the docket or not? Meanwhile, Jean is preoccupied with planning her daughter's wedding and finding the entertainment. Bren's mother Petula drops in with some ideas, but they're probably not quite right. Tony has to go to the hospital to see how his cancer's going. In the midst of this, Anita's in floods of tears (it's her period), Twinkle can't spell minestrone, and nobody's put out the gravy. New Human Resources person Philippa makes her presence felt, bugging everyone to try some group activities. Scottish country dancing anyone?

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Royals
1998-11-19

There is excitement in the canteen when news of a royal visit to the factory comes through. Nobody's very sure who's coming - Princess Anne doesn't do factories, Prince Edward does theatres - but they're all getting into a flap. When it turns out it's someone called the Duke of Danby, nobody has heard of him, save for Stan, who met him at Catterick years ago. Everyone throws themselves into role play and preparations: Twinkle has to be warned not to say they serve ""arseholes on toast"" and Anita is worried about her nipples popping up. Tony is adamant that the royals aren't speaking to the girls - God help the Duke if he does. When they eventually turn up, Twinkle's struck dumb, Anita says the wrong thing and Stan's devastated that the Duke doesn't remember him. Meanwhile, all the Duke wants is a bit of sex with poor Bren.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: Scandals
1998-11-26

Bren's mum, Petula, brings shame on the factory when she acquires a new boyfriend.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Moods
1998-12-03

Twinkle has something weighing on her mind. In fact, everyone seems to be in a bad mood at the moment, so Philippa attempts to cheer everyone up by breaking the routine.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: Party
1998-12-10

Everyone is looking forward to this year's Christmas party, which has a Japanese theme.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: Nightshift
1998-12-17

While Tony is in hospital having treatment, the staff are forced to suffer his formidable replacement.

Runtime: 30 min
Season 2 poster
Season 2 (1999)

No overview available.

10 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Catering
1999-11-25

Friday 9th April 1999: The canteen is being painted over the weekend. But when the decorators arrive early, Bren has to cope with all manner of inconvenience.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Trouble
1999-12-02

Monday 21st June 1999: A bad atmosphere hangs over the canteen as Jean is in a foul mood following her husband Keith's decision to leave her for a Welsh dental hygienist.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: Holidays
1999-12-09

Thursday 5th August 1999: Bren is excited by the prospect of going to Marbella with Tony. Meanwhile, Stan and Petula have less reason to be joyful.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Fog
1999-12-16

Monday 1st November 1999: Tony's holiday photo, the visiting blood donor unit and an escaped prisoner are all contributing factors to Bren's bad day.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: Gamble
1999-12-23

Tuesday 21st December 1999: It's nearly Christmas and all Bren's festivities are currently amounting to are three Carry On films and some spaghetti hoops. Meanwhile, the other ladies indulge in a bit of a flutter, and Stan has a bone to pick with Philippa.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: Christmas
1999-12-24

Thursday 23rd December 1999: Bren's past has caught up with her and it looks as though she and Tony are off the menu as far as romance is concerned, causing her to contemplate handing her notice in.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 7: Minnellium
1999-12-30

Friday 31st December 1999: Philippa is getting in a flap over the factory's millennium dinner and transporting all the staff and equipment to the venue on time. But the discovery of something on the fire escape diverts everyone's attention.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 8: Christine
2000-01-13

Monday 10th January 2000: Anita's replacement, the terminally flatulent Christine, proves a hit with Dolly but falls foul of the other ladies.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 9: Gravy
2000-01-20

Monday 7th February 2000: The new self-clear system does not find favour with Bren, Petula delivers some shocking news, and Tony is making plans.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 10: Toast
2000-01-27

Tuesday 29th February 2000: Tony and Bren's future is riding on her success on Totally Trivial. Yet while she prepares for her big moment, Stan and the girls receive bad news regarding the canteen.

Runtime: 30 min

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