The Fenn Street Gang
Encyclopedia
The Fenn Street Gang is a British
television sitcom which ran for three seasons between 1971 and 1973. The series was created by John Esmonde
and Bob Larbey
, it was spun-off from their Please Sir!
series, and followed the lives of many of the pupils from Fenn Street School as they entered the world of work. Some episodes were written by Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker or David Barry and Tony Bilbow. Stars were Peter Cleall
, Carol Hawkins
(who also replaced Penny Spencer as Sharon in the 1971 Please Sir! film), David Barry, Peter Denyer
and Liz Gebhardt
. Leon Vitali
replaced Malcolm McFee
as Peter Craven during the first series, although Malcolm took this role back for the second and third series. Peter Denyer (Dennis Dunstable) and Liz Gebhardt (Maureen Bullock) were absent from the third and final series. John Alderton
(Mr Hedges, their form-master when they starred in Please Sir!) appeared in 3 episodes of the first series of The Fenn Street Gang and in a pair of episodes from the final series of Please Sir!, which ran alongside The Fenn Street Gang in transmission dates.
Although the series ran for two years and 47 episodes, not as popular as its pregenitor. and the series was later axed.
at Wembley Studios in North-West London
. Series Two and Three, consisting of eighteen and eight episodes respectively, were recorded at LWT's newly constructed London Studios (aka Kent House).
(1973) was a 13 episode spin-off series following The Fenn Street Gang crime boss Stanley Bowler played by George Baker
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television sitcom which ran for three seasons between 1971 and 1973. The series was created by John Esmonde
Esmonde and Larbey
John Gilbert Esmonde and Bob Larbey were a British television comedy scriptwriting duo from the 1960s to the 1990s, creating popular situation comedies such as Please Sir! and The Good Life.-Larbey's life:Larbey was born in Clapham, South London in 1934 and made his writing debut for...
and Bob Larbey
Esmonde and Larbey
John Gilbert Esmonde and Bob Larbey were a British television comedy scriptwriting duo from the 1960s to the 1990s, creating popular situation comedies such as Please Sir! and The Good Life.-Larbey's life:Larbey was born in Clapham, South London in 1934 and made his writing debut for...
, it was spun-off from their Please Sir!
Please Sir!
Please Sir! was a London Weekend Television produced situation comedy, created by writers John Esmonde and Bob Larbey and featured the actors John Alderton, Deryck Guyler, Joan Sanderson, Noel Howlett, Erik Chitty and Richard Davies...
series, and followed the lives of many of the pupils from Fenn Street School as they entered the world of work. Some episodes were written by Geoff Rowley and Andy Baker or David Barry and Tony Bilbow. Stars were Peter Cleall
Peter Cleall
Peter Cleall is an actors' agent and former actor who is probably best known for his performance as Eric Duffy in the London Weekend Television comedy series Please Sir! which ran from 1968 to 1972....
, Carol Hawkins
Carol Hawkins
Carol Hawkins is an English actress.Carol trained at the Corona Stage School. London stage shows have included, Sextet, Run for Your Wife, See How They Run, Wife Begins at Forty, The Undertaking also including tours such as Time and Time Again, Bedroom Farce, Wait Until Dark, Dirty Linen...
(who also replaced Penny Spencer as Sharon in the 1971 Please Sir! film), David Barry, Peter Denyer
Peter Denyer
Peter John Denyer was an English actor who was perhaps best remembered for playing Dennis Dunstable in London Weekend Television's Please Sir!, and its spin off series The Fenn Street Gang, taking on the role of a teenager when already into his 20s.Another semi-regular role, again for LWT, was as...
and Liz Gebhardt
Liz Gebhardt
Liz Gebhardt was an English actress, best known for playing the part of form 5C student Maureen Bullock in the LWT sitcom Please Sir! and in the subsequent spin-off show, The Fenn Street Gang ....
. Leon Vitali
Leon Vitali
Leon Vitali is an English actor, best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, most notably as Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon.- Biography :...
replaced Malcolm McFee
Malcolm McFee
Malcolm McFee was an English actor best known for his role as Peter Craven in the TV series Please Sir!, the film of the same name, and the spin-off TV series The Fenn Street Gang.-Career:Malcolm McFee made his first appearance on television in 1967...
as Peter Craven during the first series, although Malcolm took this role back for the second and third series. Peter Denyer (Dennis Dunstable) and Liz Gebhardt (Maureen Bullock) were absent from the third and final series. John Alderton
John Alderton
John Alderton is an English actor who is best known for his roles in Upstairs, Downstairs, Thomas & Sarah and Please Sir!. Alderton has often starred alongside his wife, Pauline Collins.-Early life:...
(Mr Hedges, their form-master when they starred in Please Sir!) appeared in 3 episodes of the first series of The Fenn Street Gang and in a pair of episodes from the final series of Please Sir!, which ran alongside The Fenn Street Gang in transmission dates.
Although the series ran for two years and 47 episodes, not as popular as its pregenitor. and the series was later axed.
Production
The first series, consisting of twenty-one episodes, was produced by London Weekend TelevisionLondon Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
at Wembley Studios in North-West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Series Two and Three, consisting of eighteen and eight episodes respectively, were recorded at LWT's newly constructed London Studios (aka Kent House).
Sequel
BowlerBowler (TV series)
Bowler was a short-lived British Sitcom which originally aired on ITV in 13 episodes between 29 July and 21 October 1973. A situation-comedy it was a spin-off from The Fenn Street Gang featuring George Baker as East End criminal Stanley Bowler....
(1973) was a 13 episode spin-off series following The Fenn Street Gang crime boss Stanley Bowler played by George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
.
DVD releases
All three series of The Fenn Street Gang have been released on DVD, separately, a complete series box has yet to be released.| DVD | Release date |
|---|---|
| The Complete Series 1 | 29 October 2007 |
| The Complete Series 2 | 5 May 2008 |
| The Complete Series 3 | 21 July 2008 |
| The Complete Series 1 to 3 Box Set | TBA |