Beer of the Week: (not a paid advertisement)
Three Girlfriends:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: June 22, 1995
Synopsis:
Gary finds himself depressed and in a terrible mood, making fun of Tony for talking nicely with his parents. Tony tries to get Gary to call his dad since it’s Father’s Day but Gary just goes on about how annoying his dad is. Suddenly, Gary’s dad calls and asks if he can come visit, to which Tony tells him yes. Gary, further annoyed and depressed, even goes so far as to hit on one of Tony’s girlfriends, hoping to have a chance with her but she cuts him down.
Gary hangs out at home playing a game of solitaire, falling asleep eventually but is awakened when Dorothy shows up at the door to ask him to talk down at the Crown, where she tells him that she and Jamie are planning to get married, inviting him to the engagement party since he is a big part of her life.
Tony heads out to work as a busker and mime and runs into Deborah who mentions that she and her boyfriend broke up. She seems to miss the attention that Tony used to spend on her as he notes he’s been seeing a few different women.
Later, Tony returns home with another girl named Imogene who accuses him of cheating on her because he kept calling her the wrong name. He covers it up with a ridiculous excuse, while he goes to make a call to another girl and Gary hits on Imogene, unsuccessfully yet again.
Deborah visits later and chats with Gary's dad who is regaling her with embarrassing childhood stories of Gary. After he sends his dad off to the theater, Gary talks with Deborah and eventually asks her to go to the party to which she agrees. However, Gary’s dad returns, having found Gary’s list of possible dates and how to pick up on them, including an offended Deborah who sees she was down low on the list.
Tony and Gary commiserate at the Crown, with Tony having decided to rate his girlfriends and see which one gets the most points. When Tony’s vegan girlfriend shows up, Gary reveals to her Tony's plan and she gets very offended. Gary pretends to be vegan and parlays that into getting her to go with him to the party but once his dad shows up he accidentally reveals that Gary likes veal. She leaves, angry at him and Tony.
At home, Gary lashes out against his dad and asks him to leave. The old man goes to gather his things so he can leave. Tony reveals that he and Deborah are headed to Dorothy’s party together, after he messed things up with all three of his girlfriends. Gary tries to try and appeal to his dad, apologizing and asking him to go with him to the party but he refuses.
The doorbell rings and Dorothy is there, telling him that Jamie has no interest in getting engaged or married. Gary gives her a hug, but she says she really only came because she wanted to tell someone superior to someone. Gary accepts that and tells her that he has no intention of just letting her back into his life for a quick shag, but then he and Dorothy head right back to his bedroom for exactly that.
Chat on the sofa:
Plimsols: Gym shoes
The Cadillac Eldorado was a luxury convertible car, whereas the Lada was a small car manufactured by AvtoVAZ, a Russian state-owned company, and the Vauxhall Nova was a supermini car sold in the UK from 1983 to 1993, as a British rebadged version of the Opel Corsa A.
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is close to Somerset's southern border with Dorset, 126 miles (203 km) west of London.
"Nobody Does It Better" is a power ballad and the theme song for the James Bond filmThe Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and performed by Carly Simon.
"Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976).
"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" is a song by Nina Simone with lyrics by Weldon Irvine. Simone introduced the song on August 17, 1969, to a crowd of 50,000 at the Harlem Cultural Festival, captured on broadcast video tape and released in 2021 as the documentary film Summer of Soul.
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group Commodores for their album Natural High, written by lead singer Lionel Richie.
Drunk:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: June 29, 1995
Synopsis:
Gary and Dorothy sit in The Crown with Tony, as he watches them be in love again but Dorothy complains because she’s just back with Gary again, and wishes for them to be like a real couple that talks about real things. Dorothy heads home to cook them a meal, telling Gary he can finish his beer with Tony. Les however offers them the chance to try some new beers he’s sampling and the two proceed to really delve in. They chat with Les, alternating between not understanding him and trying to fake their way through sports talk.
Dorothy finishes making dinner but ends up waiting longer than she thought as Gary and Tony go overboard getting majorly drunk. At one point, Gary is ready to leave but upon seeing two attractive women behind him, he and Tony try hitting on them, before they are quickly rebuffed.
Dorothy calls Deborah down and they start watching the special surprise Gary and Tony made for her as a getting back together gift: a video montage of all the places that are special to Gary and Dorothy such as first date locations and restaurants they often went to, all filled with a running commentary by Gary and sometimes Tony. The two girls talk about the boys and their frustrations, and the craziest places they’ve had sex, with Deborah noting that she once got Tony to wait naked in the shed thinking Deborah was going to come down to have sex. Later, Dorothy fills Gary’s shoes with the stew she made, locks the door and breaks the doorbell.
As the boys continue their drunken escapades they end up singing with other drunken patrons; before they finally head home. Unable to get in due to Dorothy’s plans, Tony breaks the window and the two loudly enter. Deborah admonishes Tony for waking her up and Gary, trying to get in bed with Dorothy, sees she has a shirt that tells to not even try to get with her. Gary passes out on the bed, while Tony sits in the shed outside naked, waiting for Deborah to show up.
Chat on the sofa:
Tamzin Outhwaite played “girl in pub.” Most recently she was in Murder Before Evensong as a lead (murder mystery series) and is in post production for Thirteen Cars (retired criminal come out of retirement but make a mistake that gets him into trouble). She was also in the Tom Baker Doctor Who episode (The Hellwood Inheritance, Leela episode), the Peter Davison Doctor Who episode, Secrets of Telos), and the Matt Smith Doctor Who episode, Nightmare in Silver. Other series include The Wives (Anabelle disappears in Malta, a year later, family moving on, but Anabelle's husband shows up with a new partner, the other wives in the family investigate Anabelle's death). She played Melanie in EastEnders for over 600 episodes. Men Behaving Badly was one of her first roles, but quickly went on to become a lead in Redcap (British Military Police captain investigates missing captain's wife). She was the lead in Frances Tuesday (a gangster's moll changes her identity to go on the run after becoming an informant on her boyfriend who is about to be released from prison). She has a fair amount of other series and movies where she is a lead as well.
Fags: Slang for cigarettes
Smiths Scampi Fries are a delicious savoury snack, made from only the finest ingredients. A mainstay of the British pub, these tasty nibbles remain a huge favourite. This cereal snack has a delicious scampi and lemon taste, and to many they represent one of the finest crisps on the market. Perfect when accompanied by a refreshing pint!
Monty’s Nepalese Cuisine is still open today at 86 Northfield Ave, London. They boast a diverse selection of Indian dishes, each crafted with meticulous attention to detail.
https://montysnepalesecuisine.com/about
Despite the signage placed for the production, you can clearly see the pub exterior is for “The Kings Arms.” There are a lot of pubs in London with this name, but I think it might be the one at 251 Tooley Street, London.
Dandy: a man who is exceptionally attentive to his dress, appearance, and manners, with a strong emphasis on refined style and social elegance.
"Binky" Indonesia beer refers to Bintang Beer (Bir Bintang), a pale lager produced by PT Multi Bintang Indonesia Tbk, a subsidiary of Heineken Asia Pacific. It is the most popular beer in Indonesia, known for its golden colour and light, refreshing qualities, and is commonly associated with Bali.
In Bed with Dorothy:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: July 6, 1995
Synopsis:
Gary brings Dorothy home from having her appendix removed and starts taking care of her in his special way, by plopping her rather harshly onto the bed and hanging a bunch of things from a wire over her bed to use when she wakes up. He keeps himself busy by even playing around with her removed appendix, using it as a moustache and even tasting it.
Tony meanwhile has returned home with a new pair of glasses that he is embarrassed by, but practices wearing them and acting the way he thinks people with glasses would act, even pretending to be a newscaster and weather forecaster. When Gary comes out, Tony tries to explain how he thinks Kylie looks good in glasses and how they make people look sexy, but Gary pushes that idea aside, making fun of people wearing glasses. Deborah comes down with flowers for Dorothy and she tells him about when she had her appendix out. Gary gets fixated on her scar and asks to see it but she refuses and heads back to her place. Gary plays around with Dorothy's wheelchair, crashing it into the wall and then wakes Dorothy up for a quickie. She denies him obviously and mentions that Tony now has glasses and Gary starts going on about it, ready to make fun of him.
Tony heads back to the eye doctor to get a different style of glasses and she helps him choose a new pair. At home, Deborah, Dorothy, and Gary hang around watching TV, all of them knowing about Tony's glasses but not saying anything. Tony slowly tries to sneak them on and when he finally does, his friends can't help but laugh. Gary follows him into his room to apologize but still continues to make jokes. Later, the girls talk loudly from the kitchen, saying how they love men in glasses and how they turn them on. Tony feels better about his glasses and comes out to see that they were just pretending.
Dorothy tries to stop Gary from going to work because she gets bored alone at home in bed, going so far as to take his trousers and wear them under the bed covers. Gary starts going crazy with the attention Dorothy needs and leaves in a huff. Later he returns home in pink pants but can't find Dorothy, seeing a note she left saying she went out for a walk. He frantically talks to Deborah, worried that she may be in trouble or dead and feeling bad for calling Dorothy a malingering tart. As he goes to get a drink, he opens the cupboard to see Dorothy falling out, scaring him, a joke by her and Deborah.
Tony goes back to the eye doctor and she suggests trying contact lenses and decides to go ahead with it. After wearing them, he walks outside, trying to get adjusted to them, knocking over people and bumping into things. At home, Gary chats with him about the pain thresholds of men and women as Tony sits with his eyes closed, due to him washing them with shower gel. He tries opening his eyes again and does ok but says they only hurt when he blinks. Gary offers him a pickled chili, giving him the jar containing Dorothy's appendix.
Chat on the sofa:
Kevin Keegan is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Budgie: is a larger selectively bred variety of bird developed in the UK from the Australian budgie. Exaggerated feathering around the head especially, a domed head that can obscure eyes and calm temperament
Bins: is slang for glasses
Wooly: means confused, unclear, lacking in clear thought or reasoning
Malingering: The intentional and dishonest fabrication or exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms to gain an external benefit
Playing Away:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: July 13, 1995
Synopsis:
Dorothy complains about how Tony and Gary are watching TV but not even really paying attention to it, just staring mindlessly at the screen. She suggests reading but Tony says he learns enough through then tv. Deborah comes down and the boys immediately move aside so she can sit between them. She gives Tony the painkillers he needs for his toothache, saying he hasn't seen a dentist in years.
Gary is excited for a weekend writing course he's taking with Deborah, with Dororthy surprised he's even interested in it. Tony wonders aloud about joining them seeing as he was always good at poetry, citing one he wrote, much to their amusement.
At work, George plays with paper clips, mentioning how they seem to have a life of their own, upset that he lost his favorite paper clip of 18 years, but luckily Anthea finds it for him. Gary decides to send them on a business training course but George and Marjorie are having creosote delivered and Anthea is reorganizing her apron drawer.
Tony decides to try and pull his tooth out by tying a string to a door and closing it shut but he can't manage to do it, breaking things around the kitchen in the process, until finally he manages it but ends up bleeding profusely. He calls for Dororthy at the hospital and asks her for painkillers before he passes out. She arrives home to give him the meds and he feels much better while they start talking about her and Gary's relationship. Tony mentions his fight against celibacy and how so many people are out there having sex. They realize that Dororthy has missed the last bus home and they suddenly start kissing each other and then head to Tony's bedroom.
At a mixer for the course, Gary makes fun of all the other people there, telling Deborah he finished his assignment for the class already, allowing her to read it, a story which is obviously about him and Tony, albeit with changed names. She critiques it and he tries coming onto her, quoting an understanding he and Dororthy have. She leaves exasperated.
The next morning Tony and Dorothy wake up and are in shock, not wanting to talk about it. While worried about what happened, and what they should do now, they both end up quite satisfied with the experience when Gary unexpectedly returns home, having been sent home with a refund. Gary sees Tony's condoms out and realizes he got some action before recognizing Dororthy's shirt, and then finding Dororthy hiding under the covers. Gary leaves deflated.
At work, he complains to George about his problem but George isn't having it as both he and Anthea have a new attitude after attending the business course, leaving him to wallow alone. Dorothy shows up to apologize and suggest they break up but Gray says that they will go out together until she starts enjoying it. He asks if Tony was good but she says no, but not to mention it to him. She gives him a peace offering of a new whoopie cushion and they make up.
Deborah goes to see Tony, surprised he is being standoffish, suspicious of why she is there. He explains that he used something of Gary's over the weekend and Deborah asks him out on a date but he says he's not dating women anymore as they're too dangerous.
Later, Tony talks with Gary and he apologizes, offering Gary a chance with the next girl that Tony starts to date but Gary dismisses the thought, the two of them having another pointless ridiculous discussion about the word sex, renewing their friendship.
Chat on the sofa:
Creosote is a dark, strong-smelling liquid preservative made from coal or wood tar, used to protect timber from decay and insects in outdoor applications like power poles, farm fencing, and marine structures.
Bros are an English band formed in 1986 in Camberley, Surrey. The band originally consisted of twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss, and their friend Craig Logan, who attended Collingwood School in Camberley. The band was managed by former Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins. They achieved chart success and a large teenage fanbase in 1988 with songs such as "When Will I Be Famous?" and "I Owe You Nothing". Early the following year, Logan quit the band and the Goss twins continued as a duo. After two more albums the band split up in 1992.
What's Up Next?
Series 5A episodes Hair, The Good Pub Guide, and CowardiceFurther Resources:
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