British Comedy: Just Good Friends

Years: 1983-1986
Broadcaster: BBC
Genre: Sitcom
Written by: John Sullivan
Stars: Paul Nicholas, Jan Francis
Episodes: 22
Episode Average: 5.818*

BEST EPISODES:
Caught On a Shoulder Strap (1984), The Witness (1986)

*including special

SERIES ONE

(1983)
7 episodes
Series Score: 43
Episode Average: 6.14
Perfect 10's: 0

S1E1

AFTER ALL THIS TIME

Originally broadcast: 22 September 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince and Penny meet after five years while on dates with other people, going for a meal sees them talk about how he jilted her at the altar, and an admission about lost bottle puts the blame on her controlling mother.

"Erm, you were doing something incredibly masculine. You'd just stormed an embassy or eaten three Shredded Wheat!"

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

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S1E2

HELLO AGAIN

Originally broadcast: 29 September 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince tries to find out exactly which Red Lion he's supposed to go to at 8,
Penny's mother reacts badly to seeing an ice cream man at the door, and an attempt to win a little bit of sympathy is quickly exposed as a cruel lie.

"It's a nice road you've moved into. Look at all them conifers and gnomes. Reminds me of the red light district in Camberwick Green."

HOLY GODIVA 4 - ONION JACK 4
TOTAL: 8

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S1E3

LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER

Originally broadcast: 6 October 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny's left pleasantly surprised after accepting an invite to Vince's flat, conversation over an awful dinner turns to her vegetarian husband, and an attempt to persuade her to stay for the night is met with resistance.

"You liked it? What, living with some sap whose only hobby was carrying out postmortems on sausages?"

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 4
TOTAL: 7

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S1E4

FATHERLY ADVICE

Originally broadcast: 13 October 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince asks his father for advice about telling Penny that he still loves her, talk of one day inheriting the scrapyard generates little enthusiasm, and Mrs. Warrender explains why she understands the need for excitement.

"It's been going on for so long now, I've forgotten why women... yearn for me. Oh, yes. Now I remember."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S1E5

I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Originally broadcast: 20 October 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny looks for a way to call things off after no contact for three weeks, Vince suggests going out to a nightclub with a couple of his friends, and suspicions about another woman lead to a very embarrassing situation.

"Listen, Elaine do you think that I ought to go and see him and tell him that I don't want to see him?"

HOLY GODIVA 2 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 4

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S1E6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PENNY

Originally broadcast: 27 October 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny agrees to move in with Vince after rejecting the idea of marriage, Mrs. Warrender's livid when the news spoils a birthday celebration, and an unexpected letter from Barbados leads to a sudden change of plans.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Norman! We are in the 1980s, if you mean sex, then say... thingie."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S1E7

MOVING IN... AND OUT AGAIN

Originally broadcast: 9 November 1983
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny gets half-disowned by her mother when she moved in with Vince, burglars steal everything in the flat when the front door is left unlocked, and an oversight with the insurance makes the arrangement short-lived.

"Come on, Pen, I didn't you to see it like this. I was gonna run the hoover over the place before you got home.... No, just try and take the curse off it. I just didn't have the energy. Or the hoover."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

SERIES TWO

(1984)
6 episodes
Series Score: 40
Episode Average: 5.71
Perfect 10's: 0

S2E1

GUILT

Originally broadcast: 7 October 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny insists on forgetting what happened while her parents were away, Vince is given a drenching when he announces that he's sold the flat, and Lennie advises his friend not to do something that he might later regret.

"Oh, mummy stuck her two penny worth in? I might've guessed the Witch Queen of New Orleans would be behind this! You know, she's never been the same since she took that Open University course in Advanced Voodoo."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S2E2

ANOTHER MAN

Originally broadcast: 14 October 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Elaine tells Penny that even an imaginary rival can make a man jealous, Vince worries when his boss wants to have a look at the shop books, and Daphne's livid when she finds a plastic cigarette in her daughter's room.

"No, she doesn't hate you, darling. It's just her... way. I know your mother better than you, after all, we've been married for thirty years. Thirty years, eh? Just think, if I'd murdered someone, I'd have been out by now."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S2E3

THE EVIDENCE/OR HIS BOTTLE WENT

Originally broadcast: 21 October 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny announces that her husband wants to see her about their divorce, Vince asks his father for advice about a jealous man with judo skills, and Graham insists on shifting the blame in order to protect his inheritance.

"He breaks everything he touches. Me electric aerial's up the wall, the automatic garage doors won't work unless you kick 'em, and he's been fiddling with me home computer. His bloody Pac-Man ate my deposit account."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S2E4

CAUGHT ON A SHOULDER STRAP

Originally broadcast: 28 October 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

A forgotten wedding present causes embarrassment at the Warrenders', Daphne's horrified when the Pinners turn up at her house unannounced, and Vince insists that an incident with a shoulder strap was an accident.

"Don't go to the window like that, Norman, the neighbours will think that I married you for your money."

HOLY GODIVA 4 - ONION JACK 4
TOTAL: 8

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S2E5

FAREWELL HOLIDAY

Originally broadcast: 4 November 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny insists that there's no way back after the shoulder strap incident,
Vince suddenly announces that he is engaged to a girl he met at a party, and the idea of a goodbye holiday in Portugal is initially met with horror.

"There is a lizard with a key behind that armchair."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 5

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S2E6

PREGNANT?

Originally broadcast: 11 November 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny convinces herself that she's pregnant while waiting for her results, Rita can't hide her delight when Clifford gives himself away as an earwig, and Daphne's not too happy when she gets the news from someone else.

"Oh, that's the thanks he gets, the man who has given you everything from happiness to a divorce?"

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 5

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S2E7

GOODBYE AGAIN

Originally broadcast: 18 November 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny explains why finally sorting out her divorce felt like an anticlimax, Daphne's far from pleased about the prospect of another wedding day, and Vince tries to sneak in when he gets home from a stag night at 6am.

"What are you trying to do, break my heart or Elizabeth Taylor's record?"

HOLY GODIVA 2 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 4

SPECIAL

(1984)

SPECIAL

SPECIAL

Originally broadcast: 25 December 1984
Directed by: Ray Butt
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince and Penny meet for the first time at a Rolling Stones party in 1976, an awkward gatecrashing mishap leads to their first ever argument, and Daphne interferes after an uncomfortable evening in a waterproof suit.

"But I'm quite happy with my commission, honestly. There must be so many people you could name. A close friend, a colleague at work, your mother and father who were killed when you were three but are feeling much better now. Why me?"

HOLY GODIVA 2 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 4

SERIES THREE

(1986)
7 episodes
Series Score: 41
Episode Average: 5.86
Perfect 10's: 0

S3E1

PARIS

Originally broadcast: 13 November 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince and Penny meet up at the Eiffel Tower a year later than arranged, Norman's told to keep his head down when he's forced to visit the DHSS, and Rita manages to track down Daphne after spotting her in the street.

"I bet the kitchen staff were in fits... I mean, snails' legs! "You'll never believe this, but the stupid Englishman has ordered snails' legs.'"

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

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S3E2

BACK IN LONDON

Originally broadcast: 20 November 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Lennie warns Vince that a messy divorce could be extremely expensive, an angry recorded message reveals that Penny has learnt the truth, and
gatecrashing a business lunch leads the pair to somewhere more private.

"Clean this place up, Bev. Looks like a bomb's hit it."

HOLY GODIVA 2 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 4

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S3E3

MEETING BY CHANCE

Originally broadcast: 27 November 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Lennie's livid when he finds that his entire wardrobe has been shredded, Vince discovers that his wife has been given reason to seek revenge, and Penny is summoned to a meeting to talk about what happened in Paris.

"'Say "I love you" with a Caress.' God! Have you seen some of the ingredients in this junk? We are supposed to persuade parents to give this crud to their offspring as a sign of affection. We're supposed to convince little kiddie-winkies that this cholesterol time bomb is a token of friendship. 'Say "I love you" with 58g of animal fat, emulsifiers, calcium sulphate, citric acid, E102, E124, E322, E100, and crocin. How's this for a new slogan? 'Tooth-rotting, artery-blocking, heart-stopping. Say "drop dead" with a Caress.'"

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 5

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S3E4

JUANITA

Originally broadcast: 4 December 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Penny claims that Gina is the reason why she's being sent back to Paris, Vince suggests escaping when his angry father flies in from Portugal, and
Daphne tells Norman that she's found a little part-time job in the paper.

"You've never really wanted the important things in life, have you? The weekend cottage, the daily woman, the new shaped Volvo."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 3
TOTAL: 6

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S3E5

THE WITNESS

Originally broadcast: 11 December 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Gina digs for information when Les asks her round to talk about the 50%, Daphne has a funny turn when she finds Penny and Vince together, and Norman can't hide his delight when he's offered a job in the wine trade.

"V. Pinner, L. Pinner, R. Pinner and C. Pinner. It's the Pinners!"

HOLY GODIVA 4 - ONION JACK 4
TOTAL: 8

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S3E6

EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS

Originally broadcast: 18 December 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince's solicitor tells him that he must behave himself in the courtroom, Daphne changes her tune when the contract of employment arrives, and Les worries when six Pinner tanks end up on the Angola-Namibia border.

"Well, I wish they'd deliver them to Bill's house."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 2
TOTAL: 5

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S3E7

THE WEDDING

Originally broadcast: 25 December 1986
Directed by: Sue Bysh
Written by: John Sullivan

Vince struggles to deal with events that left him with 0% of the business, Gina does everything she can to stop the wedding from going ahead, and Penny decides that she has no choice but to write a letter of resignation.

"You know how much money I've invested in this business. I ploughed every ha'penny I had into that vineyard and it came up trumps. We've had a marvellous harvest. The villagers even threw a carnival in me honour. Came up to the hacienda and cooked local delicacies on the open churrasco. Oh, we had fresh marisco, veado assado, costa lettuce, and Rita did some chicken nuggets and waffles."

HOLY GODIVA 3 - ONION JACK 4
TOTAL: 7

VINCE
PINNER

Played by Paul Nicholas
22 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Pregnant? (S2E6)

PENNY
WARRENDER

Played by Jan Francis
22 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Farewell Holiday (S2E5)

DAPHNE
WARRENDER

Played by Sylvia Kay
15 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Another Man (S2E2)

NORMAN
WARRENDER

Played by John Ringham
14 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Caught On a Shoulder Strap (S2E4)

LES
PINNER

Played by Shaun Curry
9 episodes (1983-1986)
in... The Evidence/Or His Bottle Went (S2E3)

RITA
PINNER

Played by Ann Lynn
9 episodes (1984-1986)
in... Pregnant? (S2E6)

CLIFFORD
PINNER

Played by Adam French
7 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Fatherly Advice (S1E4)

LENNIE

Played by James Lister
6 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Hello Again (S1E2)

GEORGINA 'GINA'
MARSHALL

Played by Charlotte Alexandra
4 episodes (1986)
in... Meeting By Chance (S3E3)

ELAINE

Played by Colette Gleeson
4 episodes (1983-1986)
in... Another Man (S2E2)

A.J.
STYLES

Played by Bill Wallis
4 episodes (1983-1986)
in... The Wedding (S3E7)

STAN
BENNETT

Played by Royston Tickner
3 episodes (1983-1984)
in... Another Man (S2E2)

GRAHAM
PRATT

Played by Andrew Tourell
2 episodes (1984)
in... The Evidence/Or His Bottle Went (S2E3)