The Fenn Street Gang
 This
spin off series from Please, Sir! (1968 - 1972) followed the
lives and loves of the ex students of class 5C from Fenn Street
Secondary Modern School.
Having so resolutely avoided any school work, the rowdy youths
were now cast into the harsh world, forced to make ends meet.
So here they were all again, engaging in dole-signing, brushes
with the law, birds, booze, strippers, shoplifting and, yes, some
honest toil too.
Sharon (now played by the delicious Carol Hawkins who had
appeared in the role in the Please, Sir! movie) and Duffy
continued the very bumpy relationship they had started in the
third year at school, becoming engaged at the end of the second
series, and marrying in the third.
Frankie Abbott - calling himself Hank Abbott - continued to
live out his comic book fantasies, fashioning himself as a clumsy,
over-disguised amateur detective and having a relationship with
Maureen, who trained as a nurse.
Craven became a wide boy, working for a cockney crook called
Bowler, who had fingers in all manner of nefarious pies, and was
definitely lord of the local manor.
Without the constant presence of teachers (although John
Alderton did make occasional guest appearances as their former
teacher, Bernard Hedges) The Fenn Street Gang didn't amount
to much. There were some good lines and ideas but the total was
often crass, and the exaggerated, poorly acted cockney swagger of
the 'kids' swiftly palled.
George Baker was cast as Craven's boss and the role was so
successful that it led to a spin-off series, Bowler. There
were plans too for a spin-off for detective Frankie 'Hank' Abbott
and his mum, but this failed to materialise.
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