French Lessons
Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Jan 5, 1989
Today is no ordinary day in the Ambrose household. A beautiful stranger, a 'male order man' and a handsome French teacher are all destined to enter their lives...
Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Jan 5, 1989
Today is no ordinary day in the Ambrose household. A beautiful stranger, a 'male order man' and a handsome French teacher are all destined to enter their lives...
Episode: 1x02 | Airdate: Jan 12, 1989
When a smooth-talking businessman makes an offer for the business, Desmond considers selling up and retiring in luxury to Guyana.
Episode: 1x03 | Airdate: Jan 19, 1989
The plans of Michael, Desmond's eldest son, for expanding the business don't go down too well, as Desmond begins to feel somewhat redundant.
Episode: 1x04 | Airdate: Jan 26, 1989
Shirley is feeling overworked and overweight, but her lively big sister Susu is coming all the way from Jamaica to see her and Desmond hopes that this might cheer her up.
Episode: 1x05 | Airdate: Feb 2, 1989
There's disappointment at Desmond's barber shop when Porkpie can't bring himself to join in the birthday celebrations for Shirley.
Episode: 1x06 | Airdate: Feb 9, 1989
Gloria is excited by the prospect of her date with an up-and-coming politician, but Desmond and Shirley get some sad news about their old friend Sweetsticks.
Episode: 2x01 | Airdate: Jan 22, 1990
When Desmond is taken ill, everyone at the barber shop wonders how long he's got left and thinks about what he meant to them.
Episode: 2x02 | Airdate: Jan 29, 1990
It's a noisy Wednesday at Desmond's with a lot of police activity in the street outside. When Beverley arrives hotfoot with some news, the reason becomes clear.
Episode: 2x03 | Airdate: Feb 5, 1990
The second of a two-part story, the dramatic siege continues at Desmond's: 12 hostages, two dangerous youths and a gun make for some hair-raising comedy.
Episode: 2x04 | Airdate: Feb 12, 1990
Love and gossip are in the air at Desmond's. Sean is all wrapped up in a young computer buff called Veronica - and everyone else is all wrapped up in talking about it.
Episode: 2x05 | Airdate: Feb 19, 1990
With Shirley and the kids away from the barber shop for the weekend, Desmond reckons that he is off the leash, until a generous gesture leaves him holding the baby.
Episode: 2x06 | Airdate: Feb 26, 1990
Five years ago, Desmond's eldest son Michael made a pact with his university pals to meet up on a certain date and compare progress. Now, the occasion is looming and Michael is getting nervous.
Episode: 2x07 | Airdate: Mar 5, 1990
Matthew is in a panic because his sister is arriving from Africa.
Episode: 2x08 | Airdate: Mar 12, 1990
Desmond and Porkpie succumb to nostalgia over the music they used to make.
Episode: 2x09 | Airdate: Mar 19, 1990
Shirley is down in the dumps, but Desmond is too preoccupied with a dominoes contest to take any notice.
Episode: 2x10 | Airdate: Mar 26, 1990
Porkpie mounts a protest against the Channel Tunnel rail link and Gloria steels herself for her exam results.
Episode: 2x11 | Airdate: Apr 2, 1990
When Beverley gets mugged, Shirley decides that it's time for self-defence lessons at the barber shop.
Episode: 2x12 | Airdate: Apr 9, 1990
Auntie Susu pays a surprise visit from Jamaica, but the biggest surprise is what she's brought with her.
Episode: 2x13 | Airdate: Apr 16, 1990
The last episode of the series coincides with Desmond and Shirley's wedding anniversary, and Michael is bringing a girlfriend home.
Episode: 3x01 | Airdate: Oct 28, 1991
Hairdresser April Buchanan gives Shirley a part-time job and makes Desmond an offer he can't refuse.
Episode: 3x02 | Airdate: Nov 4, 1991
An anonymous letter to Desmond starts a detective-style mystery. Who sent it and why?
Episode: 3x03 | Airdate: Nov 11, 1991
A TV crew comes to make a documentary about the barbershop. Meanwhile Porkpie dreams of fame - and vegetables.
Episode: 3x04 | Airdate: Nov 18, 1991
Sean is behaving badly at school. When his diary falls into the wrong hands, the reason why becomes clear.
Episode: 3x05 | Airdate: Nov 25, 1991
Porkpie is earning a little pin money helping out at the barbershop. The first customer he meets turns out to be his daughter Denise, who hasn't seen her dad for 20 years.
Episode: 3x06 | Airdate: Dec 2, 1991
Gloria and Louise have a great new idea - they are going to start a men's beauty business. Shirley is dubious, but Desmond agrees.
Episode: 3x07 | Airdate: Dec 16, 1991
While Desmond and Shirley get ready for a plush evening out at the Hilton, Gloria plans to take advantage of her parents' absence to help Louise carry out a pregnancy test.
Episode: 3x08 | Airdate: Dec 16, 1991
It's a testing time for Michael and Patricia when she decides to take a holiday without him. And Desmond is encouraged to take his driving test again, with disastrous consequences.
Episode: 3x09 | Airdate: Jan 6, 1992
Desmond catches Shirley looking at house brochures. She assures him she was just allowing herself a little daydream. But he insists they're not moving until they retire to Guyana.
Episode: 3x10 | Airdate: Jan 13, 1992
When kids smash a window in the barbershop, Desmond is furious at first, but, realising that they have nowhere to play, sets out to get the council to renovate the playground.
Episode: 3x11 | Airdate: Jan 20, 1992
The barbershop's finances are a bit shaky, so Michael offers to lend a hand. His efficiency causes a few problems, which are solved by a good old-fashioned story-telling session.
Episode: 3x12 | Airdate: Jan 27, 1992
Desmond's having trouble sleeping and is advised to take up exercise. He's scornful at first, but his tracksuited contemporary Bert shames him into fitness by beating him easily in a race for the bus.
Episode: 3x13 | Airdate: Feb 3, 1992
Desmond and Shirley think it's time Michael appreciated his roots and Sean engages Matthew to tell them about theirs.
Episode: 4x01 | Airdate: Oct 5, 1992
A reluctant Sean and Desmond are bamboozled into cooking for the Sunday School outing.
Episode: 4x02 | Airdate: Oct 12, 1992
Things go horribly wrong when Lee tries to make a video for You've Been Framed.
Episode: 4x03 | Airdate: Oct 19, 1992
Lee wonders who his parents are. Meanwhile, Michael takes Spanish lessons from Mandy.
Episode: 4x04 | Airdate: Oct 26, 1992
Lee goes to Liverpool to find his mother, unaware that she's already come to London to look for him.
Episode: 4x05 | Airdate: Nov 2, 1992
Desmond meets a ghost from his past and thinks it's the end of his marriage.
Episode: 4x06 | Airdate: Nov 9, 1992
Shirley invites problem-child Daisy for the weekend and she drives everyone up the wall.
Episode: 4x07 | Airdate: Nov 16, 1992
Can Desmond outbid his old rival Baldwin Martin in the immortality stakes?
Episode: 4x08 | Airdate: Nov 23, 1992
Porkpie is bitten by the lovebug when an old flame from the West Indies turns up at the shop.
Episode: 4x09 | Airdate: Nov 30, 1992
In a desperate bid to improve his social standing, Michael falls for glamorous nightclub owner Rochelle Jackson.
Episode: 4x10 | Airdate: Dec 7, 1992
Gloria falls head-over-heels in love with an artist. Never one to miss an opportunity, Desmond falls heavily in lust with art.
Episode: 4x11 | Airdate: Dec 14, 1992
Matthew's forceful sister Florence arrives from Africa to fetch him home. For good. Matthew is less than thrilled.
Episode: 4x12 | Airdate: Dec 21, 1992
Michael is put in charge of redundancies at the bank and Sean gets things going at the barbershop.
Episode: 4x13 | Airdate: Dec 28, 1992
It could be wedding bells for Michael, unless Beverly has her way.
Episode: 5x01 | Airdate: Sep 27, 1993
Matthew needs a bill-topper for his charity concert. Step forward Desmond, Shirley and a twinkle-toed Porkpie.
Episode: 5x02 | Airdate: Oct 4, 1993
Porkpie gets himself a job and Lee enters Michael for a hair competition.
Episode: 5x03 | Airdate: Oct 11, 1993
It's Sean's first day at university - but is he ready to exchange freedom for books?
Episode: 5x04 | Airdate: Oct 18, 1993
Porkpie invites everyone to see him in action on the school crossing.
Episode: 5x05 | Airdate: Oct 25, 1993
Desmond goes into partnership with Lee on a sure-fire money-spinning venture. Meanwhile, Beverley needs money to pay for a wedding.
Episode: 5x06 | Airdate: Nov 1, 1993
Gloria's 20th birthday arrives and she's never felt so low. It's time to take the bull by the horns and change her life.
Episode: 5x07 | Airdate: Nov 8, 1993
Matthew is in love and wants to get married. Again.
Episode: 5x08 | Airdate: Nov 15, 1993
Desmond is struck down with flu and Shirley is away teaching for the week, so Tony takes control of the shop.
Episode: 5x09 | Airdate: Nov 22, 1993
Sean is organising a university dance and books Spider as his star Ragga DJ. And that's where the trouble starts...
Episode: 5x10 | Airdate: Nov 29, 1993
Mandy disapproves of Michael's new girlfriend - and she's not the only one.
Episode: 5x11 | Airdate: Dec 6, 1993
The vicar asks Shirley to preach a sermon. Desmond doesn't think this is possibly the greatest idea in the world.
Episode: 5x12 | Airdate: Dec 13, 1993
Lee decides to go into the motorbike courier business, but after a routine health check, his health hangs in the balance.
Episode: 5x13 | Airdate: Dec 20, 1993
Desmond's daughter is growing up too fast, while his eldest son is hardly growing up at all.
Episode: 6x01 | Airdate: Sep 26, 1994
Desmond hires a new assistant, Ricky, but no one else can understand why he's chosen him.
Episode: 6x02 | Airdate: Oct 3, 1994
Desmond gets a shock when he reads a page or two from Porkpie's diary.
Episode: 6x03 | Airdate: Oct 11, 1994
On a miserable English day Desmond wonders what might have happened if he had never come to this 'godforsaken country'.
Episode: 6x04 | Airdate: Oct 17, 1994
Sean invents a video game that seems destined to put his father out of business.
Episode: 6x05 | Airdate: Oct 24, 1994
Beverley is distraught when she finds some love letters written by Cuthbert.
Episode: 6x06 | Airdate: Oct 31, 1994
Desmond hires an architect to plan the retirement house he's always dreamt of - but then he tries to keep it secret from Shirley.
Episode: 6x07 | Airdate: Nov 7, 1994
Desmond is away at a conference. but his speech has gone Awol. When it can't be found, there's only one answer: the barbershop gang will write a replacement.
Episode: 6x08 | Airdate: Nov 14, 1994
A funky American preacher arrives at the barbershop to sue Desmond for a cut he had two years ago and the months of mental distress he had to suffer afterwards.
Episode: 6x09 | Airdate: Nov 21, 1994
Porkpie's old flame Hyacinth turns up - and just happens to answer the phone when his absent fiancee Susu calls from Jamaica.
Episode: 6x10 | Airdate: Nov 28, 1994
Lee falls in love. She's beautiful, talented, an aromatherapist - and that's not all...
Episode: 6x11 | Airdate: Dec 5, 1994
A huge wedding takes place in Peckham, which means big business for the shop. But Desmond is away and Shirley is forced to call in his hated rival, Irving Poole.
Episode: 6x12 | Airdate: Dec 12, 1994
Desmond has ordered a neon sign for the shop and Lee has got it for him at a bargain price. But then he offers to install it, too...
Episode: 6x13 | Airdate: Dec 19, 1994
Shirley is planning a traditional Guyanese Christmas but the family have other plans. Lee decides that the barber shop needs a Christmas grotto, complete with elves and santas.