The Complete Stella Street Episode Guide

NB: In Australia, the shows were broadcast on SBS in 30-minute editions (plus adverts), so for series one, show one contains episodes one to three, and so forth. Otherwise, this episode guide refers to the original UK versions broadcast on BBC2, and appearing on the videos.

This guide was last updated 13/12/2001.

Series 1

Each episode is ten minutes long. See the video. First broadcast on BBC2.

1. “Who’s Jimmy Hill?”. We are introduced to most of the characters (Dirk, David, Jimmy, Mick, Keith, Joe, Jack) by Michael Caine, who is buying a birthday present for Mrs Huggett. Broadcast 22/12/1997.
2. “Bongo in the Congo”. Michael has a script he’s interested in (Bongo in the Congo), that he feels will be just right for Joe Pesci. However, after a less than enthusiastic response, he takes it to Al Pacino. Dean also makes his first appearance. Broadcast 23/12/1997.
3. “Spring Clean”. Mick finds the Lord, Joe finds out that his mum and stepfather are coming, and asks Roger Moore to help decorate his house. Broadcast 26/12/1997.
4. “Mick finds God”. Mick is preaching God to the street, and the police are called in to Jimmy Hill’s house after a tip off from Dirk Bogarde. Len is introduced. Broadcast 28/12/1997.
5. “Mrs Pesci’s Arrival”. John Hurt arrives. David calls in Dean to fix his dishwasher. Joe uses Michael’s house as his own. Joe’s mum and stepfather are introduced. Broadcast 29/12/1997.
6. “The Zulu Party”. Michael has a party to celebrate the 33^rd anniversary of his completion of Zulu. Everyone has a good game of Monopoly, but Mrs Huggett gets overexcited. Broadcast 29/12/1997.
7. “Recuperation”. Mrs Huggett is recovering after alcoholic poisoning. Dirk becomes convinced that Len is trying to kill him. Broadcast 30/12/1997.
8. “The Stalker”. Dirk, convinced that he has a stalker in the form of Len, seeks sanctuary at Jack’s house. Meanwhile, Jimmy Hill has run up a large debt at Mick and Keith’s! Broadcast 31/12/1997.
9. “Joe’s Lobotomy”. Joe Pesci returns after an operation. Al Pacino leaves for Christmas—eventually—after talking to Jimmy Hill. Mrs Huggett gets upset when Jack Nicholson goes off on holiday. Broadcast 01/01/1998.
10. “Xmas on Stella Street”. Jack goes off to LA. Jimmy goes round to see Joe, and Roger goes to visit David. John Hurt’s fall has unforeseen circumstances. Broadcast 02/01/1998.

Series 2

Each episode is fifteen minutes long. This guide refers to the original versions of the episodes as first broadcast, and as they appear on the video. The subsequent reedits into 10 minute episodes have not been catalogued. See the video. First broadcast on BBC2.

1. “Three months later…”. Michael Caine, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson get back from their holidays. Mrs Huggett has been arrested for her part in drug trafficking. Dirk Bogarde moves out, and in move the Slurreys from Dorking. Mick is apprehensive about the future of the corner shop, and has a dream about the Beatles. Jack Nicholson is dissatisfied with his wiring. Broadcast 16/10/1998.
2. “Come on, Eileen”. Mrs Huggett returns to the street only to find that Michael Caine and Jack Nicholson have both employed the hyper-efficient Vera Chuff. Michael also reveals that he is renting a house on the street to John Hurt (who owes him back rent) and the Dutchman Hank Zootermelk. Al Pacino is recovering from his broken neck with the aid of his nurse Kirsty MacFadden. Michael is Pam and Gray’s only guest to turn up, whilst Jimmy Hill is careless with his football. Broadcast 23/10/1998.
3. “Shallow End”. Michael throws a barbecue party to celebrate completion of his “kidney-shaped” pool and everyone in the street is invited, even the Slurreys. Gray tries to liven things up with his home brew. Mrs Huggett goes to see Joe about getting rid of Vera Chuff. Tony Blackburn makes a guest appearance in this episode, as does James Stewart. Broadcast 30/10/1998.
4. “One Lump or Two?”. Jack Flatley comes to stay at Caine’s house while he is filming for The Bill (Jack, not Michael). Vera Chuff’s brother, Vince, comes to evict Mrs Huggett. Len is arrested for attempting to burn down Roger Moore’s house, and is interrogated by a “policeman”, where he reveals his plan to burn down all of Stella Street. Keith leaves Mick for some reason. Joe saves Mrs Huggett from Vince, and as an encore gets the Slurreys to move out. Broadcast 06/11/1998.
5. “The Cat’s Away”. Jack Nicholson apparently goes off to LA, leaving most of the men in Stella Street (Jimmy, Roger, Joe, Michael and Al) with a chance to bed Sally. Jack Flatley moves out of Michael’s house and into his rented property, and Al, in flashback, shows how Kirsty MacFadden has left him. A cliffhanger ending leaves us wondering who is in Jimmy Hill’s bed. Broadcast 13/11/1998.
6. “Get Chisholm”. We are no longer wondering who is in Jimmy Hill’s bed as it was Keith! Michael is fed up with receiving letters from film companies turning down his idea and so he decides to make the film himself using such great and well known actors as Jack Flatley and Keith Richards. And John Hurt as the one-armed Chinese homosexual hairdresser. Keith goes back to Mick. We learn that Al Pacino is going to marry Kirsty MacFadden. Broadcast 20/11/1998.
7. “The Best Man”. Al Pacino is getting married, but who will the best man be? Dustin Hoffman comes to stay at Mrs Huggett’s for the wedding, while Marlon Brando takes advantage of Jimmy Hill’s hospitality. Michael Caine is filming, this time with Jimmy Hill, and Joe Pesci as the Duke of Devonshire. Len is the vicar at the wedding, which is halted when Marlon reveals that Al has a secret. In Jane Eyre style, Al takes Michael and Kirsty to the church tower, where he reveals the woman he doesn’t know whether to fuck or to play at the Edinburgh Tattoo. Broadcast 27/11/1998.
8. “Laughing Man Tour”. David Bowie holds his Laughing Man Tour debut, with Michael, Joe, Dean, and even John Thaw coming along. Broadcast 04/12/1998.
9. “Going Dutch”. Mick and Keith are informed of changes to be made to their shop. Jack Nicholson visits Mrs Huggett, distraught at Sally leaving him for Hank, and watches an episode of Steptoe and Son. Hank leaves for the Netherlands. Roger Moore receives a letter about the future of the Street. Broadcast 11/12/1998.
10. “The Siege”. Gray Slurrey is back, looking to demolish something, and a lot of people aren’t very happy about it. Michael has a bad dream with Alan Rickman and the Fab Four. Is there any way to win against Surbiton Council, or will John Hurt have to fall over? Broadcast 18/12/1998.

Series 3

Each episode is ten minutes long, not fifteen; this marks a return to the series one lengths, at least for the UK. The Australian broadcasts comprise two/two and a half shows edited together. Special thanks to Ken Hayes and all the others who sent in episode descriptions! See the video. See the DVD.First broadcast on SBS (Special Broadcast Service), Sydney, Australia.

1. Get Chisholm’s success is revealed (straight to video), Mick and Keef go on tour leaving David Bowie in charge of the corner shop, and Michael Caine disagrees with the new parking restrictions. Marlon Brando returns to the Slurreys' vacant no. 56, whilst trying to beat Mrs Huggett down below £3.50 per hour, and Patrick Moore arrives as company for Jimmy Hill. Meanwhile, Jack Nicholson is working on his den of iniquity. Broadcast 04/09/2000 (Aus), 23/11/2000 (UK).
2. David Bowie is settling down in his new role as purveyor of newspapers to the stars (or not), and tries a spot of cold calling. Joe is visited by Billy Easy and his friend Charlie Schwartz, who fall in love with his accent. Michael Caine has a run in with a traffic warden while Get Chisholm goes straight to dustbin, and Len is up to no good. Broadcast 04/09/2000 (Aus), 30/11/2000 (UK).
3. Jimmy Hill is now host to Patrick Moore, Alan Rickman and Jimmy Saville. Princess Margaret makes a brief appearance in the corner shop. Marlon Brando rushes round to watch Eastenders with Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman & Jack Nicholson at Mr Shines. According to a broadcast with Patrick Moore, an asteroid is on collision course with the earth with a 50:50 chance of impact. Mrs. Huggett has no belief in this happening, and once she has turned of the television she keels over. Has Mrs Huggett died?... Broadcast 11/09/2000 (Aus), 04/12/2000 (UK).
4. Michael Caine goes round to Mrs Huggett’s, and sees that she has collapsed. He rushes to get Roger Moore, and interrupts him having a “NatWest”. Joe Pesci manages to get her door open with firearm assistance. Mrs Huggett is saved and reminiscing with Michael, we see early days with her husband in flashback. David Bowie hands over the corner store to Dean, who immediately stuffs himself with three quarters of a hundred weight of chocolate. Mick & Keith return from their tour and a combination of Dean’s gas and Keith’s lighter cause the shop to explode. Broadcast 11/09/2000 (Aus), 05/12/2000 (UK).
5. Mick’s application to join the police as a special constable is accepted by Scotland Yard. He ponces down Stella Street in his Special Constable uniform. Bowie auditions (badly) for a Cheese Tingles commercial (in front of a very attractive group of auditioners). Michael arranges a coach trip to Seaford for Mrs Huggett who is believed not long for this world, Al, Joe & Jimmy come along too, with Len clinging to the roof after Michael refuses his plea to travel on the bus. The episode ends with Patrick Moore dancing in a drug-induced state along to the ‘Len Song’. Broadcast 18/09/2000 (Aus), 07/12/2000 (UK).
6. Cyril the driver shows an avant-garde German porno video after Michael complains about the Muzak. At a petrol stop Mrs H is ordered off the bus because she has been smoking and making her way through a bottle of sherry. Joe promptly impales him with a harpoon and assumes driving duties. Finally, they all arrive at the Seagull’s Nest in Seaford, only to discover it’s run by the Slurreys. It’s raining and the only other hotel is full, so they all go back, except for Al, who decides to sleep on the beach. Broadcast 25/09/2000 (Aus), 11/12/2000 (UK).
7. Still in Seaford on Mrs. Huggett’s sentimental journey, where she and husband Norm courted (he proposed on Seaford pier), she remembers the night of the London & South East Ballroom Dancing Championships, with entertainment from Tommy Cooper and Birch and Willow. Her comic taste is ahead of its time. She is awoken from her reverie by Des Lynam and drags him back to the Seagull’s Nest. Meanwhile Sir Anthony Hopkins is in town, running a café called The Tuck Inn and Michael acquires a souvenir with a difference—a tattoo on his arse. Broadcast 25/09/2000 (Aus), 12/12/2000 (UK).
8. Jack Flatley, as a bumblebee in Cinderella, cops a serve from the panto’s star Tony Blackburn (Buttons). Back in Stella Street, a fight breaks out in Jack Nicholson’s club Mr Shine’s, between David Bowie and Marlon Brando, and who’s that standing next to Dustbin? Why, it’s an advertising executive from episode 5. Marlon is winched out by heavy lift crane from his prone position after the fight. Meanwhile, a visitor turns up at The Tuck Inn, Seaford—Sir Alec Guinness (obviously made before his death!), looking for Norman Huggett. Broadcast 25/09/2000 (Aus), 14/12/2000 (UK) (transmission in wrong aspect ratio owing to BBC incompetence).
9. Still at Seaford, Van Morrison and Sting appear on stage together with some disharmony. Al Pacino is arrested and held on a vagrancy charge, but his skills of Italian cuisine come to the rescue. Mrs Slurrey (The Home Counties Whore) and Jimmy Hill have the hots for each other, and Jimmy gives her a thorough rogering to the consternation of others at the Seagulls Nest B&B, and the disgust of Gray. Pam and Jimmy’s antics disturb Michael and Jack Flatley in the next room… Broadcast 04/10/2000 (Aus), 18/12/2000 (UK).
10. In his police cell Al dreams of his trial where Keith is defence counsel and Mick is prosecuting (“I’m dead!”). As the Surbitonites all prepare to leave Seaford, Mrs Huggett spots her ex, Norm who has bigamously been running a newsagency in Seaford (what took her so long?). He flees the scene pursued by Mrs H. and Michael Caine on a tandem. On a cliff top Norm ponders the choice of reunification or taking the big leap. Simple choice really and over he goes. Broadcast 04/10/2000 (Aus), 22/12/2000 (UK). THE END (or is it…?)

40 Minute Special

See the video. See the DVD. First broadcast on BBC2.

1. The residents of Stella Street visit the south coast on a coach. Mrs Huggett is up to no good, and the Slurreys make a welcome return, but what is Jimmy Hill up to? This comprises the Seaford footage from Series 3 episode 5 onwards, as above, with a few brief flashbacks from episode 1/1, some extra footage and many deletions. It doesn’t show Stella Street at its best, by any means, but a 40 minute show is at least more visible to channel-flippers (hits to this site skyrocketed as soon as it was broadcast). Broadcast 03/01/2001 (UK).

Series 4

Six 10 minute episodes. First transmitted on BBC2.

1. The stars reminisce about the 1960s. Michael Caine is a budding young actor, the Beatles are making a fim in Mrs Huggett’s house, and Mick Jagger’s in trouble with his parents. Broadcast 13/11/2001 (UK).
2. Michael awakens from a nasty dream, only for reality to be even more unpleasant. Dean manages to get further into the residents’ bad books, while Len looks for an ant. Broadcast 20/11/2001 (UK).
3. A street meeting is called to discuss the problem of public intrusion into Stella Street. However, after 4 hours, talks break down, with Mrs Huggett, Michael Caine and Mick and Keef having a good old cockney knees-up, while Al Pacino is not pleased at the reception Jimmy Hill gives his cake nozzle anecdote. Broadcast 27/11/2001 (UK).
4. Jimmy Hill’s past comes back to haunt him in the form of Pam Slurrey. Broadcast 04/12/2001 (UK)
5. Mrs Huggett sells her celebrity friends down the media river. As a result, she is forced out of Stella Street and goes to clean for a mysterious man in Torquay. Broadcast 09/12/2001 (UK)
6. Torquay is not all it’s cracked up to be. Mrs Huggett, even the world, are in danger from Dr No and Gray Slurrey's decorative silos, and only Michael Caine can save the day. But will his car hold out? Broadcast 11/12/2001 (UK)

The Movie

The plot of the Movie is anyone’s guess!