London's Burning is a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.
CreatorJack Rosenthal
Series 1 Episode 1
Feb 20, 1988
After rescuing a boy's pet cat from a roof, Vaseline accidentally runs over it in the appliance, killing it! They then attend a warehouse fire, where Vaseline's boots catch fire, injuring him seriously. An old tramp who was dossing in the basement burns to death but his cat survives, and they give it to the boy who's cat was crushed earlier. The Watch then raise £1,200 by pushing an old fire engine through the streets, but Tate discovers that the money has gone missing and calls in the police. The Watch are called out to an incident where a young City dealer has been cemented in a toilet by some raiders. Unable to release him, the Watch carry him to an ambulance, and can hardly stop themselves laughing. They then get called out to a major RTA when a lonely woman walks out in front of a lorry. New recruit Kevin panics when he finds a child trapped in a crushed car, and Sicknote is sick after discovering the old lady's severed head. On the domestic front, tongues are wagging over Bayleaf's relationship with Josie and hard-up Tony confesses that he took the money, but hid it in a store room. With the help of Josie, he returns the money undetected to Tate's office.
Episode 2
Feb 27, 1988
Charisma is flattered when a woman named Donna chats him up in a pub. He learns that she used to be the wife of a former fireman nicknamed Liver Salts. No sooner has she moved herself in with him, he discovers she took Liver Salts for a ride financially. Tate is behaving irrationally and humiliates Hallam over an incident involving some old tramps feared trapped in an old warehouse. Hallam calls in appliances from all-over London but the tramps are at a nearby off licence. Blue Watch are called to a fire at a business premises next to a lock-up containing chemicals. Tate warns that they must find out more about the chemicals before tackling the blaze but Charisma, wound up after a row about Donna, ignores the orders and rushes out into the fire. A car petrol tank explodes and engulfs Charisma. Badly injured, he is taken to hospital where he is visited by Donna. Although barely able to speak he tells her he knows about her past.
Episode 3
Mar 5, 1988
Blue Watch are called out to release a lift stuck between floors in a tower block. The rescue is hindered because vandals have stolen the winding lever and the passengers are frantic. There is a constant bitching by an old woman about Sue, a young tart, and her client who is claustrophobic. When they are freed and the man does a runner, Vaseline asks Sue out on a date. On their fire inspection round, the Watch visits a local clothing workshop. The place is a death-trap, but Malcolm falls for Samina, one of the workers. When Tate's worst fears come true and there is a fire there, Malcolm is frantic. On the way, the troublesome pump engine breaks down and the crew's arrival at the fire is delayed. By the time they get there, several of the girls have been killed behind a locked fire door - among them Samina. A few weeks later, the Watch are out in force to watch Sicknote and Jean in POP's version of South Pacific. They greet the final curtain with wild applause, especially when the fire curtain falls on his head as he is taking a bow!
Episode 4
Mar 12, 1988
In the middle of a divorce from her husband, Josie accepts a lift home from a man she has met at an evening class. He persuades her to ask him up to her flat for coffee but inside, attacks her and tries to rape her before she fights him off. Charisma, still in hospital, reveals that he wants Donna out of his house, but when he gets home, he finds out she has set up a Hairdressing business there. Blue Watch wants George to represent them in a charity LFB boxing match but after agreeing, he damages his hands in seeing off Big Eddie, who had come to the station to batter Vaseline for non-payment of a debt. Meanwhile Tate has problems of his own, when a shout at a high rise block is jeopardised by vandalised equipment, he goes over the edge. He turns to drink, and instead of going to work, takes himself off to the Kent coast and stares out to sea. When he comes back, he takes a week off and returns to a warm welcome.
Episode 5
May 19, 1988
An Open Day at Blackwall is badly interrupted by criminals who are on the run after they tried to rob a building site office round the corner from Blackwall. The robbers 2 men and a pregnat woman are armed with guns. Blackwall hosts an open day to a group of children. At the event, Sicknote dresses as a banana and Malcolm dresses as Welephant! Two men - Bobby and Garry, break into an office at a milk depot. Garry pulls a gun on an accountant and tells him, he wants money. Outside, Garry' pregnant sister Amanda is sitting in the car. However, two police officers start to sniff around and she quickly leaves the vehicle as it isn't taxed. All of the money had been collected over an hour ago, so they only got £28! Malcolm dressed as Welephant, talks to a group of boy's about fire safety and one of them asks what he has to do if he needs to go to the loo! Bobby, Garry and Amanda are chased by the police and they run into the station yard. Garry pulls out his gun and Amanda reveals she also
