Plot
No one shows up at the Community Centre for Ernie's training session. With twenty-four hours to go, Ray and Len start to ply Stan with beer. Jerry is depressed. Norma insists to Maggie that she never led Jerry on and teases her about seeing Alf. Ernie gets bad tempered with Emily at the lack of attendance. Only Ken turns up and that's to say that Albert is dropping out at dominoes as he's ill. Ena agrees to take his place for free drinks. Ray finds out from a besotted Sharon that his crib opponent plays the game expertly. Hilda and Ernie get annoyed at Stan's constant drinking. Jerry packs up the lessons. Ken asks Norma to persuade him to think again. Maggie and Alf find Jacko advertising with a sandwich board at a shopping centre. Alf tells Billy that Jacko will be calling at the Rovers that night. Ray and Len con Alf into taking Ray's place at crib. Jerry is short with Norma when she passes on Ken's message. Norma is pleased when Jacko calls round. Emily and Ernie call at the Flying Horse and see their teams all practising their games. Sharon tells customer Franny Slater that Ray has a posh flat. Jacko calls in at the Rovers and gets a round on the house but nothing more from Annie, Billy or Betty. Maggie offers Jacko a room at the Corner Shop and he offers to take Alf's place at crib. Stan is paralytic and next morning dreadfully hungover. Len and Ray are delighted that they can't lose their bet.
Cast
Regular cast
- Ernest Bishop - Stephen Hancock
- Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire
- Ena Sharples - Violet Carson
- Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson
- Ray Langton - Neville Buswell
- Betty Turpin - Betty Driver
- Stan Ogden - Bernard Youens
- Jerry Booth - Graham Haberfield
- Norma Ford - Diana Davies
- Maggie Clegg - Irene Sutcliffe
- Kenneth Barlow - William Roache
- Hilda Ogden - Jean Alexander
- Billy Walker - Kenneth Farrington
- Alf Roberts - Bryan Mosley
- Annie Walker - Doris Speed
- Elsie Howard - Patricia Phoenix
- Alan Howard - Alan Browning
Guest cast
Places
- Coronation Street exterior
- Rovers Return Inn - Public
- Corner Shop - Back room
- Community Centre - Small hall
- The Flying Horse
- Shopping centre entrance and car park
Notes
- Ernest Bishop quotes from William Butler Yeats' play The Countess Cathleen while waiting for people to turn up at the Community Centre's training session.
- Neville Buswell gets a line wrong and says "I bet you're like that with all the girls" to Sharon Duffy instead of "...all the boys".
- Location OB recording for the shopping centre took place at Salford City Shopping Centre.
- TV Times synopsis: Jerry drops out - Jacko drops in.
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 7,200,000 homes (6th place).
Notable dialogue
Billy Walker: "Can you imagine Malcolm Allison letting somebody else taking over Rodney Marsh's training?"
Ernest Bishop: "Well then, I'm not a boxing manager, am I?"
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