Me and My Girl

Sitcom based around widower Simon, his daughter Samantha and life at his advertising agency - Eyecatchers.

Genre: Comedy

Cast:Richard O'Sullivan , Joanne Ridley , Tim Brooke-Taylor , Joan Sanderson , Joanne Campbell , Sandra Clark , Leni Harper , Jon Cartwright , Raymond Francis , Christopher Westlake , Richard Piper , Lois Butlin , Susan Denaker , Christine Garner , Alrick Riley , Victor Baring , Samantha Sykes , Wesley Pestano

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ I Love You, Samantha

Thu, Aug 30, 1984

Widower Simon Harrap runs Eye Catchers, an advertising agency, with business partner Derek and, helped by daffy Scots housekeeper Maddie, is raising his thirteen-year-old daughter Samantha. His mother-in-law Nell is critical of his womanizing after he returns from a business trip to Monte Carlo with the leggy Gillian and tells him he should consider re-marrying for Samantha's sake. Whilst not going quite that far Simon does turn down a further evening with Gillian to be home in time to sample the sausage rolls his daughter has made him.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Design for Living

Thu, Sep 6, 1984

Ever anxious to get Simon married off,Nell,armed with a list of his old girl-friends,re-acquaints him with Kim Tracy, a nice woman whom he saw shortly after his wife Ruth died. Kim comes to Simon's flat but explains that she is about to get married to somebody else. After she has gone Simon,in Samantha's presence, throws the list of old girl-friends in the bin, but retrieves it after she has left the room.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ The Ideal Husband

Thu, Sep 13, 1984

Simon tries,in vain,to dissuade Derek from seeing Glenda,a woman with a reputation, behind his wife's back. Next day Simon arrives at the office to find Derek minus his trousers and with no memory of the night before. All is revealed,however, when Mr. Sharma,to whose Indian restaurant Derek went with Glenda,arrives . Glenda had got fed up with Derek going on about how he really loved his wife and thrown his dinner down his trousers. Derek had then knocked himself out and Mr. Sharma had brought him to the office whilst he washed the trousers for him.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ The Home Help

Thu, Sep 20, 1984

With time on her hands Nell decides she would like to help out at Eye Catchers but only succeeds in getting on Simon's and Derk's nerves so,when Maddie the housekeeper goes on holiday,Simon is delighted that Nell spends her days at home,looking after Samantha. Unfortunately she spends her evenings taking a computer course in the belief that this will make her more efficient on her return to the office.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ Jobs for the Girls

Thu, Sep 27, 1984

Slimy advertising manager Keating persuades Samantha that she could be the Whoppa Bar Sunshine girl if she sings her song for him but Simon discovers that he has made this promise to several other people,purely to steal their ideas and makes sure Keating is barred by the advertising agencies. To cheer Samantha up he gives his permission for her to have her ears pierced, but she has had them done earlier in the day.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ A Clean Slate

Thu, Oct 4, 1984

Simon discovers that Samantha has been missing Wednesday afternoons from school, telling the teacher that she is going to see a child psychiatrist. In fact she is going to matinées of Hamlet, because she has a crush on the leading actor and is mortified when she finds out that he is getting married.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Love and Kittens

Thu, Jan 17, 1985

After he has fallen into a canal whilst out jogging Simon meets a doctor,Ernestine,who comes to check him out for water poisoning and they start to see each other. However, Ernestine is allergic to cat fur, which is discovered when Simon finds out that Samantha has been looking after a stray cat that she found. Though the cat goes back to its owners the affair with Ernestine ends.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Let's Talk Turkey

Thu, Jan 24, 1985

Denis Taylor,who has made his money rearing and selling turkeys, seeks Eye Catchers' advice. Simon sees a street juggler through the window dressed as a turkey and Taylor buys the idea of a man dressed in a turkey costume to promote his campaign. In the absence of the juggler Derek dresses as a turkey,leading to a fight with the street entertainer,the destruction of Derek's costume and no contract from Taylor.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Sticky Fingers

Thu, Jan 31, 1985

Samantha is apprehended for shop-lifting but explains she was trying to replace the tape recorder her friend stole as she was being blackmailed by an older girl at school. Simon, Derek and Oscar, a pickpocket apprehended by Nell,pose as gangsters to scare the girl into stopping her blackmail.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ The Kids Are Alright

Thu, Feb 7, 1985

Simon and Ron,the lazy radiator repairs man, swap jobs for the day and Ron amazes Simon by pulling off a deal. Samantha has befriended a girl called Katie and shares her - to Simon - outlandish dress sense. Simon agrees to the girls going to a pop concert but insists on going too. His staid dress sense embarrasses Samantha but even worse are the attempts of Nell and new client Squiffy Bagshaw to look trendy.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Leaving on a Jet Plane

Thu, Feb 14, 1985

Simon gets a job offer in California and Derk,hurt that he was not consulted, invites his friend Fergus to replace Simon. Samantha is worried that if they go to America,Maddie will be jobless so Simon suggests Maddie becomes Derek's house-keeper whilst Derek's wife works for the firm. Derek hates this idea and persuades Simon to stay though Fergus moves in anyway.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Swings and Roundabouts

Thu, Feb 21, 1985

When Eye Catchers suffers a cash crisis an Indian entrepreneur,Babu Bhatti,offers to put up the cash if Simon can persuade the visiting Dean Martin to perform at a closing cabaret at a conference he is arranging. Eventually Dean Martin is tracked down on a golf course where Simon accidentally knocks him out with a golf ball and Nell applies First Aid. Dean Martin agrees to sing and the money is handed over though Mr. Bhatti realizes he really wanted Jerry Lewis.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ You Tak' the High Road

Thu, Feb 28, 1985

Maddie hears from her father that she must return to Scotland and marry a man called Ecky because she has not yet found herself a husband. When Maddie's father arrives various men are passed off as his daughter's intended. He sees through the charade but says she can stay as Ecky doesn't want to marry her after all. Simon and Samantha have their first disagreement over the family holiday.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ On Approval

Sat, Oct 5, 1985

Simon and Samantha return from their holidays to find that Maddie has got married at last and moved out,leaving her sister Isobel as her replacement. Isobel is not just clumsy but a terrible cook and Simon considers sacking her but Samantha gets him to relent and he gives Isobel a month on approval to come up to scratch.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Wild About Harry

Sat, Oct 12, 1985

When Samantha wants to know more about her mother,Ruth,all Simon will say is that she had no faults beyond using his tooth-brush. She then goes to Nell and Derek for more information but Simon has primed them not to mention Harry. Eventually she learns from Simon that Harry was the man Ruth dated before he married her. Ruth had asked Simon to teach Samantha to abhor violence,and she promises she always will. She also stops using his tooth-brush.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Dangerous Corner

Thu, Oct 17, 1985

Simon and Derek are not impressed by potential client Mervyn Drover, a heavy drinker who will offer them a contract if they put his girl-friend on the pay-roll. Soon after they learn that Nell, doing crossing duty at Samantha's school, has been knocked down by a car - driven by Mervyn Drover. He threatens to sue Nell but backs down when Simon claims he has evidence of Drover's drinking. They also negotiate the contract on their own terms.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Goodbye Forever

Thu, Oct 24, 1985

After rowing with his wife Muriel Derek moves in with the Harraps but the men decide not to tell Samantha what is happening as they think that she is too young to understand about marital difficulties. However,after Samantha has been to see Derek's daughter Annabelle,it turns out that the two girls got the warring couple back together again.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ A Woman of Taste

Thu, Oct 31, 1985

Simon is out to renew the firm's valuable contract with Britannia Biscuits and shows its elegant female marketing director, Portland McIntyre, a video of its achievements. Unfortunately a porn film has been substituted but Simon wins Portland over by showing her what a skilled researcher he is. Besides, Eye Catchers is cheaper than the other agencies.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Put Yourself in My Place

Thu, Nov 7, 1985

Whilst Simon needs a bank loan Fergus needs to impress girl-friend Anthea and persuades Derek to pretend that Fergus is his boss,using Derek's office. Alas,Anthea is not impressed by Derek and wants him sacked. She also mistakes Nell for the cleaning lady and Samantha for Fergus's daughter and is angry with him for not declaring his children. Fortunately the bank manager sorts things out for all concerned.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Sam Who?

Thu, Nov 14, 1985

Simon's latest date Helen says that she is frustrated by having lots of children and asks to meet at his house to get away from them. Anxious to impress Simon denies Samantha's existence but is caught out when Samantha,on holiday in France,rings him and he has to confess. Helen then says that she does not have lots of children,it was an excuse to get to go out with Simon and she is child-friendly after all.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ One Wild and Foolish Moment

Thu, Nov 21, 1985

After being beaten at squash by Simon,Derek bets his wife's car against Fergus's car that Simon will beat Fergus at squash - which he does. The bet is cancelled but is on again when Fergus's daughter and Samantha both audition for the same part. Unfortunately yelling her support for her father at squash means that Samantha has lost her voice.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ Forty Years On

Thu, Nov 28, 1985

When Simon learns that his new client,Mr. Brocklebank is an old flame of Nell's from forty years earlier he resolves to get them back together. However,Mr. Brocklebank is now married. Isobel the housekeeper,thanks to secretary Liz,does get a date though - with Joe,a charming black man.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Picture of Harmony

Thu, Dec 5, 1985

Samantha and her new friend Gemma Tindle plot to get Simon off with Gemma's mother,Laura, an artist. However Laura's impressionistic portrait of Simon, painting him as a sad,lonely man,brings their acquaintance to an end,whilst their two daughters also stop seeing each other.

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ An Inspector Calls

Thu, Dec 12, 1985

While Simon is in hospital with appendicitis, the VAT man comes to inspect the firm's books.

12Season 3

S3.E12 ∙ Nothing Like a Quiet Sunday

Sat, Dec 21, 1985

Simon finds a young girl,Jennifer,drunk in the street. He brings her home to sleep it off and gallantly gives her his bed while he sleeps on the sofa. Next day,however, she tells Samantha that she is Simon's betrothed and they are going to get married. Among the celebrants is Jerry,Jennifer's boy-friend,who is out to do Simon some harm but Jennifer apologizes as she has been using Simon, in order to make Jerry,previously frightened of commitment,to shape up and come to see that he loves her. As the young couple celebrate their engagement,Simon congratulates himself for being a good match-maker.

13Season 3

S3.E13 ∙ Faraway Places

Thu, Dec 26, 1985

A client promises the Harraps a holiday in Greece in exchange for making a video but on arrival at the airport they discover the tickets are worthless as the company has gone bust. Fortunately Nell's friend Pinky saw this coming and made sure the company never got the tapes as well as providing them all with a holiday in his country cottage.

1Season 4

S4.E1 ∙ Love's Young Dream

Fri, Jan 9, 1987

Simon has to accept that Samantha is growing up when she tells him that she is in love with a teen-aged boy called Jeremy and his paternal,protective instincts surface. When Jeremy asks him to tell Samantha something on his behalf,he fears the worst but the news is that Jeremy has to move abroad with his family and he tells Samantha himself. She is upset but comes to accept it. Derek,meanwhile, finds that his wife is pregnant.

2Season 4

S4.E2 ∙ Marriage in Haste

Fri, Jan 16, 1987

Simon and Samantha are pleased for Nell that her friendship with Pinky is progressing and encourage Pinky to propose to her. They are all shocked therefore when she meets Major Pendleton who,whilst having a wife in Canada, books the local church for a wedding in the name of Pendleton. It turns out that the groom is actually the major's ancient father while Nell and Pinky decide that they are happy being just good friends.

3Season 4

S4.E3 ∙ The Rhinoceros and the Pussycat

Fri, Jan 23, 1987

Simon falls out with Nell after rejecting her offer to help in the agency. Hurt,she announces that she is moving to Spain. Samantha attempts to get them to reconcile but in vain. Then Isobel tells Simon that Samantha has left home and will only return when her grand-mother and father make up.. . which they do,leaving Samantha to emerge from her room,where she had been hiding all along. Derek smartens himself up and wins a fashion contract.

4Season 4

S4.E4 ∙ Poor Uncle Derek

Fri, Jan 30, 1987

Samantha has a pet hamster and calls it Uncle Derek,due to its facial resemblance to her father's business partner. The hamster gets ill and,when Fergus overhears Samantha bewailing the fact that 'Poor old Uncle Derek might die',he gets the wrong idea. Derek himself has back pains and is not cheered to hear Fergus's condolences. Preparing for the worst he signs over his partnership to Fergus and is not best pleased when the truth comes out and he is revealed to be in no danger from dying but given Fergus his share of the business.

5Season 4

S4.E5 ∙ The Lost Weekend

Fri, Feb 6, 1987

When Samantha tells him he is neglecting her in favour of his work,Simon decides not to make his planned business trip to Zurich but to let Derek go instead. Unfortunately,Derek misses the plane and, so as not to lose face with his wife,stays at the Harraps for the weekend before going to the Swiss Centre to buy presents for the family supposedly from his stay in Zurich.

6Season 4

S4.E6 ∙ Kissing Cousins

Fri, Feb 13, 1987

Simon is left a large amount of money in a will but it has to be shared with another family member,whose surname is Appleby, the same as Fergus,who is not in Simon's good books,having borrowed and broken some Eye Catchers equipment. Simon is relieved to find that he is not related to Fergus after all and gives some of his inheritance to Isobel's brother to set up his own business.

7Season 4

S4.E7 ∙ French Leave

Fri, Feb 20, 1987

Derek's daughter Emma and Samantha are due to go on a French exchange visit but Derek is not sure if he can afford it and Simon then believes Samantha should not go so that her friend is not envious. Finally Nell comes up with the money and,at the evening to meet the host families, Simon finds Samantha getting very chummy indeed with son of the house,the handsome Michel.

8Season 4

S4.E8 ∙ A Single Night of Love

Fri, Feb 27, 1987

Isobel has met a young teacher Alan, who is shortly leaving for Africa and who asks her to his flat for 'a single night of love'. Fearing he is just using her for sex, she gets Samantha to ask Simon for his advice, which leads to a misunderstanding when he thinks she is referring to herself and her boyfriend. However he finally tells both of them to say No, which they do. Isobel is proved right. Alan just wanted her for sex but Simon must now play by his own rules when he has the opportunity to spend a night with a girl-friend.

9Season 4

S4.E9 ∙ Lost and Found

Fri, Mar 6, 1987

Samantha is unhappy when Simon seems likely to marry his current girl-friend Ellen. Whilst he initially denies any marriage plans he realises that he really wants to walk her down the aisle. WWhen Nell meets Ellen she is struck by her resemblance to her daughter, Simon's late wife. Ellen believes Simon only wants to marry her because of this resemblance and calls off the engagement.

10Season 4

S4.E10 ∙ A Star Is Gorn

Fri, Mar 13, 1987

Liz, the Eye Catchers secretary, gets the chance to star in a commercial filming in the Canary Islands and so Nell suggests Simon replace her with her friend Winifred, who has split from her husband and has time on her hands. Though efficient Winifred is no ray of sunshine and then Liz returns - her acting career cut short when the director got fresh with her. Simon cannot fairly sack Winifred so he plots to get her back with her husband, a double glazing salesman, on the premise that he needs new windows. The plan works and Winifred returns to her spouse, who has hit Simon with a big double glazing bill.

11Season 4

S4.E11 ∙ Pulling Power

Fri, Mar 20, 1987

Isobel recommends her excellent dentist to Simon but as he is leaving the office for his appointment he is waylaid by the formidable Mrs. Grant who accuses her son Kevin's girl-friend,Samantha of being a punk who is leading him into bad ways. In the dentist's waiting room Samantha tells her father that she and Kevin are only pretending to date each other as a cover as both of them are really seeing punks. Simon then goes in to see the dentist - who is Mrs. Grant.

12Season 4

S4.E12 ∙ An Offer You Can't Confuse

Fri, Mar 27, 1987

A larger agency wants to take over Eye Catchers, employing Simon but not Derek who,unaware of this,comes to Simon's to ask for a rise though Simon is out and Samantha tells Derek she too wants a rise in her allowance. She gets Isobel to broker this but due to confusion Simon gives Isobel the rise before agreeing to Samantha doing a paper round. At the office he and Derek discuss old times and Simon feels unable to take up the offer and ditch his old friend.

13Season 4

S4.E13 ∙ Waiting for Adrian

Fri, Apr 3, 1987

Simon is perturbed that Nell has become very morbid,wanting to discuss her will and funeral and assures her that she has many good years left. Derek's wife Muriel is about to give birth and,if the child is a boy,Derek wants to call him Adrian. After one false alarm Muriel starts to go into labour at the Harrap house and,whilst everyone else panics,Nell delivers the baby,a girl called Adrienne. All thoughts of death are forgotten and Samantha declares she would like to have children - one day.

1Season 5

S5.E1 ∙ Like an Old Time Movie

Thu, Jan 7, 1988

Nell and Isobel have been practising hypnotism on Derek and ruin a proposed contract with a client because every time the word 'egg' is mentioned Derek behaves like a chicken. Simon is angry with them but they hypnotize him into letting Samantha watch an old home movie of him with her mother.

2Season 5

S5.E2 ∙ Thinking About Fluffy

Thu, Jan 14, 1988

Samantha confesses that every time she thinks of the death of her cat Fluffy from several years ago she cannot stop herself from crying. This comes in useful when Derek calls with a woman that he has only just met but for whom he plans to leave Muriel and Samantha's tears shame the couple into seeing sense.

3Season 5

S5.E3 ∙ Question Time

Thu, Jan 21, 1988

Simon suggests to Derek that they take on another advertising man. Samantha would like them to employ Mr. Gilman, father of her friend Tina,who is depressed because her father has recently lost his job and Christmas is coming up. Several candidates are interviewed,mostly unsuitable but Mr. Gilman does not turn up,the job eventually going to a Mr. Dunbar. Actually this was Mr,Gilman,using his middle name so that he would not be identified as an associate of Simon and claims of favoritism made.Samantha is pleased with herself for suggesting such a subtle plan.

4Season 5

S5.E4 ∙ A Couple of Rough Nights

Thu, Jan 28, 1988

Derek moves into the office because of spiders at home. Samantha rows with Simon after he has chided her for coming in late and she moves in with Nell though, when Nell has a visitor, she also moves to the office. Finally Simon, pursued by a widow, Mrs. White, decides to lie low at the office. Unaware of Samantha's presence he confides in Derek that he only acted in Samantha's best interests. She overhears and they are reconciled.

5Season 5

S5.E5 ∙ Play Your Cards Right

Thu, Feb 4, 1988

A woman called Lyn takes the office next door to Eye Catchers and Derek is predictably smitten. The Harraps also have new neighbours and,after a shaky start, Samantha becomes good friends with Hugo,the young boy of the house. Derek is peeved because Lyn keeps telling him how great Simon is and asks Simon to stay away from her whilst he is on holiday. However Lyn turns out to be Hugo's mother and Simon's neighbour.

6Season 5

S5.E6 ∙ Love Thy Neighbour

Thu, Feb 11, 1988

Simon's relationship with Lyn is progressing very well and she stays the night with him. They even consider marriage. Simon is,however, perturbed to find that Samantha and Hugo have locked themselves in her bedroom and he suspects they are having sex. Samantha then accuses him of double standards and both couples decide to cool their relationships.

1Season 6

S6.E1 ∙ I Wonder Who's Kissing Him Now

Thu, Sep 22, 1988

Samantha's friend Roz comes to do her homework and stay over at the Harraps' house. She gives Simon a very passionate goodnight kiss and Isobel walks in on them. She sees Simon as a seducer and almost quits until Samantha explains that Roz kisses older men for a bet. Nell is worried that Liz is getting involved with the much older Mr. Goldfarb but it turns out that he is only teaching her to sell windows.

2Season 6

S6.E2 ∙ My Second Best Friend

Thu, Sep 29, 1988

Samantha is doing her French 'O' Levels and when Jean-Pierre, a very handsome Frenchman and a friend of Simon's, comes to stay, she is keen to learn as much as she can from him - and not just in the academic sense. Their midnight meeting is, however, interrupted and Simon advises her to stick to her own age group of boys.

3Season 6

S6.E3 ∙ The Story of Foxy-Features and Melon-Head

Thu, Oct 6, 1988

A party to celebrate twenty-one years of Eye Catchers is almost jeopardised when Simon finds a letter which leads him to erroneously believe that Derek is applying for another job. In fact the job application is from Samantha.However this leads to a falling out between the two partners,who call each other Foxy Features and Melon Head. Further confusion arises when Isobel thinks the party is to celebrate her third anniversary with the Harraps but all is eventually resolved.

4Season 6

S6.E4 ∙ Mundane Monday

Thu, Oct 13, 1988

Eye Catchers is to promote a breakfast cereal called Nyum Nyums which Derek finds repulsive. The contract is to be signed at a wine bar but the clients want to meet Derek and Simon with their wives so Liz and Isobel play the parts. In the same wine bar Samantha discovers that a boy called Sean,who she thought was dating her,is two-timing her with another girl.

5Season 6

S6.E5 ∙ Only the Lonely

Thu, Oct 20, 1988

Samantha is going out with new beau Charlie and feels sorry for Simon being alone. When she runs into former boy-friend and neighbour Hugo she angles to match-make her father with Hugo's mother Lyn but only finds herself falling for Hugo and dumps Charlie. Hugo,however,has moved on and does not want to date Samantha. When Charlie's mother Lucy comes to the house to see why Samantha ditched her son,who is very upset,she ends up going out with Simon whilst Samantha is left on her own.

6Season 6

S6.E6 ∙ When You're Smiling

Thu, Oct 27, 1988

Simon seems strangely unconcerned when Samantha tells him that her exam results were excellent and Derek admits to losing a large sum of money - later found - from company accounts. Isobel takes advantage of his distracted state of mind to get him to authorize her ordering a new kitchen. The reason that Simon has been distracted lies in the fact that it is the anniversary of his wife's death and Nell has not been around to share it with him.

7Season 6

S6.E7 ∙ A Bit of Overtime

Thu, Nov 3, 1988

Simon and Liz go to the office for Saturday overtime and encounter two burglars, Dingo and his nephew Brendan, who are going to rob the shop below. Derek and new bit on the side Harriet turn up, as do Samantha and Isobel and the two burglars hold them all captive. However Dingo explains to Simon that the burglary is a ruse, to get Brendan caught and dissuade him from a life of crime. Hearing this Brendan cancels the burglary but Harriet has already called the police and Simon has some explaining to do to them.