Episode 881 is the last to open and close with the original version of the theme tune: a new version is used from episode 882 onwards.

Episode 886, involving the Dixon family, and episode 916, involving the Rogers family, are the first two that feature just one single household throughout.

The storylines:

Barry, Josie and others are looking for new opportunities to make money, while Terry and Sue are looking into their prospects of having another baby, and Mick and Mike are both seeking justice, but in entirely different ways. Max gets a new job and Ron secures a new shop, but Tony’s pranks do nothing to improve relations between the Dixons and the Farnhams, and it looks as if war is about to be declared. Meanwhile, there are new romantic partners for Tracy, Geoff and especially Sammy, whose choice, 39-year old Tim, is something of a disappointment to Chrissy and Frank – but will their efforts to persuade her to think again have any effect, or just make things a whole lot worse?

The dates:

It is New Year’s Eve, then New Year’s Day, in episode 882; it is still New Year’s Day in episode 883; it is Friday in episode 885; and it is Monday in episode 887. Based on dialogue in episodes 887 and 888, it is Wednesday in episode 889 and Friday in episode 890. It is January in episode 891; January 28th in episode 894; and, based on earlier dialogue, it is Wednesday in episode 895 and Thursday in episode 896. It is Monday in episode 897; and Friday in episode 899, based on dialogue in episode 897. It is pancake day in episode 900; it is Valentine’s Day and 1991 in episode 901; and it is Friday in episode 902, when we are told that Mick’s attack on Brady, seen in episode 875, was on Friday 14th December. It is Friday in episode 905, based on dialogue in episode 906; and it is Friday 8th in episode 911, based on dialogue in episode 910 and a desk calendar. It is Wednesday in episode 913, based on dialogue in episode 914, when it is Friday; and, based on dialogue in episode 915, it is Wednesday in episode 916.
It is Easter in episode 918; Good Friday in episode 920; April Fool’s Day in episode 921; and Friday in episode 923. Based on earlier and later dialogue, it is Thursday in episode 925 and Friday in episode 926, in which it is mentioned that Mick’s encounter with Brady, seen in episode 875, was on December 14th 1990. In episode 927, the incident was “four months ago” and “before Christmas”, and it is now April. It is Friday in episode 930, in which a poster on the wall states that the “murder weekend”, seen in episode 933, is on May 4th; based on dialogue in episode 930, it is Thursday in episode 932.

Name-checks:

Charles Bronson (881, 886); Rambo (881); Princess Diana (882); “Cluedo” (885); “Nine and a Half Weeks” (885, 887); Burke and Hare (885); “Frank” and “Stein” from a commercial (887); “King Kong” (887); James Dean (887); “Back To The Future” (888); “The Beverley Hillbillies” (888); Michael Aspel (889); Mother Teresa (890); “Coronation Street” (891); Geronimo (892); “Stormin’ Norman” (892); Rachman (893); Don Quixote (894); Sancho Panda (894); Pinky and Perky (894); Napoleon (895); Richard Clayderman (896); Einstein (896); “Assualt on Precinct 13” (896); Yogi Bear (897); “The Magnificent Seven” (897); “Jack and the Beanstalk” (897); Noel Coward (897); Ian Paisley (897); the Clampetts (897, 899, 912); Richard Branson (897); Moira Stuart (897); Floella Benjamin (897); Tommy Cooper (897, 913); “Star Wars” (897); Robert Peel (897); Yul Brynner (897); Vidal Sassoon (898); Thatcher (898); Hilda Ogden (898); Abba (898); “Estelle, Don” (898); “cc., 10” (898); “M, Boney” / Boney M (898, 899, 903); Gilbert O’Sullivan (898); “The Bill” (899); Ryan O’Neil (899); Boney M (899); “Miami Vice” (899); [General] Franco (900); “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” (901); Dame Edna (902); “Come Dancing” (905); Mrs Marcos (907); Jive Bunny (909); The Who (909); Charlie Chaplin (909); Paul Daniels (909); “Star Trek” (909); “Bros” (910); Freddy Kruger (910); the “Crying Boy” (912); “Old Man River” (912); “Father Time” (912); James Bond (912); Smokin’ Joe Fraser (913); Gazza (913); Alain Prost (914); the “Yorkshire Ripper” (914); Postman Pat (914); Marvin Hagler (914); and Jed Clampett (915), Vidal Sassoon (917); Hale and Pace (917); Mary Poppins (918); Neil Sedaka (918); Frei Otto, Munich Olympia designer (918); Renzo Piano, designer (918); Desperate Dan (920); Saddam Hussein (920); Bugs Bunny (920); [John] Major (921); Florence Nightingale (925); “L.A. Law” (927); Danny La Rue (927, rhyming slang); the [Rolling] Stones (927, 938); Bobby Darin (929); the Clampetts (929); Vera Lynn (929); Capone (931); Kray (931); Corlione (931); Dickens (931); Thackeray (931); Agatha Christie (932); Tom Cruise (932).

Locations:

All of the action in this season is set in or near Liverpool, except that in episode 881 there are three scenes of Barry that are set in, although not necessarily recorded at, Bethnal Green, London; and others on motorways featuring him on his way there, and on his way back.

Births:

None. The characters whose ages are commented on most often are Sammy, who was born six months after her parents married in January (904), and is now 17 (903, 904, 908, 916) / nearly 18 (903, 905, 908) / 18 in a few months (908); and Tim, who is 39 (903, 908, 916) which is “a couple of years” younger than Frank (908, 916). We are also told that Mike is 17 (882, 885); Tony is 13 (887, 900); Max is 30 (894); Leo is 7 (895); Susannah is a year younger than Max (895); Cyril was 13 in 1938 (900); Mick was born on 12th March 1958 (902); Bumper is 16 (913); Geoff is 16 (913) / not yet 18 (916); and Thomas is nearly 2 (915). It is Jan’s birthday in episode 896, and it isn’t Tracy’s birthday in episode 909!

Marriages:

None. We are told that Chrissy and Frank, who have now been married for eighteen and a half years (889), were married in January (904), when Chrissy was 19 (905); and that Ron’s sister Mary married a catholic in 1968 (901).

Deaths:

None. The only unseen and never-to-be-seen characters mentioned who are no longer alive are Chrissy’s mother (904, 916) and grandmother (904), Frank’s mother (916), and ancestors of Ron – his mother (882, 893), his “Nanny Dicko” (886) and his old Gran (897), Margaret’s grandfather, who died of a brain tumour (924); Ted, Aunty Lou’s husband (927).

Characters mentioned, so far unseen, but who will be appearing later:

Terry’s mum, who used to be alive (883); Susannah (884, 893, 894, 895); Margaret’s mother (884, 891, 895, 907); Patricia’s parents (884); Josie’s mum and dad in Cardiff (888); Kieran, Margaret’s ex-boyfriend (895); Jimmy’s wife, Jackie (891, 895) and teenaged daughter (895); Gemma’s aunty Lou (899, 908); and Billy and Wally, presenters (909), Josie’s mother (921); Margaret’s mother (924, 925, 932); Patricia’s mother / Thomas’s grandmother (931).

Gone but not forgotten – seen previously and still mentioned occasionally, but not reappearing in this season:

Ricky Fisher (881); Stupid Cousin Kenny (881); Billy Corkhill (881, 882, 884, 898); Jenny (881); Jonathan Gordon-Davies (881, 883, 890, 891, 892, 897); Eileen (883); Sue’s mother (884); Owen (885, 906); the Pope (887); Kathy (891, 892, 897); Sean, who has gone to the Gulf (892); Emily (895); Barnie (896); Harry Cross (896, 898); the Chois (897); the Pope (897); Lisa Jenkins (900); Kenneth James Brady (900, 902); Siobhan (904); Sheila (904, 908, 914); Joe [O’Rourke] (904); Mr Knight (905, 916); and Bobby Grant (912), Mr Coulter (917); the Pope (917); Doreen (917); Billy (917, 931); Owen (918); Mr Knight (921, 922, 924); Mr Fowler (924, 928, 929); Martin (924, 931); Harry Cross (926); Richard (928, 930); Anthony (931); Joey Godden (931); Dr Choi (931);

And those that are also mentioned, but are destined to remain unseen forever:

Mary, at Rod’s police station (881); Trevor Garrett, beaten-up RSPCA man (881); Andy, whose party Mike is going to (882); Alice, stand-in babysitter (882); Jan’s mum and dad (882); Richards of the RSPCA (883); Margaret’s father (884, 888, 891, 894); Margaret’s sister (884); Patricia’s sister (884); Mel Phillips, at Patricia’s work (884); Jerry and Craston, at Max’s work (884); Max’s parents, who live miles away (884); Diana’s uncle Des and Nan (884); Jill, cashier (885); Harry O’Grady, Togga’s father (885, 913); Jen, at Patricia’s office (885); Ron’s sister Mary (886, 894, 901); Gina Stewart, college mate of Chrissy (887, 889); Bumper’s mum (889, 900); Alex’s kids (889); Richard’s kid (889); Blanchard, teacher or pupil (890); Tony, Josie’s ex-boyfriend (890, 894, 896, 902), his sister Eileen (902), and her jailed husband (902); Mrs Froggatt, Sinbad’s landlady (891, 892); Gus, who Jimmy is sharing with (891, 893); Margaret’s Nanna (893); Bernie at the club (893, 908); Ann-Marie, Margaret’s once-suicidal mate in Oldham (895); Garrett, at Max’s work (898);Scotch Johnny, car repairer (898); Karen Taylor and Sue Kavanagh, schoolgirls (900); Michael Woodward, called into court (902); Bumper’s sister (902) and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Gordon Matthews (902, 905); Mr Porter, teacher (902); Fat Figgy, who bullied Mick at school (902); Gina’s three lads, mum and retired dad (904); Chrissy’s uncle Eddie (904); Lorraines’s dad (905); Scamp, Paula’s dog (905); Grog, heavy metal freak in the sixth form (906); Maggie Hughes, the first girl Frank took to the pictures (906); Miss Windsor, Mick’s solicitor (906); Kath, Tim’s tea lady (907); Mr Lynch, a customer of Tracy (907); Lorraine’s mum (907); Paula’s mum (907, 908, 914); Paula’s little brother (912, 914); Marion, an employee of Mr Robinson (908); Mr Coulter’s wife, a lawyer (911); Benno’s Nan (913); Mrs Mosseshead, hair customer (914); Nikki’s mum (914); Paul wife and their son James, who is 2 in May (915); and Mrs Jackson, her sister Mrs Pollock, the woman across the road, her four kids and husband – eight of Tracy’s customers (915), Mrs Dowie, hair customer (917); Stephanie, 29 and Liz, 34, who Tim has gone out with for 3 and 8 months respectively since his divorce (918); Tim’s ex-wife (918, 928); Sam’s wife, Mrs Bishop (918, 930) and their daughter (918); Togga’s grandparents (919); Benno’s grandparents (919); Togga’s sister Angela (919); Benno’s sister (919); “Bad Pint”, plasterer (919); Togga’s parents (920); Siobhan’s father (921); “Babblington” friends of Susannah (922); Jacko, Lindford and Paul, possible witnesses for Mick (924); Margaret’s father (925, 932); Margaret’s sister Janet (925); Lennie, who Mick and Josie first lived with (925); Geoffrey’s father (925); Max’s father, who has lived in the same house all his life (925); Tony, Josie’s ex-boyfriend (925, 926); Jimmy and Rose Rowan (929); Carl’s mother (929); Barbara, hairdresser (931); Bumper’s parents (931); Kieran’s parents (932); Angie/Angela, who works shifts and lives in the flat downstairs from Auntie Lou (932); Nikki’s dad (933); David’s sister, who runs a local choir (933); Max’s uncle, who has a caravan (934)

Also mentioned are the following characters from “Meadowcroft Park”, a new lunchtime soap set in the south which has been going for a few weeks (897); the Tulleys, Tommy (897); Tess (897); Titus (897); Tarquin (897, 902, 916); Timmy (897); Tulula (897); and Tania (897); the Burketts (897); Tarty Evelyn (902, 916); Camilla, a “dog” who Margaret apparently sounds like (906); and Harold (906). Ron assures DD that he asked Tony to tape it for her (899); Paula thinks Geoff looks like Tarquin (902); and some of the characters’ voices are heard in the background in episode 906, as Tony watches Margaret’s videoed copy after DD has forgotten to set theirs, and in episode 916, when Katie watches it until Frank, who says it’s rubbish, asks her to turn it off! In episode 932, when we are told it is on on Mondays.

Goofs:

In episode 882, “up” is in the wrong place as Jacqui says: “Trying to drag every woman up in sight to dance”.

Torn between “irrespective” and “regardless” in episode 888, Patricia invents a new word: “irregardless”.

At one point in episode 891, Ron refers to Mike as “Our Mick”.

Whereas most solicitors might lay it ON the line, Mick’s says “Let me lay this DOWN the line” in episode 900.

With hindsight, it seems odd that Diana should bring “Scrabble” over to play with Rod in episode 905…

While referring to his father in episode 925, Max says “he lived…” rather than “he’s lived…”, which may give the mistaken impression that his father is no longer alive, even though his continued existence is confirmed at other times both earlier and later in the series.

Mike adds an extra syllable in episode 926: “A shop in the offERing”.

Trivia:

Rod is right-handed (881). Tracy now has “about 40” customers (907). Jimmy claims that Billy used to love Abba (898), whereas he, like Josie (899) is a fan of the music of Boney M (898, 899), including “Brown Girl In The Ring” (898). The book he was given for his birthday, from which he has been quoting occasionally ever since, is seen in episode 897, and is called “Factually Speaking”. The telephone number of Fisher’s Frozen Foods in Bethnal Green, London, is 081 985 9805 (881). Sealed bids for the shop fitting tender have been received from Sedgeley’s and Hewitsons’ (914).

According to Ron, who has not smoked for 2 years (886), the name on the cash-and-carry card he has borrowed and loans out is “Jack Nabbit” (881). Jacqui, who has a poster of Tanita Tikaram on her bedroom wall (886), and Mike, who is doing “A” levels (914) and is left-handed (889), are checked in at the police station by a sergeant who is right-handed (885). Tony drank half a bottle of Martini, and had his stomach pumped, on his 7th birthday (886). Cyril was in the Merchant Navy (883). Sinnott’s locker at Brookside Comprehensive School, whose sign listing the headmaster as Mr Woodcock is seen again (888, 889), is number 12 (889).

Patricia had a “short” career in the Brownies (915). Max, who says he cheated in his “A” levels (888), plays “Scrabble” with Patricia, who scores handsomely with “knobber”, the spelling and meaning of which he verifies from a dictionary (887). Their phone bill is for £237.31, but when Max checks it he can only find about £5 worth of calls to Oldham (912) made by Margaret, who dropped out of college (894). Susannah, a good cook (893), married Max when they were students (895), and became pregnant in Max’s final year (895). The earliest guesses as to whether “Max” is short for anything come from DD, who refers to “Mr Maxwell Farnham” (899), and Ron, who calls him “Pope Maximilian” (914).

Michael Andrew Johnson (902) is 6’2″ tall amd weighs about 15 stone, whereas Kenneth James Brady is 5’7″ and just under 10 stone (900). It would appear that Josie has seen “Doctor Who”, as she mentions a TARDIS (888). Leo goes to Manor Park Primary School (889). Chrissy first slept with Frank when she was 17, and became pregnant in her third year of college (916). Geoff doesn’t shave yet (905). Tim’s job is Group Marketing Manager (907). He is left-handed (907). Ronnie now works for an insurance broker (890), while Gina and Nigel are both teachers (890). Terry, whose father used to be a miner (883), answers the telephone at number 9 with its last four digits, which are now 9004 (881).

Aunty Lou brought up “all the Johnsons” (927), including Mick, who is 6’2″ tall and weighs 15 stone (926). His full name is Michael Andrew Johnson (926). Josie, who used to run for her school (928), runs stall 12 at Tuebrook Market (930). Brady was in hospital for 3 days after his encounter with Mick (926).

Patricia originally worked for Richards Neeve (917).

“Blink-and-you-miss it” moments:

Members of the band “The Farm” can be seen in episodes 909, 910 and 911. Each of their appearances is in a scene involving Geoff, who is trying to spot them, but completely fails to notice them every time!