dinnerladies Series 2 Episode Guide

Rather than just repeating the usual six-episode set-up, Victoria decided to broaden the scope of the show for the second series, including ten instalments and setting each one on a specific date, allowing for a more cohesive overarching storyline.

dinnerladies Series 2 Episode Guide

1. Catering

Friday 9th April 1999
As if looking after a gormless work experience girl wasn't enough for Bren and her kitchen cohorts to deal with, the decorators have accidentally trapped Glenda the bread lady behind a fifteen-foot ladder and it's a race against the clock to free her before her weak bladder gives way. Cutting the ladder is the quickest solution, but they need permission from the ladder's owner who can't be reached by telephone.

2. Trouble

Monday 21st June 1999
There's trouble afoot after Jean's husband leaves her for a Welsh dental hygienist, prompting her to pick fights with everyone. Meanwhile, an anonymous bunch of flowers sent to Bren fuels rumours of a secret lover and Anita's continual stories about her new boyfriend start to bore everyone senseless. And, while all this is going on, Tony wants to invite Bren on holiday, but it's not as straightforward as he'd hoped.

3. Holidays

Thursday 5th August 1999
Everyone is very excited about their holidays. Bren and Tony are going to Marbella and Dolly's going on a luxury cruise, but then Petula's caravan blows up, prompting her to ask Bren for her holiday money to fix it. With her workmates urging her not to do it, Bren finds herself in a dilemma. Meanwhile, Stan is dealing with the recent death of his father and Dolly and Anita discuss breast implants and biryanis.

4. Fog

Monday 1st November 1999
The November fog has helped a convicted murderer to escape from Strangeways prison just a few miles away from the factory, causing some concern amongst the workers. Meanwhile, the National Blood Service is visiting to encourage people to donate, but Bren's secret fear of needles means she feels faint whenever they are mentioned and refuses to give blood. Her colleagues speculate that she might be pregnant.

5. Gamble

Tuesday 21st December 1999
Tony and Bren's developing relationship is the subject of a bet between the dinnerladies and the Planning department: if they 'get it on' before Christmas, the canteen staff win fifty pounds, so there's a lot at stake. Meanwhile, Philippa looks forward to 'getting it on' herself at Christmas, Dolly searches for novelty hot-water bottles and Anita's awful taste in Xmas presents appals the rest of the team.

6. Christmas

Thursday 23rd December 1999
into Friday 24th December 1999
After revealing that she was once married, Bren begins to doubt her relationship with Tony, and his secretive actions eventually make her decide to dump him and resign from the canteen. However, just as she is about to tell him, he reveals something completely unexpected. Meanwhile, Philippa has a crush on a co-worker and Anita mysteriously leaves before the work party with a mumbled excuse.

7. Minnellium

Friday 31st December 1999
Philippa gets impatient trying to organise the company's Millennium Meal and Jean's husband seems to want to reconcile. Meanwhile, Tony and Bren are trying to settle into their relationship, but the discovery of an abandoned baby on the fire escape (with a note asking for Bren to look after it) leaves her feeling miserable. Speculation about the baby's mystery mother arrives at Twinkle being the most likely candidate.

8. Christine

Monday 10th January 2000
into Friday 14th January 2000
With Anita away, new girl Christine joins the team. While Dolly is very taken with her, Christine's backhanded compliments and paranormal beliefs, combined with her dreadful personal hygiene, leave her very unpopular with the others. Meanwhile, Bren stands up to a social worker over Petula's living arrangements, Norman develops a fear of bread and Stan worries about his sexual prowess.

9. Gravy

Monday 7th February 2000
All the staff are moving on in their lives. Tony and Bren consider moving to Scotland, while Twinkle applies to become a lap dancer and Dolly makes plans to move to Cheshire. After Petula announces she has only three weeks left to live, Tony and Bren realise they don't have enough money for their move. But then Bren discovers that she has been accepted as a contestant on the quiz show Totally Trivial and there is a big cash prize.

10. Toast

Tuesday 29th February 2000
Philippa reveals that the canteen will be closing and the staff will lose their jobs. A nervous Bren sets out for the Totally Trivial studios and plans to stop at the hospital to visit her mother on the way. The staff tune in to watch Bren on TV, but she does not appear on the show and eventually arrives with a large rubbish bag and tells them that Petula has died. They all watch Petula's video will in which she reveals that there is money in the bag, but Dolly is horrified as she has thrown it away!