Series 5 February 2nd - July 1985 (10am - 11.20 am, except 18th May: 9.30am - 11am ) Ethel Davis Sandi Toksvig Harry Stern Nick Staverson Dawn Lodge Andrea Arnold Neil Neil Buchanan Kim Kim Goody Also featuring:   Martin Edwards Richard Addison Hazel Edwards Jeannie Crowther Fred the Postman Tony Aitken Tony Deal Nick Wilton Eazi Target Tony Hippolyte Frederick Crossfield Michael Maynard

Ethel's bank manager, Frederick Crossfield, made regular appearances in this series, in which he became her unlikely suitor. The wedding episode ('Ding-Dong') was the last show, featuring a host of celebrity wedding guests - 5 Star, King, Bucks Fizz, Junior... As it turned out, they both stood each other up (shades of the Mavis and Derek storyline in Coronation Street the previous year), but this wasn't revealed till the beginning of the next series.

Roman Around, the first of this year's 'Front Door Productions'.

SERIES 5 FASCINATING FACTS! Among this year's 'Front Door Productions' were Roman Around, The Three Musketeers, and something about Pirates. Roman Around was filmed at Hever Castle in Kent (surprise) and featured "the four from No. 73 playing 34 different parts between them!" Sandi Toksvig confessed "Now I've got a few of these productions under my belt, I'm writing them much quicker as I'm more sure of what will make the audience laugh, and exactly how far we can go... The trickiest thing about writing these stories is making sure that you don't end up with scenes where two characters talking to each other are both supposed to be played by the same actor!" (Look-In, February 2nd.)

• 73 was broadcast in 'Aromavision' on June 15th, via an Aromapack which came free with TV Times. This was a preview of an item to be featured on "The Real World" - the TVS science show starring ex-Tomorrow's World presenter Michael Rodd - which was itself a follow-up to their earlier 3D spectacular.
• The four lucky viewers of this year's Super Sleuth competition won a 10 day trip to San Francisco.

• According to Look-In (18th February): "For Nick Staverson and Neil Buchanan, the early arrival of the new series of No. 73 meant a slight postponement of dreams of pop stardom! The twosome had been spending their time off getting some demo tapes ready to take round record companies.
• "Says Nick: 'Neil and I work really well together. He's quite a musician and has written the numbers, while I've been taught to sing so I handle the vocals. We had just got to the stage where we felt we had something to show for our efforts, when it was back to No. 73, earlier than usual. The delay won't be that serious really, because Neil and I are seeing each other practically every day, so we can still discuss things.'
• "Since talking to Nick, word has reached us that there are a few record labels interested in the duo's work, so it shouldn't be long before they get into your local record shop!"
• It was.

An exclusive behind-the-scenes piccy from the wedding episode. Note, on the back wall, the frieze of the entire street drawn by young viewer Nic Ayling - now a television producer himself at the famed Maidstone studios!

(Isn't that Kevin Spacey standing next to Neil Buchanan?)

Picture courtesy and (C) Gary Rose (ex-TVS Telecine, now Maidstone Studios VTR)