- Date First Aired: 16/10/1989
We come to a high-rise flat building and a woman lugging baggage up a staircase. This is Sharon Theodopolopodous, and she's stuck in a loveless marriage with the dodgy Chris, a man who takes money from Sharon. As they leave their house, Sharon notices that Chris has ditched their car for a better model. While driving, Chris causes an accident at a roundabout, but refuses to stop for it.
In contrast to Sharon, Tracey Stubbs, her sister, seems to have it all - a loving husband named Darryl, a nice luxurious lifestyle, and a son, named Garth. Whilst Chris and Darryl head off somewhere, Sharon and Tracey have the house to themselves. During this, they have a visitor - Dorien Green. Dorien decides upon a get-together so that they can get to know the neighbors better. During this, Chris and Darryl can be seen getting into another car...
The get-together does not go well, with Tracey getting annoyed, especially when she finds that Dorien has been having an affair with a toyboy. Making the day worse, Tracey gets a visit from the CID - Chris and Darryl have been arrested! While returning home, Chris' car was spotted by two policemen, who recognized it as the one that failed to stop for the earlier accident. Upon pulling the duo over, however, the coppers made another discovery - apparently, the men have been in a series of raids, meaning that little of their money was legit. The particular case which got them arrested however was a bank robbery.
The two go on trial and are found guilty. Darryl and Chris make things worse and end up in prison for 12 years. The poor girls go home, Tracey lamenting the new life that she would have to live without Darryl. Sharon offers to live with her, something which Tracey allows.
Tropes In This Episode:
- Accidental Misnaming:
- Sharon reminds Chris of the time he was so drunk that he called her Sonya during sex.
- Nobody (aside from Chris) knows how to pronounce Theodopolopodous.Sharon: Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright, I've been married to him for eight years an' I can't still pronounce it.
- Agony of the Feet: Sharon hurts her foot trying to put out a lit cigarette at the end of the episode.
- All There in the Script:
- Lisa, Detective Inspector Tatum, Detective Sergeant Coltrane, Rose and Dora's names aren't mentioned during the episode and only listed in the credits.
- In addition, Detective Inspector Tatum and Detective Sergeant Coltrane are given first names in the episode's script (which can be read in the book Shooting the Pilot) - Ron and Barry respectively.
- Auto Erotica: Chris had sex with Lisa in his car.
- Awful Wedded Life: Chris is lazy, demanding, unappreciative and takes money out of Sharon's purse, while Sharon verbally abuses him for doing so and being useless.
- Bank Robbery: Darryl and Chris stick up a bank and get arrested for it.
- Berserk Button: The fact that she can't have kids is one for Sharon.
- Big Fancy House: Tracey and Darryl's new home, Dalentrace.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: Dorien happily makes a comment about how her toyboy Luke "measures up".
- Blatant Lies: Sharon finds a pair of knickers in Chris' new car. What's his excuse?Chris: Last time I get you a romantic lit'le surprise!
- Contrived Coincidence: Chris and Darryl might have been imprisoned for armed robbery, but what gets them pulled over in the first place is the roundabout incident Chris caused at the beginning.
- Deadpan Snarker: Sharon almost every time Chris opens his mouth.Chris: Ooh, pardon me for breathing.Sharon: She might, I won't.
- Digging Yourself Deeper: Chris at his trial. When the judge has trouble pronouncing his surname, Chris calls him a "stupid old fart", the judge holds him in contempt of court and Chris responds, "Big deal, I'm down for a ten stretch anyway, am I?" resulting in his and Darryl's sentences being increased to twelve years.
- Drives Like Crazy:
- Chris swerves around a van and cuts off several cars. This ends up becoming the catalyst that gets him and Darryl arrested and ultimately imprisoned.
- Later he nearly mows down a pedestrian on a crosswalk, in front of the police to boot!
- Early Instalment Weirdness: The first series had a very odd title sequence, showing Sharon and Tracey standing together in a darkened room in a way that made them look more like lovers than sisters, while the theme song was performed by a man, in a very downbeat manner.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- We first see Chris lazing on the couch with no pants listening to loud Greek music who straight away complains Sharon took too long at the cleaners.
- Dorien's first scene has her invite herself into Dalentrace and immediately ask for help with an issue.
- Everybody Smokes: Tracey and Sharon smoke on Tracey's expensive sofas.
- Fee Fi Faux Pas: Dorien advises Tracey to fire her cleaner because she's too casual with her, only for Tracey to tell her that the 'cleaner' is actually her sister Sharon.
- Finding a Bra in Your Car: Sharon finds a pair of knickers in Chris' car, which he tries to play off as a gift to her.
- Happily Married: In comparison to Sharon and Chris' marriage, Tracey and Darryl's marriage appears to be this, with Tracey genuinely loving him.
- I Will Wait for You: Darryl and Chris ask their spouses to wait for them until they are released from prison - Tracey agrees, Sharon... not so much.
- Love at First Sight: Tracey and Darryl met in high school and have now been married for fourteen years.
- Mistaken for Servant: Dorien thought that Sharon was Tracey's cleaner until told otherwise.
- Mrs. Robinson: Dorien's toyboy Luke is far younger than her.
- Noodle Incident: The last time Sharon and Chris had sex he kept calling her Sonya.
- One-Shot Character: Detective Sergeant Coltrane, Rose and Dora.
- Overly Long Name: Theodopolopodous. Nobody knows how to pronounce it.Detective Inspector Tatum: Ah so, you're Sharon Theo... Theo-dolly-plops.
- Portmanteau: Tracey and Darryl's house is called "Dalentrace", which comes from both of their names.
- Pun: Detective Inspector Tatum makes a joke about "things that go bonk in the night" when talking about Dorien's sex aids.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tracey gives one to Dorien about her over-sexualised lifestyle.Tracey: I'm sorry Dorien, but I think it's all disgusting. You con me into 'avin' this party, you bring 'round all these 'orrible smutty gadgets and then you talk about knockin' off other fellas.
- Rich Language, Poor Language: Dorien has trouble understanding Tracey and Sharon's slang.Tracey: It's only the old Bill, innit?Dorien: Old Bill who?
- Rich Sibling, Poor Sibling: Tracey lives the life of Riley in a Big Fancy House, while her sister Sharon is stuck in a dingy council flat with a husband who steals from her purse.
- Sexless Marriage:
- Sharon mentions she and Chris hadn't had sex since Christmas.
- Marcus has been impotent since 1987. What a coincidence that it was the same time Dorien started moving onto toyboys.
- Shirtless Scene: Darryl has one during his swim.
- Shout-Out:
- Chris tells Sharon she's so full of hot air that she could be used to get one of Richard Branson's balloons in the air.
- Sharon complains Chris wouldn't notice her in bed even if she tattooed a picture of Gary Lineker onto her bum.
- Sharon remarks that not even Paul Daniels could put the magic back in her marriage.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Sharon against the other women on her floor.Sharon: It's alright ladies, no need to change the subject on my account. I know 'oo you're talkin' about.Rose: Well it ain't everyday we get an armed robber on our floor, is it?Sharon: Yeah, you normally have to do with drunks and wife-beaters, like your Alf.Dora: Where's the money from all these raids, that's wha' I'd like to know. You don't fool us by walkin' around in all ya cheap clothes from the market. The Sun reckons you must be sittin' on 'alf a million.Sharon: And if I was, do you think I'd still be livin' in this khazi?
- Take That!: Tracey complains about Tupperware when she thinks she has to try and help Dorien sell some.
- Verbed Title: The title of the episode is "Nicked".
