About this season
From 1959 to 1961, the lives of five telephone operators in Derby.
Episodes (8)
1. First Day
Aired 5 September 1996 • 30 min
On her first day at work, Sylvia is befriended by Chris Cross, a fellow operator whose mind is more on play than pay.
2. The Saturday Shift
Aired 12 September 1996 • 30 min
Sylvia experiences both her first pay packet and her first Saturday shift - when rules are more relaxed under just one supervisor. A chance call from the local barracks leads to a disastrous blind date.
3. The Teletones
Aired 19 September 1996 • 30 min
Ronni is fed up with the old-fashioned music that switchboard supervisor Miss Armitage makes them sing in the GPO choir. She decides to set up an alternative-the Teletones, a group modelled on the Beverley Sisters. Dick gets the girls a booking but the date clashes with the choir concert.
4. Listening In
Aired 26 September 1996 • 30 min
Sylvia discovers that the engineers have wired up the girls' private line to a loud speaker and are listening in to all their intimate calls, including details of Pam's affair with her driving instructor Cyril.
5. Baslow 212
Aired 3 October 1996 • 30 min
An emergency meeting is called when the supervisors discover that the girls have been listening in to the secret Baslow line used by royalty and top ministers.
6. The Occasion Cake
Aired 10 October 1996 • 30 min
A boxed cake is brought to the exchange by Miss Marriott and left in the supervisors' room. The girls try to find out who the cake is for, but disaster follows.
7. The Emergency Call
Aired 17 October 1996 • 30 min
Sylvia has to forget her personal problems when a suicidal caller comes through and she has to keep her talking while an attempt is made to trace the number.
8. Miss GPO Personality 1959
Aired 24 October 1996 • 30 min
Derby's exchange is requested to put forward a competitor for the GPO Personality of the Year and Chris and Sylvia are both nominated as candidates for the regional competition. Chris seems to have most at stake - she is determined to prove to the exchange that she is more than just a pretty face.