5C's imaginations are fired up by a wildlife documentary. Mr.Hedges suggest they 'adopt' one of the animals at the local zoo. They choose a 'gerboa', a small, jumping rodent more commonly known as a 'desert rat'. They christen it Norman. Naturally, Potter is not happy about the situation.
The class grow to love the animal - Maureen even makes a woollen garment for it to wear in winter - but then Mr.Hedges receives bad news - 'Norman' has passed away, and it falls on him to have to inform 5C...
One of the great things about 'Please Sir!' was the quality of the writing. In many ways, it was more like a soap, with story lines carrying over from one episode to the next. Here Mr.Cromwell and Smithy are still not speaking to one another, a state of affairs begun in the previous episode when Smithy was relieved of his duties as 'Sports Master'. Other sitcoms would have quietly ditched the idea.
Despite the sad ending, the episode skillfully avoids sentimentality. To cheer up 5C, Hedges takes them round the zoo. Maureen and Mr.Hedges get to ride a camel ( providing her with a golden opportunity to wrap her arms round him! ), Abbott is menaced by a rhino, and Dennis walks out with a chimpanzee on his arm! Funniest moment - Potter corrects Abbott's spelling after the latter has daubed graffiti, then realises that it is his own name!
The class grow to love the animal - Maureen even makes a woollen garment for it to wear in winter - but then Mr.Hedges receives bad news - 'Norman' has passed away, and it falls on him to have to inform 5C...
One of the great things about 'Please Sir!' was the quality of the writing. In many ways, it was more like a soap, with story lines carrying over from one episode to the next. Here Mr.Cromwell and Smithy are still not speaking to one another, a state of affairs begun in the previous episode when Smithy was relieved of his duties as 'Sports Master'. Other sitcoms would have quietly ditched the idea.
Despite the sad ending, the episode skillfully avoids sentimentality. To cheer up 5C, Hedges takes them round the zoo. Maureen and Mr.Hedges get to ride a camel ( providing her with a golden opportunity to wrap her arms round him! ), Abbott is menaced by a rhino, and Dennis walks out with a chimpanzee on his arm! Funniest moment - Potter corrects Abbott's spelling after the latter has daubed graffiti, then realises that it is his own name!