London's Burning (TV series)

thumb|250px|Filming an interior scene at Jacob Street Studios

right|thumb|250px|This [[Shelvoke & Drewry fire engine featured in series 1 and 2]]

London's Burning is a British television drama programme, produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network. It was based on the 1986 TV movie of the same name, and focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch, at the fictional Blackwall fire station. It began with the movie (pilot), broadcast on 7 December 1986. This was then followed by a total of 14 series, which ran from 20 February 1988 to 25 August 2002.

By 2002, it was one of ITV's longest running TV programmes, after Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Bill.

Movie

Jack Rosenthal's original two-hour TV movie, directed by Les Blair, was broadcast on ITV on 7 December 1986. The Broadwater Farm riot, in north London, was one inspiration for the screenplay. Unlike the final years of the London's Burning TV series, the movie (along with the following early TV series), was a black comedy that also examined serious issues, primarily that while female and Black, Asian and minority ethnic firefighters had to deal with prejudice on the job, the prejudices in their own families and neighbourhoods could be far worse.

The series

Series 1–3 (1988–1990)

The TV show was a weekly episodic drama that began on 20 February 1988. Paul Knight was the show's producer. Knight appointed writers such as Anita Bronson, David Humphries, Simon Sharkey, and Tony Hoare. Directors included Gerry Poulson, Gerry Mill, John Reardon, Keith Washington and Alan Wareing. The camera crews had to be committed and cautious when working with fire. Emergencies—or 'shouts'—would not only be fires, but included a range of incidents from cats up trees to major road accidents. Each episode ran for 50 minutes (one hour with advertisement breaks). The first series (1988) consisted of five episodes while the second series (1989) and the third series (1990) consisted of eight episodes. These series episodes were mostly filmed at Dockhead fire station in Bermondsey in London, and used actual firefighters working shifts as extras for the programme. A studio near the station was used for crowded mess scenes, but they also used the fire station's actual mess, bay and watchroom throughout the series.

'Ding Dong Merrily' Christmas special

A Christmas special was transmitted between series 1 and series 2 on 25 December 1988, on ITV. The special followed Blue Watch on duty on Christmas Day.

'Stunts and Stars' documentary

A special 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary, which originally aired on 8 September 1991, marked the launch of the fourth series. This documentary was also released onto VHS video, by Clear Vision Video. It was then added as a DVD extra, on the Series 4 DVD release by Network.

Series 4 (1991)

In 1991, LWT commissioned 10 episodes for Series 4, which became the most popular series of the drama. Paul Knight had appointed Brian Clark as the Fire Brigade Advisor and, along with the writers and directors, he decided on a climax to the fourth series. The psychological state of one of the main characters deteriorates after being buried alive under a collapsed wall whilst at a spectacular 20-pump warehouse fire. Series 4's climax won the programme its record rating of 18.86 million viewers.

Series 5 (1992)

Each series now included a major disaster or "shout". In Episode 1 of Series 5 (1992), the drive mechanism of a Ferris wheel ride at a fairground is jammed by a troublesome youth (played by Liam McGuire) armed with an iron bar. The ride collapses into the electrical roof of a bumper car ride, which sparks fuel tanks resulting in a huge fire whilst people are trapped in the crushed metal. The series attracted 17 million viewers.

Series 6–9 (1993–1996)

In the early 1990s, the ratings averaged 17–18 million viewers. In 1995 (Series 8), ratings fell to 16 million viewers.

Paul Knight decided it was time for a real shock—a tragic exit for one of the main characters, who had starred in the show for nearly ten years. The man who was to be killed was Sub Officer John Hallam—a dedicated and loyal member of the watch and the London Fire Brigade. Hallam was killed off in 1996 (Series 9) during a huge warehouse fire, where he and a colleague, Leading Firefighter Geoff Pearce, were attempting to rescue four teenage girls on an unstable gantry above a blaze in the basement. Hallam held the gantry steady for Pearce as he walked across with one of the girls. As Hallam attempted to cross, the gantry cracked and Hallam fell to his death. The writers developed a storyline about Pearce feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt after the accident, which would lead to him considering a transfer. Series 9 attracted 16.8 million viewers.

Sally Reid (Sara Powell; series 6–7) – Sally was the watch's first female driver. She was very athletic and a strong swimmer. Her boyfriend, Eddie, was a drug dealer. She refused to continue their relationship, as her association with him led to her flat being raided by the police. She briefly got together with Kevin Medhurst, but they could not make it last. Sally left Blackwall to take care of her sick father.
Jack Morgan (Clive Wood; series 9–11) – Jack joined Blue Watch in Series 9 as Bayleaf's replacement. At first Jack appeared taciturn and mysterious; rumours about his past abounded. It turned out that Jack had had a tragic experience at a previous station, when a colleague died after his BA cylinder ran out of air. Jack's testimony at the subsequent inquiry led to a Station Officer being dismissed. This made Jack sensitive to dangers and willing to abandon his duties to save a colleague. His previous career in the navy had also seen a tragedy, and after Hallam's death it led to him cruelly being described as a "Jonah" by some of the other firefighters, including Pitbull. Jack had been married to Linda, with whom he had a son named Stephen (played by Clive Wood's real-life son, Daniel Maiden-Wood), but they had since divorced and Linda had married Ian. As the series progressed Jack showed a more malevolent side and enjoyed winding up other watch members, which led to him and Recall coming to blows. Jack and Linda briefly re-kindled their passion but she left him when she realised she still loved her husband, Ian. Jack later had a nervous breakdown while on a shout but quickly recovered. Linda came to tell him that she was moving to America with Stephen and Ian; realising Stephen would have a better life over there than in London, Jack gave them his blessing. Jack quit Blackwall before series 12 to follow Stephen to the USA.
Chris 'Skippy' Newman (Brad Clayton; series 9) Skippy joined Blue Watch in Series 9 as Kevin's replacement. He was born in Perth, Australia and as such was given the nickname 'Skippy' after Blue Watch held a raffle to decide his nickname. Good-natured and likeable, he helped talk down a young woman who was threatening to jump off a building. The next day, she turned up at Blackwall and gave him her phone number. He became friends with Billy Ray and took Billy in when he was beaten up. Skippy suffered serious injuries in the appliance crash at the end of series 9 and was forced to leave the brigade and moved back to Australia.
Gregg Blake (Steven Houghton; series 10) Gregg hailed from Sheffield, and was a replacement for Skippy after the Watch's road accident in Series 9. He was an excellent singer and guitarist, and was very successful at a local talent night with his rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings". He started going out with Tiggy, whom he met during a 'shout' at an art gallery when a faulty sprinkler system flooded the art gallery, and who turned out to be the daughter of an MP. While on standby at Upham Fire Station, Gregg accidentally set fire to the station by putting a circuit breaker back in place, without realising it had been removed because it was faulty. He eventually owned up when the watch were challenged about it, but before disciplinary action could be taken against him, he decided to leave the brigade. This decision came after he was injured in an explosion at a bus depot fire. Tiggy sat at his bedside in hospital and told him she could not bear to be with a man who one day might not get back from work.
Sally 'Gracie' Fields (Heather Peace; series 11–14) – Sally joined Blue Watch in Series 11. She was late for work on her first day, which got her off on the wrong foot with Pearce, who was Acting Station Officer at the time. Sally became involved with Leading Firefighter Dan Barratt but she was more attracted to Joe Walker. Sally had a flatmate called Yvonne who had applied to join the brigade at the same time as Sally but was not accepted. This left her feeling bitter and jealous of Sally and she meddled in her life at Blackwall by trying to take advantage of Joe's crush on Sally and then sleeping with Temporary Station Officer Chris Hammond. Her behaviour left Sally furious and she and Yvonne parted company.
Joe Walker (Jim Alexander; series 11–12) – Joe joined Blue Watch at the beginning of series 11, along with Dan Barratt and Sally Fields. He was attracted to Sally, and was jealous when she started going out with Dan. However, Sally and Dan split up, and she began a rocky relationship with Joe. He proved to be something of a homophobe when Hyper revealed that he was gay. He proposed to Sally near the end of Series 12, and she accepted his proposal on a 'shout', just as they were about to re-enter a blazing Chinese fireworks factory. Moments later, an explosion ripped through the building, killing Joe instantly.
Ronnie 'Hi-Ho' Silver (Fuman Dar; series 12–13) Hi-Ho was initially a firefighter at Shadbrook Fire Station, where he crewed their Turntable Ladder appliance. During Series 12, while their station was being renovated, he worked on standby at Blackwall along with Carmen, the leading firefighter on his Watch. Hi-Ho joined Blue Watch permanently in Series 13, following the deaths of Joe Walker and Sicknote. He was frequently noted for his cheeky, mischievous humour. Hi-Ho was left devastated in Series 13, when he tried to rescue a girl from a flat fire and she died from her injuries. He considered resigning from the brigade, but Geoff Pearce found a way to change his mind. Pearce took Hi-Ho to a cemetery, where a huge plaque, dedicated to the London Fire Brigade, listed the names of many firefighters who had given their lives for their jobs. They also examined newer graves, which provided close-to-home examples of such bravery, in particular the graves of Joe, Sicknote, and Sub Officer John Hallam. Hi-Ho realised how many firefighters in the brigade would rather die than run away from pressure and tragedy, and he quickly withdrew his decision to resign. However, he had left Blackwall for unexplained reasons by the beginning of series 14.
Adam Benjamin (Sam Callis; series 13–14) Adam joined Blue Watch in Series 13 as Sicknote's replacement. Already a veteran firefighter, he started out as Temporary Crew Commander, although this position was later handed to Sally Fields. Adam was very much a ladies' man – a trait which backfired on him in Series 14 after a girl he met in the pub drugged his drink and stole his wallet. He worked with Elaine Reeve in the Oliver Twist pub, later becoming a joint landlord with her. Elaine confessed that she was actually Adam's mother, and this led to complications in Adam's friendship with Recall, who had begun dating Elaine.
Melissa Clark (Katy Odey; series 13) With Blue Watch for a short time.
Charlie Mead (Terry Alderton; series 14) Charlie was a bit of a prankster and liked to have a laugh, although on certain occasions, he took it too far. Charlie part-owned a fish and chip shop with his brother Dom. The business proved problematic for both of them, as Dom did not feel that Charlie put enough time into the place while working as a firefighter as well.
Frank Mooney (Tristan Gemmill; series 14) Frank was mysterious and liked to keep himself to himself. He never seemed to join-in with the Watch and was reminded by Station Officer Mick Callaghan that they should all work as a team. Frank proved to be a nasty piece of work and got involved with the criminal underworld and worked as a debt collector for Jimmy and ended up murdering a man. On every occasion possible, Frank tried to undermine Mick's authority on the watch and in his home life, having an affair with Mick's manic depressive wife, Shauna.
Craig Ross (Leon Black; series 14) Craig arrived at Blackwall as Recall's replacement in Series 14, and was immediately subjected to pranks by the rest of the watch. The reality of the job hit him hard when he discovered his first dead body during a flat fire. He continued to have visions of the victim after the 'shout', which led to him crashing his car and ending up in hospital.
Vernon 'Cling Film' Chivers (Chris Larner; series 8–12) Cling Film worked at Borough Street Fire Station, first appearing in Series 8. He was never a permanent member of Blue Watch, but frequently stood in for absent watch members. He was something of a loner who lived in his camper van on his driveway. Though essentially harmless, he was a bore whose nasal voice and nerdish demeanour made him a considerable irritant to those around him. He struck up a friendship with Geoff Pearce, who, like Cling Film, struggled to fit in with the watch. He had an ex-wife called Noreen, a religious extremist who was convinced that Cling Film was the "spawn of the devil". She set his camper van on fire and Blue Watch convinced him he should move in as Recall's lodger, much to the latter's chagrin. Noreen turned up at Recall's house and tied Cling Film and Geoff up and was threatening them with a kitchen knife until Recall came home and threw her out. Cling Film got into an argument on the fireground with Dan Barratt in Series 11 after Dan accused him of mishandling the hydraulic platform during a rescue. Although Cling Film and Geoff saw less of each other after Geoff and Fiona got together, he returned in series 12 for Geoff's stag night.

Other guest senior officers

Assistant Chief Officer William Bulstrode (Gareth Thomas, 1989–1994) – Bulstrode was an archetypal Fire Officer who, like Station Officer Tate, saw himself as a "dinosaur" of the London Fire Brigade. Bulstrode was remembered for many significant incidents during his time as ACO. In series 2 he reprimanded Tate and Scase for a disagreement on a shout, when the Station Officer took charge of the incident from the ADO. Bulstrode privately agreed with Tate and transferred Scase away. In series 3, he led the investigation into an order given by Malcolm that led to Vaseline's death, but was quick to concur with the enquiry's recommendation of the minimum penalty – an informal warning. In the penultimate episode of series 4, Bulstrode took charge of a 20 pump incident from DACO Humble after Hallam and Bayleaf were buried alive when a wall collapsed on them. In series 5, he showed a sense of humour when Hallam conned Colin into believing he needed to submit a request form to Bulstrode for permission to get married. Though Nick Georgiadis disagreed with the prank, Bulstrode played along and gave Colin permission in front of the watch. In series 6, he was given a shock when he found out that Georgiadis was dating his daughter. This did not affect their professional standing and he offered Nick an Area Staff position which he turned down at the time. Bulstrode's final appearance came in series 7 when, before retiring, he personally told the now DO Scase what he really thought of him, by stating that Tate had been a real firefighter but that he had no idea what the paperwork-loving Scase was.
Assistant Chief Officer Baxter (Roger Blake, 1995–1998) – Baxter was appointed as the new ACO in 1995 following Bulstrode's retirement. Baxter arrived at the position with the intent of modernising the area. He was instrumental in instigating the Blackwall firefighters' training for the brigade helicopter and for having Blue Watch's long-time nemesis DO Scase removed from his position.
Divisional Officer Eddie Quinn (Mark Moraghan, 1995–1996) – Following Scase's reprimand and move sideways in 1995, Quinn was welcomed as a more approachable Divisional Officer and commanded a lot of respect from the firefighters at Blackwall. Quinn was an old friend of Station Officer Nick Georgiadis and supported the Blackwall governor through a difficult time after his fiancée Ariadne died and he struggled to adapt following the birth of his son Costas. DO Quinn was also remembered for dealing with the ordeal of Maggie being attacked by Kevin Medhurst's brother Mickey, in addition investigating Billy when he was injured on a Shout and playing a hands-on role in assisting the council in re-housing tenants from a fire hazardous property, during which he was also able to ensure the arrest of the landlord. Quinn was replaced by Chapman in 1996, but continued to remain in touch with Nick and was last mentioned in series 10, when he was up for a position with the fire service department within the Home Office.
Divisional Officer Tom Chapman (Graham Sinclair, 1996–2001) (Later Senior Divisional Officer and ACO Chapman) – Chapman became DO in 1996 and was potentially considered the most hands-on and longest serving Divisional Officer. Like his predecessor DO Quinn, Chapman commanded a lot of respect from the team at Blackwall and was apparently good friends with Nick Georgiadis. Chapman supported the Watch through the events following the death of Sub Officer Hallam and in series 10 persuaded Nick to go for promotion to ADO. In series 11, Chapman intervened during a fire at a cinema, between ADO Georgiadis and Temporary Station Officer Hammond and ordered all crews out of the fire, but was unable to prevent Nick from going back into the cinema to save his fiancée Marianne and son Costas which led to his death. Following this Chapman gave a vote of confidence to Temporary Station Officer Hammond, but then retracted it following a discovery the latter was involved in illegal gambling. Before moving on to the position of Senior Divisional Officer, he gave the vote of confidence back to the Blue Watch Temporary Governor. In series 12, when now in the position of Acting Assistant Chief Officer, he agreed with the decision of now Station Officer John Coleman to pull the crew out of a blaze, over-ruling the orders of new Divisional Officer Griggs. The decision came too late, however, to prevent the deaths of firefighters Bert 'Sicknote' Quigley and Joe Walker. Chapman's last appearance came in series 13, now apparently the permanent ACO when he visited Blackwall to see Sally Fields after she was raped by Sean Bateman.
Divisional Officer Griggs (Simon Merrells, 2000–2001) – DO Griggs was considered one of the more controversial senior officers during his tenure. He was originally appointed to investigate the allegation of assault by firefighter Stuart 'Recall' McKenzie to a hotel manager during a blaze. Griggs was a former watch rival at a station where he and Temporary Station Officer Chris Hammond had been placed. Following Chapman's departure on promotion, Griggs was appointed as the new Divisional Officer responsible for overseeing Blackwall, Borough Street and Charlton. In the final episode of series 12 Griggs gave an order for the blue team to continue with BA procedure during a fire, despite Station Officer John Coleman's objections, stating the team needed a rest. His orders were subsequently over-ruled by now Acting ACO Chapman; however, the order led to the death of firefighters Bert 'Sicknote' Quigley and Joe Walker. Griggs was cleared in the subsequent inquiry and he went on to investigate the assault by the Red Watch Commander on Firefighter Sally 'Gracie' Fields in series 13, and supported his subsequent dismissal and arrest.
Assistant Divisional Officer Scase (Cliff Howells, 1989, 1994–1995) (Later Divisional Officer Scase) – Scase became Station Commander at Blackwall in series 2, having transferred from the North of England. He was highly unpleasant and abrasive, and his efforts to stamp discipline into the Watch made him unpopular. On a 'shout' at the Thames, Scase insisted on first making the area safe by having some loose scaffolding lashed, disregarding the fact that several trapped men would soon be drowned by the incoming tide. Tate finally lost his temper with the obnoxious Station Commander and took charge of the rescue himself, but not before angrily accusing Scase of being "inept" and "high and mighty". Scase reported Tate to HQ for insubordination, and both men were reprimanded for their actions by ACO Bulstrode. However, Bulstrode privately agreed with Tate's perspective, and had Scase transferred away from Blackwall. Scase returned in Series 7 as a Divisional Officer, using every excuse to make trouble for Blue Watch. His attitude only earned him a telling off from new ACO Baxter, who believed Scase's methods were as out-of-date as Scase had believed Tate and Bulstrode to be. Scase was not seen again after this, but it was mentioned that he had been reduced to a car park manager at HQ.
Assistant Divisional Officer Patrick Davies (Douglas McFerran, 1997–1998) – ADO Davies was seen at Blackwall throughout series 10. He was a senior officer within the brigade's Health and Safety department, and was responsible for conducting a safety audit of Blackwall fire station. Davies knew Sub Officer Carole Webb, who had worked with the Health and Safety team prior to joining Blue Watch and tricked her into having an affair, after making her believe his marriage had ended. When Carole discovered the truth, she was able to blackmail him into signing a confession.
Dave Grant (Barry McCormick; series 9) – Station Officer at nearby Charlton Fire Station. He was occasionally seen at shouts with Blue Watch. Grant was also known as a gossip. According to Nick Georgiadis: "[there are] 6000 firefighters in the Brigade, and Dave Grant thinks he knows everything about all of them, and what he doesn't know he makes up." Grant clashed with firefighter Jack Morgan after taunting Jack about being a Jonah.

Other recurring characters

Marion Cartwright (Helen Blizard, 1986–1992) – Marion was Vaseline's third wife (and also the third named Marion), who married him in the movie. She frequently fought with Vaseline over his moonlighting and womanising, and was left to raise their son on her own after he was killed on a 'shout'. She later had relationships with Kevin Medhurst and Technique, but eventually decided she wanted to be get away from the brigade completely.
Carmen Miller – (Nimmy March (Lady Naomi Gordon-Lennox), 2000) – Carmen was leading firefighter at Shadbrook Fire Station. She was sometimes seen at big shouts attended by Blackwall Blue Watch. Carmen wore sub-officer marking at the Hotel fire; however, when the TL was stationed at Blackwall, she wore the markings of a leading hand. Carmen led Shadbrook's bid to be named the best looking fire station in London, in competition with Blackwall. To gain an edge, Carmen loaned Blackwall toxic compost, which killed all their plants. In retaliation, Blackwall stole all Shadbrook's flowers. Along with Hi-Ho, she was stationed at Blackwall with the turntable ladder while Shadbrook was closed for appliance bay repairs. She also had a relationship with Dan Barratt.
Raymond 'Pitbull' Darby – (Al Hunter Ashton, 1995–2001) – Pitbull was transferred to Red Watch, Blackwall, from Borough Street in Series 8 as Jaffa's replacement after he failed his medical. He was a loud mouthed serial bully, always making fun of other people's bad luck. He sometimes referred to Blue Watch as 'girls' or 'sisters'. He wanted to be Union Rep in Series 9, but lost out to Recall by one vote. He showed a rare streak of compassion for Sally Fields in Series 13 after the Red Watch Sub Officer, Sean Bateman, raped her at her flat.
Donna (Paddy Navin, 1988–1989) – girlfriend of Charisma, who proved hard to move on.
Marianne Frankel (Minna Aaltonen, 1996–1998) – Marianne was a member of the Dutch Fire Brigade who lusts after Nick 'Zorba' Georgiadis.
Kelly Green (Vanessa Pett, 1990–2001) George Green's wife.
Sandra Hallam (Kim Clifford, 1986–1997) – widow of John Hallam.
Gary 'Technique' Pagnall (Craig Fairbrass, 1990–1992) – A bodybuilding-obsessed Blackwall firefighter who had an affair with Vaseline's widow Marion.
Jaffa Parrish (Alan Talbot, 1988–2000) – Jaffa was a member of Red Watch at Blackwall, and the uncle of Colin Parrish. Jaffa had to leave the brigade in Series 7 after being injured on a 'shout' to a propane cylinder storage yard. He was with Blue Watch, standing in for George, and was in the pump when it was hit by a gas cylinder, badly burning him. Though he recovered, he was eventually taken off duty due to the trauma he had suffered. George felt guilty over the accident, but Jaffa dismissed his worries. He later took over as landlord of the Watch's favourite pub.
Fiona Pearce (Helen Anderson, 1997–2002) – Fiona made her first appearance in Series 10 to test a new quieter siren on Blackwall's pump ladder. Geoff Pearce made friends with her and their relationship grew. They married in Series 12 and had a baby daughter named Eve in Series 13.
Jean Quigley (Joanne Zorian, 1986; Amanda Dickinson, 1988–2000) – Jean was the long-suffering wife of pompous hypochondriac Bert "Sicknote" Quigley. Bert moved out of their house in Series 2, as he believed Jean was having an affair with Dominic, a member of their amateur dramatics group who outstripped Bert both in looks and talent. Bert was later in trouble with Jean for supposedly having an affair with another group member, Cynthia. On both occasions, they patched things up successfully. Jean became pregnant in Series 11, but had a miscarriage. To compensate for their grief, Bert suggested they should try fostering a child, which they did in Series 12.
Dorothy Sanderson (Carol Harrison, 1988–1989) – Dorothy was married to Tony Sanderson. She was a persistent shopaholic, and Tony was frequently horrified at the amounts of useless shopping she would bring home.
Nancy Tate (Yvonne Edgell, 1986–1990) – Sid Tate's wife and a LFB Control Centre dispatcher. She and Sid briefly fostered disabled child Paul shortly before Sid's forced retirement from the brigade.
Maggie Warboys (Shirley Greenwood, 1988–2001) – Station cook. Motherly but flighty, Maggie was abandoned by her husband Albie and later appeared to take up with a young Thai man, before meeting her second husband, Derek, who took her surname.
Clare Wilson (Valerie Holliman, 1989–1996) – Bayleaf's second wife.
Linda (Sian Radinger, 1996–1998) – ex-wife of Jack Morgan.
Elaine Reeve (Sharon Duce, 2001–2002) – Adam's mother and Recall's fiancée.
Nicky Parrish (Katy Stephens, 1997–1998) – Jaffa Parrish's niece who came to work at his pub. He wasn't happy when she started having a relationship with Jack Morgan.
Yvonne Bradley (Jane Hazlegrove, 1998) – Flatmate and best friend of firefighter Sally 'Gracie' Fields. She applied to join the London Fire Brigade at the same time as Sally but had been rejected, which made her resentful of Sally's success in the job. She also had an affair with Blackwall Station Officer Chris Hammond.
Patti Pearce (Yvonne O'Grady, 1993–1996) – Geoff's first wife.
Jacqui Parker (Sharon Gavin, 1998–2000).
Evgenia Estafis (Sonia Graham, 1995–1997) – Mother of Ariadne, and grandmother of Nick Georgiadis's son Costas.
Tiggy (Anouka Brook, 1997) – girlfriend of Firefighter Gregg Blake.
Kate the LFB Call Centre Operator (Natalie Robb, 2001) – both Adam and Hi-Ho flirted with her.

Locations

left|thumb|Dockhead Fire Station in 2010

The earlier series used Dockhead Fire Station (opened in the 1928) at 8 Wolseley Street, London SE1, as the exterior for Blackwall. The Jacob Street studio is opposite, housing a full scale reproduction of the mess, built by Colin Monk. The actual station mess was also used in the series, as were many other parts of the station and its actual firefighters.

To this day Dockhead is still an operational fire station, with just one pump ladder and the South East Area Command Unit (callsigned E341 & CU4), but the original station was demolished and rebuilt by the London Fire Brigade in 2016 to allow for the brigade's redevelopment and modernisation. The crew and pump ladder were temporarily located at the nearby Deptford Fire Station for the duration of the work, as Old Kent Road fire station (shown as Borough Street station in the series) was also being rebuilt. The Swan and Sugar Loaf pub, located opposite the station and which featured as the firefighters' local pub in the early series was converted into flats in the early 90s. This necessitated a move to The Ship Aground pub located next door to the station, which still exists to this day.

The location of the original fictional Blackwall fire station is about 800m from Tower Bridge but approximately 6 miles from the eponymous real life Blackwall. Locations used throughout the show were ostensibly filmed around the London postal district of SE16 at a time when the London Docklands Development Corporation were redeveloping the derelict areas of east and south east London. Notable filming locations include Chambers Wharf, Surrey Quays and Bermondsey.

The restaurant opened by Mike 'Bayleaf' Wilson in series 8 was filmed on location at The Chequers Inn, Deal, Kent.

From series 13 the original Blackwall station was revealed to have closed down and relocated. The final 2 series used the exterior of Leyton Fire Station and the Oliver Twist pub opposite. The new station location was far closer to the real London district of Blackwall than the previous set.

DVD releases

All series of London's Burning were released between 2005 and 2011.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:70%; left:0 auto; text-align:center;"

!colspan="2" rowspan="2"|DVD Title

!rowspan="2"|Disc No.

!rowspan="2"|Year

!rowspan="2"|# of episodes

!colspan="3"|DVD release

!Region 2

| style="height:20px; background:#cd6600; width:10px;"|

|Series 1

|1986, 1988

|7 (5 + Pilot and Christmas Special)

|23 May 2005

| style="background:#369; height:20p;"|

|Series 2

|1989

|24 October 2005

| style="background:#096; height:20px;"|

|Series 3

|1990

|10 July 2006

| style="background:#9933cd; height:20px;"|

|Series 4

|1991

|10

|15 January 2007

| style="background:#099; height:20px;"|

|Series 5

|1992

|10

|6 August 2007

| style="background:#cd0000; height:20px;"|

|Series 6

|1993

|10

|21 January 2008

| style="background:#693; height:20px;"|

|Series 7

|1994

|15

|14 April 2008

| style="background:#339; height:20px;"|

|Series 8

|1995

|15

|11 August 2008

| style="background:#960; height:20px;"|

|Series 9

|1996–1997

|15

|20 October 2008

| style="background:#3366cd; height:20px;"|

|Series 10

|1997–1998

|18

|2 February 2009

| style="background:#cd0099; height:20px;"|

|Series 11

|1998–1999

|16

|29 June 2009

| style="background:#093; height:20px;"|

|Series 12

|2000

|16

|25 January 2010

| style="background:#f90; height:20px;"|

|Series 13

|2001

|16

|15 March 2010

| style="background:#96f; height:20px;"|

|Series 14

|2002

|31 May 2010

| style="height:20px; background:#000; width:10px;"|

|Series 1–7

|20

|1986, 1988–1994

|68

|19 October 2009

| style="height:20px; background:#000; width:10px;"|

|Series 8–14

|28

|1995–2002

|104

|4 April 2011

References

External links

Blackwall Fire Station London's Burning web site