| Jenn and Jane | |
| Genre | Situation Comedy |
| Created by | John Brenner & Helen DeVall |
| Starring | Gertrude Holloway
Vivienna Sampleton |
| Opening Theme | Jenn & Jane Theme Song |
| Location | Richmond-on-Thames, Surrey |
| Country Of Origin | United Kingdom |
| Number Of Episodes | 55 (original run)
102 (second run) 7 (specials, +1 unaired) |
| Running Time | 30 minutes (regular episodes)
60 minutes (specials) |
| Original Channel: | BBC Two (original run)
BBC One (second run + specials) |
| Original Air Date | September 5th 1982 - December 24th 1990 (original run)
January 20th 1996 - September 5th 2012 (second run) December 25th 2013 - present (specials) |
| Produced by | BBC Productions |
| Directed by | Various |
Jenn and Jane is a British situation comedy television series created by John Brenner and Helen DeVall that originally aired on BBC Two between 1982 and 1990, before returning to BBC One in 1996. The series stars Gertrude Holloway as Jennifer "Jenn" Manford and Vivienna Sampleton as Jane Barker, two middle-aged women who have recently become single, Jenn a widow and Jane a divorcée. The series aired for 9 instalments between 1982 and 1990 on BBC Two, before ending with a Christmas special, also airing in 1990. The show then returned in 1996, this time on BBC One, and aired a series annually until 2012. The show continues to return for occasional one-off specials, last airing over Easter in 2019.
Premise[]
Original Series[]
The original series focused on old scool friends Jenn Manford and Jane Barker, both having just turned 50, moving in together after the death of Jenn's husband and Jane's divorce from her own husband. Over 9 series, the women re-enter the dating pool and also try to build relationships with their families. Recurring characters include Jenn's adult son Ben and his wife Andrea, Jane's twin daughters Viv and Liv, who attend boarding school, as well as Jane's sleazy ex husband Mike, who tries to worm his way back into Jane's life despite being a serial cheat.
The series came to what the writers and stars felt was a natural conclusion in 1990 when both Jenn and Jane remarried new men in the series 9 finale, and the pair ultimately deciding to part ways once again to start new lives in the following Christmas special closer.
Second Series[]
Jenn and Jane returned in 1996 for it's first full series in 6 years, with most of the original cast returning. In the new series' case, the tables had been turned and Jenn was now divorced from her second husband, and Jane's husband had died unexpectedly. The duo reconcile after being estranged since their respective marriages, and financial troubles as a result of her divorce leads Jenn to move in with a now fairly wealthy Jane.
This iteration of the series outlasted it's predecessor considerably, and concluded after 17 series in 2012, due to Gertrude Holloway's ill health. The series aired its final regular episode on the show's 30th anniversary, and saw Jenn and Jane celebrating their 80th birthday together.
Specials[]
When Gertrude Holloway recovered from illness in early 2013, she was eager to return to work but felt a full series of Jenn and Jane would be too strenuous, something Vivienna Sampleton agreed with. Writers John Brenner and Helen DeVall instead proposed an annual special, which would be equivalent to two episodes. The two women agreed and a script was produced, with an airdate set for Christmas Day. The special focused on Jenn and Jane moving into a retirement home at the request of their children. A special then followed every Christmas after that. In late 2018, it was confirmed that 2 specials would air in 2019, an Easter special would accompany the 2019 Christmas special. The Easter special focused on Jenn and Jane learning of the death of Mike Barker, Jane's first husband and the father of Viv and Liv, the episode was produced as a tribute to Carl Watts, the actor who portrayed Mike, who had died shortly after production on the 2018 Christmas special ended.
Cast[]
- Gertrude Holloway as Jennifer Manford, later Jennifer Bagley
- Vivienna Sampleton as Jane Barker, later Jane St Claire
- Carl Watts as Mike Barker
- James Saunders as Ben Manford
- Heather Winters as Andrea Manford
- Fenella Kendall as Viv Barker, later Smelting
- Penelope Kendall as Liv Barker, later Von Straten
- Alexander Pimpleton as Horace Bagley (series 5 onwards)
- Cornelius Benedict as Samuel St Claire (Series 7 - 9)
Episodes[]
Series 1[]
Series 1 of Jenn and Jane aired in the Autumn of 1982 and comprised of six episodes.
| Episode | Title | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jenn and Jane | When newly-divorced Jane Barker discovers her old school friend Jenn's husband has died, she attends the funeral to pay her respects, and unexpectedly discovers that Jenn is now looking for a new housemate. |
| 2 | The Kitchen | Jenn is planning on getting a new kitchen, but Jane tries to discourage her, believing Jenn will be expecting her to pay half towards the costs. |
| 3 | The Son Returns | Jenn's son returns from New Zealand, having missed his father's funeral. He introduces Jenn to his new wife, who happens to be a big fan of Jenn's work. Meanwhile, Jane is trying to cut Mike out of her life, but struggles to do so when she has to attend her daughters' parents evening with him. |
| 4 | Half Term | Jane's teenage daughters are home from boarding school for half term, and wreak havoc in Jenn's house, much to Jenn's frustration and Jane's embarrassment. |
| 5 | First Dates | Jane decides to re-enter the dating world after nearly 20 years, and tries to encourage Jenn to join her. |
| 6 | The Fortune Teller | Jenn visits a fortune teller, who foresees and alternative reality where she'd never invited Jane to live with her. |
Series 2[]
Series 2 of Jenn and Jane aired in the Summer of 1983 and comprised of six episodes.
| Episode | Title | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bake Sale | Jane returns to her church for the first time since her divorce, and she is assigned the task of organising a bake sale, so she ropes in Jenn in the hopes that having a famous cookery writer on side will give her reputation in the community a much needed boost. |
| 2 | Mike Idea | Mike makes a business proposition to a reluctant Jane. Jenn continues to date the mysterious American she met at the bake sale. |
| 3 | The Twins | |
| 4 | The Camping Trip | |
| 5 | The Siblings | |
| 6 | The Wedding Reception |