Series synopsis
Girlfriends is a British drama comedy television series that premiered on ITV1 on January 3, 2018. It ended on February 7, 2018. It was created by Mara Brock Akil. It stars Phyllis Logan, Zoë Wanamaker, Miranda Richardson and Anthony Stewart Head.
After the dramatic and sudden death of Linda's husband Micky, childhood friends Linda, Sue and Gail find themselves back together again. Each has their own problems to face; from a looming divorce from the husband she still loves and the loss of a high-powered job through age discrimination, to juggling the endless responsibilities of their grandchildren and aging mothers.
Premise
After the dramatic and sudden death of Linda's husband Micky, childhood friends Linda, Sue and Gail find themselves back together again. Each has their own problems to face; from a looming divorce from the husband she still loves and the loss of a high-powered job through age discrimination, to juggling the endless responsibilities of their grandchildren and aging mothers.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Phyllis Logan as Linda
- Zoë Wanamaker as Gail
- Miranda Richardson as Sue
- Anthony Stewart Head as John
Guest cast
- Matthew Lewis as Tom
- Louise Atkins as Rebecca
Episodes
This series spans 8 seasons with 156 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | January 3, 2018 | February 7, 2018 |
| Season 2 | 22 | September 10, 2001 | May 20, 2002 |
| Season 3 | 25 | September 23, 2002 | May 19, 2003 |
| Season 4 | 24 | September 15, 2003 | May 24, 2004 |
| Season 5 | 22 | September 20, 2004 | May 23, 2005 |
| Season 6 | 22 | September 19, 2005 | May 8, 2006 |
| Season 7 | 22 | October 2, 2006 | May 7, 2007 |
| Season 8 | 13 | October 1, 2007 | February 11, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot Whilst on an anniversary cruise organized by their children Ruby and Ryan Linda's husband Micky gets drunk and falls overboard. His memorial service is attended by Linda's long-standing friends Sue and Gail but they have their own problems. Sue, editor of bridal magazine Adored, is ousted by John, her business partner and ex-lover, to make way for a younger woman. Gail, newly divorced, has to contend with a dementing mother Edna and ex-jailbird son Tom, who is on a tag and a curfew. Sue's lawyer son Andrew decides to take legal action against John whilst Linda discovers Ruby's affair with Tom. Then she gets a knock on the door from a strange woman. |
January 3, 2018 |
| 2 | Episode 2 | January 4, 2018 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 A terrified Linda is questioned on suspicion of murdering her husband Micky, but Gail and Sue unearth the shocking truth behind Carole's accusations. |
January 17, 2018 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Fallout Joan forgives Toni for slapping her in Jamaica and trying to seduce Sean, much to the shock and dismay of Maya and Lynn (who has returned from Jamaica). When Joan's hair begins to fall out due to stress, she sees a therapist, who recommends that she cut Toni out of her life for good. However, this proves difficult when Toni seeks Joan's shoulder to lean on after a setback at work. Meanwhile, Darnell is upset by Maya's bixini wax, and accuses her of changing as the result of her association with the girls. |
September 10, 2001 |
| 2 |
Just Say No Joan lies to Dr. Bales about ending her relationship with Toni, but he runs into them having lunch together. Toni is furious to learn that Joan has been talking to a therapist about her, and orders Joan to end their sessions. Joan continues to keep her appointments, and Dr. Bales suggests that she be more assertive with her friends. Lynn's boyfriend, Vosco, arrives from Jamaica, and Lynn hides him in Joan's house. William suddenly becomes more attractive to women after becoming engaged. Maya is upset by his insistence on flirting with all of his new admirers. |
September 17, 2001 |
| 3 |
A Full Court Conspiracy Joan takes shots from her friends and is labelled a ""sell-out"" by the black community after she and William represent a beverage company suing a basketball star for accusing it of racism. Joan faces a larger moral dilemma after uncovering disturbing information about her client. Meanwhile, Lynn reluctantly takes a waitress job and moves with Vosco into a garage apartment managed by Maya's mother. |
September 24, 2001 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Coming to Terms Joan fears she has hit an all-time low after she holds a ""Bring Your Ex"" party, but doesn't get a single phone number. She eventually winds up swearing off men to train for a marathon. Maya still struggles to get Darnell to talk to her after a month apart. William threatens to throw Lynn out of his house unless she lands another job. Toni laments the lack of drama in her life. |
September 23, 2002 |
| 2 |
Getting Our Acts Together Maya and Darnell seek marriage counseling from their minister. They find the counseling pointless, but engage in an afternoon tryst that has an overly enthusiastic Maya convinced that they are going to reunite soon. Lynn finds work as a bartender, despite the fact that she has no idea what she's doing. William tries to prove to Swedelson that he has the toughness required to be a partner in the firm. |
September 30, 2002 |
| 3 |
Secrets and Eyes Toni objects when Joan plans a birthday party for her. In the midst of their argument, Toni inadvertently reveals that she has been lying about her age for years. Joan and company tease Toni relentlessly about being older, and she grows insecure about her looks. After a disastrous Botox session, Toni seeks the advice of a plastic surgeon--whose only suggestion is therapy. Meanwhile, William winds up falling for a woman who was only supposed to be a one-night stand. |
October 7, 2002 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Some Enchanted Evening Joan enjoys relative peace in her relationship with Ellis. However, she establishes a strong connection with a stranger whom she meets when they duck into the same doorway during a rainstorm. She is later surprised to find that the man is Ellis's agent, Brock. Brock meets with Joan outside a play when Ellis is called away to a meeting. They begin kissing, and end up back at Brock's place, where they declare their love for each other. Brock feels it is wrong to sleep together while she is still Ellis's girlfriend, so Joan promises to break things off. However, Ellis surprises her by finally telling her that he loves her. Sivad pressures Lynn to move out of William's house. He initially doesn't want to live with Lynn, but soon changes his mind. Toni grows annoyed with all of Todd's habits. After he reveals that he is deep in debt, she leaves him and shows up at Joan's house. William continually tries to get Maya to actually do her job, but she spends all of her time reading se |
September 15, 2003 |
| 2 |
If It's Broke, Fix It Toni refuses to speak to Todd because she is up in arms about his debt and feels betrayed by the fact that he failed to disclose this information sooner. While at the spa with Joan, Toni's ring is apparently repossessed by a woman on behalf of Harry Winston. A furious Toni plans to divorce Todd, but seems to soften as she discusses the situation with William. However, she still tries to throw Todd out of the house. After she explains that her greatest fear is becoming poor again, Todd says that he is afraid of losing her, and points out that he accumulated his debt trying to court her. Toni learns that Todd did not buy her ring at Harry Winston; the woman simply stole it after overhearing her conversation about debt. Todd gets Toni to agree to work on the marriage, and they reach a compromise about the insurance settlement for the stolen ring. Meanwhile, Joan confides in her new assistant, Peaches. She says that Ellis is away in New Zealand working on his movie, but she has dec |
September 22, 2003 |
| 3 |
Snoop, There It Is After nine months of celibacy, Lynn becomes fed up and grows suspicious of Sivad. She contacts his ex-girlfriend in the hopes of gaining some insight into his behavior. Meanwhile, despite her debt, Toni is determined to acquire a $17,000 bag. Joan and William try in vain to convince her to moderate her behavior and live within a budget. |
September 29, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
L.A. Bound Joan tries to confess her feelings for William, but knocks on the wrong door and winds up on the run from a crazed lesbian who thinks that Joan stole her girlfriend. Joan is repeatedly thwarted in her efforts to try to share her feelings with William, and gives up after he ignores her to have a tryst with Monica in the airplane's bathroom. Lynn returns to her birth father's house and admits that she is his daughter. Todd refuses to believe that Toni is pregnant unless she takes another test. She refuses, and orders him to be on the plane back to Los Angeles the next day. When he does not show up, she tries to hold up the plane to make everyone wait for him. |
September 20, 2004 |
| 2 |
The Rabbit Died Toni's friends refuse to believe that she is pregnant, as they are certain it is all part of a ploy to win back Todd. Even after Toni shows them an ultrasound and experiences morning sickness, they still believe that she is lying and insist on tagging along to her doctor's appointment. After her pregnancy is confirmed, an apologetic Todd comes home to help care for her, but remains unsure about their relationship. Meanwhile, William grows fed up with Maya's poor performance at the office and places her on probation after her antics with client Rev. Al Sharpton (including giving him a copy of her book) prompt Sharpton to give William a lecture. |
September 27, 2004 |
| 3 |
A Mile in Her Loubous Maya's cousin Ronnie is offended after she hires an agent. Upset that Maya refuses to acknowledge his role in her success, Ronnie demands ten percent of her $25,000 advance for writing the book. Joan has an awkward run-in with William and Monica at the cafe. She mistakenly believes that William is bringing Monica to Maya's birthday party, and tries to retaliate by bringing her own date, a boring shoe salesman. Meanwhile, Toni battles constant morning sickness. |
October 4, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Fits & Starts Maya remarries, Toni demands a divorce, Lynn gets engaged and Joan freaks out. After a passionate reunion, Maya asks Darnell, "Now what?" The pillow talk is even more delicate at Joan's place. Having wound up in bed with William, Joan is unable to relax and consummate their On-again, off-again romance. William fears her reticence is "physical proof we don't belong together." |
September 19, 2005 |
| 2 |
Odds & Ends Maya learns love isn't easier the second time around, Their Vegas honeymoon is supposed to be romantic, yet Maya and Darnell gɛt into an argument that causes Maya to leave in a huff. Back in L.A., Lynn Vows to call off her engagement to Jennifer. |
September 25, 2005 |
| 3 |
And Nanny Makes Three Todd takes action when Toni has difficulty handling her motherly duties. Meanwhile, Joan becomes fed up with her friends' freeloading at the J-Spot. |
October 3, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
After the Storm After volunteering in New Orleans, Joan returns to LA determined to repair her relationship with Maya, Lynn, and most importantly, Toni. |
October 2, 2006 |
| 2 |
In Too Deep Joan returns to work at the J-Spot only to find that William has put Monica in charge of managing the bar. |
October 9, 2006 |
| 3 |
Bad Blood Joan starts to realize Maya’s house has become the hangout spot and she is no longer the center of the friendship. |
October 16, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Range of Emotions Joan causes a dispute between herself and Aaron after purchasing an expensive kitchen range for their new house and not discussing it over with him. After they defuse their feud, Aaron receives unexpected news. Meanwhile, Lynn begins to flaunt her success with her progressing music career. Golden Brooks, Reggie Hayes, Keesha Sharp and Khalil Kane also star. |
October 1, 2007 |
| 2 |
Baghdad, My Bad Joan runs away to Mexico with Aaron in attempts to keep him from leaving to Iraq. While in Mexico, Aaron realizes that he cannot run from the war and the two of them decide that they should get married before he departures. Meanwhile, Maya automatically assumes that Jabari has been using marijuana when she finds it in her home. Also, Lynn reaches another milestone in her music career, but she doesn't feel comfortable celebrating because of Joan and Aaron's problem. |
October 8, 2007 |
| 3 |
Where Did Lynn-digo? Lynn must decide whether to perform at a rally to raise awareness to save the environment; requested by a student she met at UCLA, named Xander (guest star Quddus Phillipe) or perform at the House of Blues, where her manager booked for her to perform. Meanwhile, After hearing Jabari use the \"b\" word, Maya gets upset with him and Joan enlists William assistance when she hears strange noises coming from her crawlspace. Keesha Sharp and Khalil Kane also star. |
October 15, 2007 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ITV1 |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 3, 2018 |
| Last aired | February 7, 2018 |
| Runtime | 46 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Wednesday at 21:00:00 |