The school is due to have an inspection - a difficult event at any time but on this occasion the former Weaver Street pupils are determined to wreck their new school's chances. They especially want to take revenge on Miss Ewell who has taken them to task over their behaviour. Meanwhile Miss Ewell is having problems on the home front as her elderly mother sees her daughter's fiance Mr Sibley as a threat and seems determined to end the relationship.
Quite a good episode but it would have been better with more capable pupil characters. What is clear is that the former Weaver Street pupils are prepared to challenge their teachers well beyond their established Fenn Street counterparts who knew their limits. The character of Terry (Barry McCarthy) does a good job as ringleader but if he were modelled on the former class leader Eric Duffy (Peter Cleall) he presents little of the latter's wit and ultimate good-spiritedness. The character of Gobber who is his cousin and "enforcer" continues to be inept - simply making a character stupid and thuggish does not make them funny. The character of "musician and singer" Des is less prominent here and a little more bearable but of little value. The new female pupil characters Celia and Daisy are barely present so altogether these five new pupils are a far cry from their memorable counterparts of Series 1 to 3.
There is still good humour from the staff who continued to have to carry this fourth series. For the first time we see Miss Ewell's mother and her home life more generally. Oddly she hasn't yet met her daughter's fiance and in typical sitcom fashion this leads to some misunderstanding later on. "Dodo" is her nickname for her daughter and Georgie is the family budgie and it is clear Mrs Ewell would prefer the family unit to be just these three. A nice scene is when Mrs Ewell pops into the school and calls the ageing Mr Smith "young man"! It is remarkable generally how little we see of the home lives of the staff. Although Potter and Mr Smith often talk fondly of their wives these are rarely seen while nothing is known of the domestic arrangements of the Head or Mr Price.
The focus on the inspection means little screen-time here for Ffitchett-Brown, Price or Smith which is unfortunate. What is nice to see is Ffitchett-Brown's willingness to help out Miss Ewell and despite their differences in teaching there is a mutual loyalty between them. Miss Ewell may be strict but she is principled and fair; by contrast we see that characters such as the Head and Potter are opportunists whose loyalties switch according to what seems their own advantage.
Halfway through Series 4 "Please Sir!" continues to be fair entertainment but shows signs of decline. Maybe this might change as the new pupils find their feet or perhaps the inspiration was fading? The latter seems more likely but this fourth series should not be written-off.
