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Cracker (UK) Episode Guide

1 :01x01 - The Mad Woman in the Attic (1)

First aired: Sep/27/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Guest star: Andy Devine (Guard on Train), Kika Markham (Ann Appleby), Adrian Dunbar (Thomas Francis Kelly), Louise Downie (Jacqui Appleby)

The Mad Woman story, which is told in two episodes, opens with Fritz about to give a lecture at a university as a guest lecturer. He is late, though, and on the phone listening to a horse race that he has some money on. When he finally makes it to the classroom, he gives a rather strange lecture and then leaves. Meanwhile, a very bloody dead woman is found on a train. The police arrive and quickly determine that she was killed in a similar manner as other women, and is therefore the work of a serial killer. Fritz first gets involved in the case through the dead woman, who had been a former student. Fritz tries to offer his help to the grieving family.

The police are having trouble advancing the case, and Fritz is in some financial distress, and so, eventually, Fritz is hired as a criminal psychologist consultant. The prime suspect is a man suffering from amnesia, and Fritz must try to unlock Thomas Francis Kelly's mind to learn the truth of what happened.



2 :01x02 - The Mad Woman in the Attic (2)

First aired: Oct/04/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Guest star: Adrian Dunbar (Thomas Francis Kelly), Kika Markham (Ann Appleby)

The story concludes. The second part opens with Fritz just starting to work with the Manchester police on the case.



3 :01x03 - To Say I Love You (1)

First aired: Oct/11/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Andy Wilson
Guest star: Gavin Muir (Cormack), Stan Finni (Sergeant Smith), Glen Cunningham (Mr. Hunt), Susan Lynch (Tina), Patti Love (Mrs. Brien), Keith Ladd (Mr. Brien), Olivia Jardith (Magistrate), Kathryn Hunt (Mrs. Rivers), Eve Bland (Mrs. Cormack), Tim Barlow (Judith's Father), Andrew Tiernan (Sean)

To Say I Love is second Cracker story, and this story is told over the course of three episodes. This second story is about the relationship between two young adults, a young man who has a stuttering problem (except when he sings, or when he is in a high state of excitement, like anger), and a young woman.

The young couple meet up at a local pub. Sean, the young man, is found to be desirable by Tina, as she gazes at him during the singing contest. After he wins second place, and the competition is over, Tina takes Sean back to her place. Tina and Sean’s young relationship is just starting, but another, much older, more established relationship is on the brink of destruction. Fritz’s relationship with his wife Judith is in a state of high tension. Judith is tired of Fritz’s gambling and drinking, and is willing to continue the relationship if he can somehow control himself.

Meanwhile, the young couple find themselves in some trouble. Apparently, Tina has some outstanding debts with some nasty looking people, and Sean comes to her defense. Almost immediately after their story began, Sean and Tina find themselves going down the Bonnie and Clyde road (they find themselves on the wrong side of the law, and like it). The trip to the other side of the law begins with some minor thefts, but quickly escalates to murder. Eventually the police become involved, and shortly thereafter Fritz joins the case.



4 :01x04 - To Say I Love You (2)

First aired: Oct/18/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Andy Wilson
Guest star: Andrew Tiernan (Sean)



5 :01x05 - To Say I Love You (3)

First aired: Oct/25/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Andy Wilson
Guest star: Andrew Tiernan (Sean)



6 :01x06 - One Day a Lemming Will Fly (1)

First aired: Nov/01/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Simon Cellan-Jones
Guest star: Tim Healy (Mr. Lang)

A couple run through the woods having some fun when they stumble across a dead boy. They don't come forward as their little affair was illicit. Eventually the police find the body and Fitz joins the hunt for the killer.

The boys family and neighborhood believe that a particular teacher is involved and want to take matters into their own hands.



7 :01x07 - One Day a Lemming Will Fly (2)

First aired: Nov/08/1993
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Simon Cellan-Jones

Fitz is convinced both that the teacher is gay and that he killed the boy. The teacher denies the allegations.

The family and neighbors stand outside the police station and yell, demanding the teacher.



8 :02x01 - To Be a Somebody (1)

First aired: Oct/10/1994
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Tim Fywell
Guest star: Robert Carlyle (Albie Kinsella), Beth Goddard (Clare Moody)

Albie Kinsella, a factory worker in Liverpool and a huge Liverpool football fan (soccer to US), suddenly strikes out against those around him, shaving his head and murdering a Pakistani store owner.



9 :02x02 - To Be a Somebody (2)

First aired: Oct/17/1994
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Tim Fywell



10 :02x03 - To Be a Somebody (3)

First aired: Oct/24/1994
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Tim Fywell



11 :02x04 - The Big Crunch (1)

First aired: Oct/31/1994
Writer: Ted Whitehead
Director: Julian Jarrold
Guest star: Jim Carter (Kenneth Trant), Cherith Mellor (Norma Trant), Samantha Morton (Joanne Barnes), Maureen O'Brien (Virginia Trant), Darren Tighe (Dean Saunders), James Fleet (Michael Trant), Andrew Abrahams (Police Officer)

As a headmaster and a leader of his own religion, Keneth Trant cannot be seen as impure, so when his young mistress/student announces that she is pregnant, he, along with his brother Michael and their wives Virginia and Norma kidnap Joanne Barnes and give force her to take some pills. Dean, a young mentally challenged employee of Michael's, is given a box containing the drugged Joanne and told to destroy it.



12 :02x05 - The Big Crunch (2)

First aired: Nov/07/1994
Writer: Ted Whitehead
Director: Julian Jarrold



13 :02x06 - The Big Crunch (3)

First aired: Nov/14/1994
Writer: Ted Whitehead
Director: Julian Jarrold



14 :02x07 - Men Should Weep (1)

First aired: Nov/21/1994
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Jean Stewart
Guest star: Jack Randle (Taxi Driver), Graham Aggrey (Floyd Malcolm)

A taxi driver is raping women and the police are called in. Beck believes that a pool janitor might be the prime suspect, but Fritz does not believe that the janitor is the criminal they are looking for.



15 :02x08 - Men Should Weep (2)

First aired: Nov/28/1994
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Jean Stewart



16 :02x09 - Men Should Weep (3)

First aired: Dec/05/1994
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Jean Stewart



17 :03x01 - Brotherly Love (1)

First aired: Oct/22/1995
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Roy Battersby

The brutal murder and violation of a prostitute quickly leads to an arrest, but while the suspect is in custody, an identical murder happens. At the same time, the death of Fitz's mother reunites him with his brother Danny, and Jimmy Beck finally reaches his breaking point.



18 :03x02 - Brotherly Love (2)

First aired: Oct/29/1995
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Roy Battersby



19 :03x03 - Brotherly Love (3)

First aired: Oct/29/1995



20 :03x04 - Best Boys (1)

First aired: Nov/06/1995
Writer: Paul Abbott
Director: Charles McDougall



21 :03x05 - Best Boys (2)

First aired: Nov/13/1995
Writer: Paul Abbott
Director: Charles McDougall



22 :03x06 - True Romance (1)

First aired: Nov/20/1995
Writer: Paul Abbott
Director: Tim Fywell



23 :03x07 - True Romance (2)

First aired: Nov/27/1995
Writer: Paul Abbott
Director: Tim Fywell



24 :04x01 - Lucky White Ghost

First aired: Oct/28/1996
Writer: Paul Abbott
Director: Richard Standeven

Fitz is in Hong Kong to give a lecture. While he is there, a businessman named Peter Yang is killed and Fitz is asked to help solve the case by Commander Ellison.



25 :04x02 - Nine Eleven

First aired: Oct/01/2006
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Director: Antonia Bird
Guest star: Stefanie Wilmore (Katy), Kieran O'Brien (Mark Fitzgerald), Nisha Nayar (DS Saleh), Andrea Lowe (Elaine), Leo Gregory (Wallet Thief), Anthony Flanagan (Kenny), Danny Cunningham (Bob), Richard Coyle (DI Walters), Rafe Spall (DS McAllister)

After a ten year stay in Australia, Fitz and his wife Judith return to England to attend their daughter's wedding. Once back in England, the urge to test his mental abilities against that of a killer resurface, and Fitz joins forces with the local police force to track down a killer, one who has killed an American comedian.