# All Quiet on the Preston Front

All Quiet on the Preston Front was a British comedy-drama series that aired on BBC One from 4 January 1994 to 8 September 1997. Created by Tim Firth, it followed the lives, misadventures, and relationships of a group of friends in the fictional Lancashire town of Roker Bridge. The first series used the full title, All Quiet on the Preston Front. However, for the second and third series, the title was shortened to Preston Front, with a greater focus on the characters' personal lives.

## Plot

Most of the show's characters are members of their local Territorial Army (TA) platoon, and the show's narrative blends the characters’ military commitments with their everyday lives, exploring romantic entanglements, family struggles, career dilemmas, and social interactions. While TA enlistment initially serves as the vehicle for bringing the characters together, the three-series run gradually shifts focus to their personal challenges, including the affable Hodge, his best friend Eric, trainee teacher Dawn, and the ever-optimistic Lloydy.

## Seasons and Episodes
### Series One (1994)

The opening series introduces the cast and setting of Roker Bridge, framed around their everyday lives linked by service in the TA. The military element provides a backdrop for the humour, while everyday issues such as first romances, job struggles, and small-town life form the heart of the narrative.

#### Episodes

* "Hodge's Girlfriend" (4 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
* "Ally's Husband" (11 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
* "Eric's Job" (18 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
* "Lloydy's Fish" (25 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
* "Diesel's Garage" (1 February 1994); director: Brian Farnham
* "Kirsty's Biscuit" (8 February 1994); director: Brian Farnham

### Series Two (1995)

For the second series, the title was shortened to Preston Front, reflecting a shift in focus away from the TA. This series deepens characterisation and explores the lives of some of the supporting cast while maintaining its gentle, observational humour.

#### Episodes

* "Dawn's Ball" (16 July 1995); director: Marcus Mortimer
* "Laura's Mousse" (23 July 1995); director: Marcus Mortimer
* "Spock's Leg" (30 July 1995); director: Marcus Mortimer
* "Polson's Lilo" (6 August 1995); director: Betsan Morris Evans
* "Diesel's Out of Body Experience" (13 August 1995); director: Betsan Morris Evans
* "Lloydy's Ark" (27 August 1995); director: Betsan Morris Evans

### Series Three (1997)

The final series marks an evolution in both tone and theme. With less emphasis on the military backdrop, the narrative focuses on the intricacies of the characters’ lives as they confront issues such as career transitions, relationship breakdowns, and personal ambitions. The comedy has a more mature, reflective quality, offering a nuanced depiction of friendship. Third-series episodes are 10 minutes shorter than those in series one and two.

#### Episodes

* "Hodge's Driving Test" (21 July 1997); director: Chris Bernard
* "Eric's Won Ton" (28 July 1997); director: Chris Bernard
* "Lloydy's House Warming" (4 August 1997); director: Chris Bernard
* "Spock's Dilated Pupil" (11 August 1997); director: Chris Bernard
* "Polson's Mess" (18 August 1997); director: Rick Stroud
* "Diesel's Ostrich" (1 September 1997); director: Rick Stroud
* "Jeanetta's Marijuana" (8 September 1997); director: Rick Stroud

## Principal characters

* Private David 'Hodge' Gadd, a garden centre assistant (Colin Buchanan)
* Private Wayne 'Eric' Disley, Hodge's best friend, an underachieving delivery driver (Paul Haigh)
* Private Dawn Lomax, a trainee teacher (though she later leaves college) and a new recruit to the transport section, Eric's girlfriend (later wife) (Caroline Catz)
* Private Simon 'Spock' Matlock, a history teacher and intellectual (Stephen Tompkinson in series one, Alistair MacGowan thereafter)
* Private Tony 'Lloydy' Lloyd, a farm labourer (later wealthy after inventing a successful board game), the platoon clown (Adrian Hood)
* Private (later Lance-Corporal) Derek 'Diesel' Moyle, a garage owner (Tony Marshall)
* Corporal (later Officer Cadet) Alison 'Ally' Minshull, NCO in charge of the transport section, Spock's sister, unhappily married to a local solicitor (Kate Gartside)
* Corporal (later Sergeant) Peter 'Pete' Polson, the friends' section commander, a former regular NCO, now manager of a hotel leisure centre (David MacCreedy)
* Jeanetta Scarry, an older woman with whom Hodge had a one-night stand five years earlier (Susan Wooldridge in series one and two, Carolyn Pickles thereafter)
* Kirsty, Jeanetta's and Hodge's young daughter (Holly Grainger)
* Lieutenant Carl Rundle, the platoon commander, a junior hotel manager, in love with Ally (Keiran Flynn)
* Laura Delooze, a singer and waitress, and Hodge's girlfriend in the first two series (Lucy Akhurst)
* Peter Wang, owner of the local Chinese restaurant (Ozzie Yue)
* Melanie 'Mel' Polson, Polson's younger sister, later Hodge's girlfriend (Angela Lonsdale; series 3 only)
* Mrs Ruddock, owner of the garden centre where Hodge works (Matyelok Gibbs; series 1 and 3)
* Declan Caine, a plastic surgeon, later Jeanetta's boyfriend (Oliver Cotton; series 3 only)

### Guest Stars and Cameos

* Freddie Davies – Heron Man
* Nicky Henson – Greg Scarry
* Keith Allen – Dave the Executive
* Tracy Shaw – Server in McDonald's
* Mark Benton – Roaming Hands Richard
* Stirling Moss, Nick Owen, and Samantha Fox appeared as themselves.

## Locations

The series is mainly set in Lancashire, with various local locations used. Key filming took place on Mill Street, Padiham, and Manchester Road, Hapton, which both stood in for the fictional town of Roker Bridge. The scenes set at the TA centre were filmed on Bury Road, Haslingden, and the site is still used as an Army Cadet Centre. The former RAF Laarbruch in Germany was used for the series one episode "Kirsty's Biscuit" and the Black Country Museum in Dudley appeared in the series two episode "Spock's Leg".

## Theme music

The theme music was a re-recorded version of "Here I Stand" by Milltown Brothers.

## Books

In 1997, to coincide with the broadcast of Series 3, two tie-in novels were published by Chameleon Books, both written by Ed Jones. The first, Liberty, Equality and Virginity, is a prequel set in 1989, five years prior to the events of the television series and focuses on Hodge’s affair with Jeanetta. The second, Preston Front: Ostriches and Marijuana, is a novelisation of the third series and adds that Laura is pregnant by Greg.
* Liberty, Equality, Virginity – ISBN-13: 978-0-233-99107-8
* Preston Front: Ostriches and Marijuana – ISBN-13: 978-0-233-99109-2

## Awards

* Best Comedy Drama, Comedy awards
* RTS Award for Best Series
* Best Series Award at the San Francisco Television Festival
* Nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Series
* Writer's Guild of Great Britain Best Original Drama Series Award
* RTS Midlands Best Drama Series
* Nominated for British Comedy Awards