Watching series 5 of LWT’s successful London’s Burning made me feel very old. It first aired in 1991, some 15 years ago, and shows just how much television and television drama has changed.

Friday nights at 9pm was a must for any London’s Burning fan and series 5 doesn’t disappoint. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this series has some historical value to it.

In 1991, London’s Docklands was still developing and London’s Burning shows us some amazing sights. 

The first few episodes are filled with all the high drama that went with this well made show. By series 5, viewers were always promised a huge "shout"' every series from Blue Watch.  This one kicks off with a "shout" starting with a tragic accident at a fairground - a spinning wheel ride was jammed by a troublesome youth armed with a pole.  Consequently, this led to the ride collapsing, causing a huge fire and people trapped in crushed metal.

Fans of the show will be please to see such London’s Burning favourites as Andrew Kazamia as Nick, Sean Blowers as Hallam, Richard Walsh as Sicknote, Ross Boatman as Kevin, Ben Onwukwe as Recall, James Hazeldine as Bayleaf, Glen Murphy as George, Shirley Greenwood as Maggie the cook and Samantha Beckinsale as Kate.

One other notable episode has a young runaway, trapped in a disused docklands mill, in urgent need of medication, and it was Blue Watch to the rescue!  Meanwhile, Bayleaf climbs a crane high above the London skyline to save a mentally disturbed young man who is about to plummet to his death.  Sadly Bayleaf can’t save the young man, nonetheless, James Hazeldine showed what a fine actor he was in these scenes, and is sadly missed on our screens.

This series has some exciting twists and turns for Blue Watch to handle, including an underground car park fire, a motorway pile up, a fire bombing at a Docklands pub, and a fire at a rave (well it was the early 90’s I suppose!), where a gas filled pig exploded in a crowed room. The series also explores Blue Watch’s private lives; Bayleaf goes off to Spain to find his daughter, who has been take there by his ex wife and her boyfriend, and trainee fireman Colin passes as a fully fledged fireman and proposes to his girlfriend.  Also, Kevin gets trapped at a “shout” and Kate thinks she is pregnant after a one night stand (Kate also get trampled on at the Rave).

The fifth series ends as it began with a spectacular “shout” when a group of terrorists accidentally blow themselves and a London hotel up.  Kevin becomes the centre of attention on two occasions.  He finds an unexploded bomb at the hotel site, and makes it safe, and then gets to marry his bride.  F or fans of TV trivia, this is a great episode as there is a cameo appearance by Peter Cleall who played Eric Duffy in the LWT situation comedy Please Sir!  A great DVD set, and a must for any fan of London’s Burning - enjoy.