Series Guide
C.A.B. ran for a total of three series from 1986 to 1989. The first series had 13 episodes and series two and three had 10 episodes each making a total of 33 episodes that were broadcast. C.A.B. was broadcast on Children's ITV in the UK and also aired in Australia on Channel Ten.
A detailed series guide can be found below, if you would like to find out more detailed information about a specific episode, please click on the episode name to be taken to a page dedicated to that episode. All airdates below relate to the broadcast in the UK (and not in Australia)
For a comprehensive list of all airdates and other episode information please see the C.A.B airdates page.
Use the following links to jump to each of the series:
Series One: Mystery at Ma Mossop's (1986)
Series Two: The Wooden Kamel Mystery (1988)
Series Three: The Mystery Of The Queen's Beast (1989)
C.A.B Episodes
Use the following links to jump to each of the episode pages:
Series One: Mystery at Ma Mossop's (1986)
Episode One: Mystery at Ma Mossop's
Aired: Tues 23rd September 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: Leon Thau
Guest Starring: Avril Angers (Ma Mossop)
When Franny and Colin are asked by Ma Mossop to look after her junk shop and her cat Tatters, they have no idea what's in store for them. Things are not what they seem - Ma disappears, two strange people arrive and the telephone keeps ringing.
Episode Two: Break In
Aired: Tues 30th September 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: Leon Thau
Colin and Franny arrive at Ma Mossop's to discover someone broke in. A copy of Peter Pan has been destroyed. Ma Mossop is still missing and both the strange milkman and Mr Hellman return, asking many questions. The dragon's head still holds the strange box which Ma gave to Colin and Franny to look after, but then a familiar-looking American arrives and begins to take an interest. And what is it that makes Franny scream for Colin as they leave the shop?
Episode Three: Danger
Aired: Tues 7th October 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Having reported into his tape machine the presence of a hostile observer, Colin decides to hide the secret box somewhere else in the dragon's head. On leaving the shop they set up a trap to catch any new intruder. Next day they discover the dragon's head smashed to pieces.
Episode Four: The Sinister Messenger
Aired: Tues 14th October 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Having discovered the milkman is a phoney, Colin and Franny realise they are in danger. They believe the American and the Professor are the same person as the milkman, and they begin to distrust Mr Hellman even more.
Episode Five: Prisoner of the Earth
Aired: Tues 21st October 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Tatters the cat seems to have gone missing and Colin and Franny begin to argue about who is responsible for looking after her. There are more mysterious phone calls and a very young girl names Jo arrives on the scene. The shop is visited by a strange-looking woman and Jo discovers something about her which makes the woman leave in a hurry.
Episode Six: The Stranger From The Past
Aired: Tues 28th October 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Franny hears an SOS being tapped out and discovers Colin trapped in the cellar. Then they find a postcard written in hieroglyphics on the floor. Suddenly a stranger appears as if from nowhere and confronts Franny and Colin. Then strange things begin to happen in the shop and a further chapter in the mystery unfolds...
Episode Seven: A Message From The Past
Aired: Tues 4th November 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: Leon Thau
Anwar helps Colin and Franny to decode the strange messages they have received in hieroglyphics, but they no longer trust him. A strange message is received from the missing Ma Mossop and Anwar confronts Hellman as he is about to discover what is in the locked wardrobe.
Episode Eight: A Message From Ma
Aired: Tues 11th November 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: Leon Thau
There are some strange happenings in this week's CAB. Colin plays a trick on Hellman in order to stop him finding the hidden room. Ma Mossop has sent a message; memories are hidden in the table; - but there are a lot of tables around! Franny tries to find out where Ma is staying and Tatters the cat goes missing. Tune in and see if you can unravel the mystery...
Episode Nine: Nine Lives in Peril
Aired: Tues 18th November 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Things are really hotting up this week. Tatters has been 'catnapped' and is being held for ransom. Colin is instructed by the mysterious voice to leave the contents of Ma Mossop's secret box in a waste paper bin, but by whom? Hellman arrives in the shop and searches for something hidden - but what? Franny discovers a strangely wrapped package behind Ma Mossop's portrait. Colin wants to know what's in it. The answers to these questions can be found in today's CAB.
Episode Ten: Friend or Foe
Aired: Tues 25th November 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Some startling discoveries are made about Hellman in today's episode of this children's adventure series. There is a link between Egypt, a hidden tomb, Smith pretending to be a painter, and the strange behaviour of Anwar. Tatters is still missing!
Episode Eleven: Who's Who?
Aired: Tues 2nd December 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
A mysterious visitor to the shop causes Anwar to step in and deal with him. Many peculiar things happen, as if the shop is being taken over by some strange and powerful force.
Episode Twelve: The Missing Links
Aired: Tues 9th December 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: John Darnell
Colin and Franny's enemies are closing in. They must find out how the pieces go together and come up with some answers to escape danger. Anwar arrives and tells them a weird and wonderful story. But can they trust him?
Episode Thirteen: A World in Tatters
Aired: Tues 16th December 1986
Written By: Denise Coffey
Directed By: Leon Thau
Guest Starring: Avril Angers (Ma Mossop)
Strange noises are heard from the empty room above the shop. The thieves arrive and Colin and Franny are forced to hide under the table with Tatters the cat. Ma Mossop mysteriously reappears and a strange blue bead begins to glow, casting a spell over everyone in the room. Tatters becomes the centre of attention. Who will get the map? Who will get the postcard? Who will get the treasure?
Series Two: The Wooden Kamel Mystery (1988)
Episode One: The Wooden Kamel Mystery
Aired: Wed 20th January 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
Colin and Franny return to Ma Mossop's shop after receiving a strange message telling them to go there. They find the shop has moved and is now a travel agents called The Wooden Kamel. Inside the shop they discover a mysterious toy train, which moves of its own accord, an Egyptian Mummy case that opens and closes, a cat statue with eyes that glow and many other strange things...
Episode Two: Eel Pie and Custard
Aired: Wed 27th January 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
Franny and Colin are confronted by Mr Hellman dressed as the pirate Long John Silver with a parrot. He tells them a phoney story about a fancy dress party which they don't believe. They know he's really after the map which Colin has of the sacred tomb. He tries to get them on his side in the search for the tomb but becomes terrified when a strange soldier arrives on the scene and begins to threaten Colin and Franny.
Episode Three: Message From R Leeder
Aired: Wed 3rd February 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Hellman and Colin's satchel with his library book have disappeared. The soldier Tripe is confronted by Umma, the cleaning lady, who has reappeared mysteriously. Unable to meet Hellman, the soldier leaves a coded message for him with Umma. Colin and Franny secretly watch what's happening. They also find that both front and back doors are automatically remote controlled and so it appears is the empty space suit.
Episode Four: Next Stop Timbuktu
Aired: Wed 10th February 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
With the arrival of the space suit Colin believes UFOs have arrived on Earth. It turns out to be Nyegel who claims he is from the Eastern and Oriental Space Agency. He has been hired to locate the secret ancient Egyptian tomb - for an international art dealer to preserve the treasures inside, but Colin has his doubts about Nyegel. Franny returns to the shop with Hellman's missing clothes and gets caught in the act. The strange policeman is monitoring all that's going on by using a radio receiver and a computer and reports back to some unknown person.
Episode Five: It's a Snip
Aired: Wed 17th February 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Nyegel overhears Hellman telling Colin about a secret weapon and MI6. Later, Nyegel meets Colin and Franny and concocts a fantastic story about the weird secret weapon. When Anwar, the keeper of the sacred tomb, arrives back from Egypt and discovers Private Tripe and Nyegel are also around, things get dangerous for them.
Episode Six: Saved By The Bull
Aired: Wed 24th February 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
Colin and Franny have a close shave when Private Tripe arrives and threatens Mr Hellman about the map. Hidden under the table they hear the soldier ask for the map of the desert where the Sacred Tomb is located. Umma has disappeared and so has Anwar, the keeper of the tomb, and they don't know what to do about the secret message 'Beware Timbuktu'. Their problems and the threat to their lives increase with the reappearance of the strange policeman in white sneakers. Will they escape from the villian?
Episode Seven: Ear By Gum
Aired: Wed 2nd March 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Franny and Colin hide a photograph of Hellman as a young soldier under the table but when they return to the shop to get the photo and Colin's code book, Umma suddenly reappears and begins to say odd things.
Episode Eight: Finders Keepers
Aired: Wed 9th March 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
Colin has wild dreams about the table, Mr Hellman and his lost library book. And Hellman and Tripe play a game of snap for high odds which turns very nasty indeed.
Episode Nine: Hellman's Trick
Aired: Wed 16th March 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
Hellman pretends to be Anwar to try to trick the policeman and Nyegel into believing they are getting the true map of the desert secret tomb. But surprises lie ahead.
Episode Ten: Hellman's Reward
Aired: Wed 23rd March 1988
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: John Darnell
Colin and Franny are in real danger and there is no adult they can trust. The policeman and Nyegel have gone on a journey to a part of the desert from which Hellman has made sure they will never return. All seems lost and it looks as though Hellman and Tripe will win, but with the return of Anwar and Umma things change drastically.
Series Three: The Mystery Of The Queen's Beast (1989)
Episode One: A Face at the Window
Aired: Tues 13th June 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Guest Starring: Louise Mason (Franny Barnes)
When Colin Freshwater, his brother Jace and their friend Tracey pay another visit to the Wooden Kamel, which was once a travel agency run by the mysterious Mr Hellman, it is empty of all the magical things that used to be there. Jace finds something which he doesn't tell Colin about - and when they leave a face peers through the window at them. Who is this person? And who, too, is the mystery man in black leather riding gear who also watches them go?
Episode Two: The Riddle
Aired: Tues 20th June 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Jace has now taken over the job as Secret Agent C.A.B. In the shop he found a camera containing film - and Colin discovered that it was Mr Hellman who was watching them from the window. But what is under the white sheet in the corner of the shop?
Episode Three: The Bottle of Hastings
Aired: Tues 27th June 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
The strange covered object in the Wooden Kamel is the missing Queen Beast which stood guard at Hampton Court. Why is it at the shop? Who is the mysterious motorcycle rider called Robert and why has a strange plumber named Vine come to fix the water when nothing seems to be wrong with it?
Episode Four: Robert the Brute
Aired: Tues 4th July 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Jace Freshwater has been discovering many things in the Wooden Kamel - a hidden camera, an old parchment with a great seal and a message in code which he can't decipher. Then he is discovered snooping around by Vine, the strange man who claims to be a plumber.
Episode Five: The Chamber Pot Plant
Aired: Tues 11th July 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Jace, as agent C.A.B. has discovered a lot about the missing Queen Beast. He's found a video recorder and a cassette and also copied a secret message from an old paper. But the greatest find at the Wooden Kamel has been a gold Orb and Sceptre. Who is the lady called Eleanor Plantagenet, and why do Mr Hellman and the man called Robert keep calling her Your Majesty?
Episode Six: Getting Taped
Aired: Tues 18th July 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Eleanor Plantagenet believes she has the real Queen Beast which holds the secret to whether she's the rightful heir to the throne. Jace and Colin think the real Beast is still at Hampton Court so they plan to steal a map which will tell them where to find it.
Episode Seven: Trapped
Aired: Tues 25th July 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Eleanor Plantagenet, the woman who thinks she is really the rightful Queen of England, sets a trap to catch Jace, Colin and Tracey. Hellman tries to get her to let him deal with them, and so does the evil Robert. When the three investigators get into the shop unobserved, they are discovered by Vine, the mysterious plumber. Will he tell Eleanor of their whereabouts? Are they in danger, or what?
Episode Eight: The Great Escape
Aired: Tues 1st August 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Jace, Tracey and Colin are trapped in the Wooden Kamel. Eleanor has told them that when she becomes Queen they will be jailed for life in the Tower or beheaded for being traitors. Hellman has also been threatened with the same fate.
Episode Nine: Friends or Foes
Aired: Tues 8th August 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
The Government has resigned over the missing Queen Beast, and Jace, Tracey and Colin have been linked to the theft. Then they receive a mysterious note telling them that their friend, Vine the plumber, is being held prisoner and is being threatened with execution.
Episode Ten: Nicked in Time
Aired: Tues 15th August 1989
Written By: John Kershaw
Directed By: Neville Green
Tracey and Jace think they've tricked Eleanor and Robert into believing their story.
