9.1/1090 votesLoading...#1 - Housework
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 11/11/1984
Ann must go into the hospital for minor surgery and is concerned about the house's upkeep in her absence. Martin insists that he is up to managing on his own, but when things turn for the worse, help comes from an unexpected quarter.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.9/1084 votesLoading...#2 - Manure
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 8/31/1986
Martin offers to take delivery of Paul's garden manure, but things go predictably and disastrously wrong. And Paul compounds Martin's worries when he effortlessly clears up the chaos Martin has created.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.9/1092 votesLoading...#3 - Stuck in a Loft
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 11/8/1987
Hilda and Howard, Martin and Ann rent a country cottage for the weekend. Paul and Sarah come along, and Martin takes the chance to demonstrate his practical knowledge—but he finds his style somewhat cramped.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.7/1092 votesLoading...#4 - The Cricket Match
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/28/1984
Martin and his cricket teammates are happily preparing for their next match, when Paul announces that he had played for Cambridge and would like to join in. Can Martin's psyche permit him to let Paul go to bat?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.7/1086 votesLoading...#5 - The Party
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 12/23/1984
Christmas is a bit different this year in the Close. Paul has a few extra house guests and Ann volunteers to look after the overflow.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.6/1082 votesLoading...#6 - Goodbye, Paul?
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 11/1/1987
Martin finds himself in a difficult position. Paul is going to move out of the area if he can't find suitable premises for his new venture. Martin knows of one which would be beneficial to the elderly owner, but should he tell Paul?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1088 votesLoading...#7 - Snooker
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 11/18/1984
Martin has great hopes for winning the upcoming snooker tournament, but his heart sinks when he finds out that Paul is also pointing towards the event. Is there nothing at which Paul cannot be beat?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1094 votesLoading...#8 - One Night Stand
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/7/1986
Martin is abroad at a conference representing his company, Mole Valley Valves. A practical jokester arranges for Martin to awaken to the presence of a strange woman in his bedroom. What if word of this should get back to Ann?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1079 votesLoading...#9 - Local Hero
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 9/21/1986
Martin saves a local girl from drowning and promptly let's his newly-found fame goes to his head. When even his best friends start avoiding him at the pub, surely Martin will catch on. Or will he?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1081 votesLoading...#10 - Neighbourhood Watch
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 11/15/1987
Martin ""co-ordinates"" the neighborhood watch with predictable results.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1083 votesLoading...#11 - Jumping to Conclusions
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 11/29/1987
The results of Ann's Open University interim test are not very impressive. She is understandably worried and decides that in future it might help to bounce her ideas off someone. Her choice of a study partner causes quite a stir.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/1084 votesLoading...#12 - Holiday Plans
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 2/19/1984
It's time for members of the Close to go on a holiday outing, and some wish to repeat an earlier trip to the Bavarian Alps. But Paul has something altogether different in mind. Will Ann and the rest like it?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/1084 votesLoading...#13 - Vicars and Tarts
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 2/26/1984
Martin organizes a fund-raising dance. Paul innocently lends a helping hand, and in doing so mercilessly interferes with Martin's arrangements. How will Martin retaliate?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/10100 votesLoading...#14 - The Tea Party
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 10/21/1984
Martin has invited his old friend Mrs. Beardsmore and her friends from the old people's home to tea. Events slide decidedly downhill. Can Martin's improvisations around bingo rescue the day?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/1081 votesLoading...#15 - Boredom
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 12/2/1984
Ann has become quite tired of her stay-at-home existence, but she is not interested in the crafts projects Martin suggests. However, her interest is peaked when Paul offers her a job in his salon. What will Martin have to say to this?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/1084 votesLoading...#16 - The Psychiatrist
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 12/9/1984
At Paul's party, Ann meets at psychiatrist and believes he may be just the person to help Martin over his hyper-activity. Little known to her, Martin believes that the one needing professional help is Ann.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/1081 votesLoading...#17 - House to Let
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 9/14/1986
Martin believes that Paul is seeking to ""take over"" the Close and is very concerned about what sort of people Martin would invite in. When Martin meets the candidates, however, he is pleasantly surprised.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.3/1087 votesLoading...#18 - A Strange Woman
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 2/12/1984
Martin and certain others in the Close are nearly scandalized by Paul's outlandish behavior. Burning perfectly good house signs? Entertaining scantily clad women in his back garden? What is all this?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.3/1085 votesLoading...#19 - A Married Man
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 11/4/1984
Ann and Martin are planning a dinner party for Paul and his girlfriend. Ann anticipates the event going smoothly, but why is Martin buying up all sorts of obscure apertifs for his dinner guests?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.3/1077 votesLoading...#20 - Relaxation
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 10/25/1987
The stress of seeking total perfection in every aspect of Martin's day-to-day life, and organizing others around him with military precision has finally taken its toll on his nerves. Something has got to be done to make him relax, and soon!
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/1084 votesLoading...#21 - Cavaliers and Roundheads
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/5/1986
Paul has had an unexpected run of bad luck, raising Martin's expectations of actually beating his neighbor for once when they compete at a local Roundheads and Cavaliers contest.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/1085 votesLoading...#22 - Taking Over
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 2/5/1984
Martin's dislike for Paul intensifies when Paul manages to get Martin relieved of all his duties on the Resident's Committee. Ann mistakenly believes she may now have some quality time upcoming with Martin.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/1076 votesLoading...#23 - The Campaign
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 9/28/1986
Ann is fund-raising for Open University, which leads Martin to declare that she is ""a pawn of the Kremlin."" Her activities are making things unpleasant for Martin at his snooty new club.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/1085 votesLoading...#24 - The Footpath
Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 11/22/1987
Martin is incensed when Howard and Hilda are denied their right to use a public footpath by a local farmer. Martin decides to champion their cause and wonders whether he should sort out the whole country's footpath situation in general.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/1085 votesLoading...#25 - Half an Office
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 12/6/1987
Martin suddenly finds out that the Personnel Department's plans to extend their office will threaten his own office space. He decides to say nothing, but events take a strange course.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Ever Decreasing Circles
Every episode of Ever Decreasing Circles ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Ever Decreasing Circles!
Martin Bryce lives in a quiet suburban close with his wife Anne. He does his best to "organise" the leisure time of all of the...
Genre:Comedy
Network:BBC One
Best Episodes Summary
"Housework" is the best rated episode of "Ever Decreasing Circles". It scored 9.1/10 based on 90 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 11/11/1984. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Manure".