WHAT'S ON TV - 24 FEBRUARY - 2 MARCH 2001

Going Spare!

A night out at the bowling alley this week threatens to split London's Burning's lastest romantic couple

Station Commander John Coleman has a replutation for being hard but fair. And he never skirks from a challenge or confrontation. Yet in this week's episode of London's Burning, the Blue Watch boss gets the jitters big - time when he's invited to a night out at the bowling alley.

"It's been arranged by his girlfriend, councillor Alison Hemmings (Liz Crowther), but for reasons that become clear during the episode, he is unwilling to play," says Edward Peel, who plays Coleman. "He eventually has to explain to Alison why he is reluctant to fully enjoy his night - out, and tells her about an exceedingly unhappy time in his life..."

So will his revalation bring him closer to Alison or drive them appart? Only time will tell - although there's no doubt that Alison has grown very fond of Coleman lately.

The friendship between Edward and Liz is strong off screen as well, and Edward was delighted when Liz hit it off with his wife Connie.

"It's not always easy for the wives or husbands of actors when they see their spouses getting close to somebosy else on TV," he says. 'It is only acting, but it can still create problems."

Like his character, 57 - year - old Edward is rarely afraid of a challenge. When acting work dried up in the Eighties, the father - of - three learned to be a HGV driver so that he could still earn a living.

And Bradford - born Edward - who is currently the face of the Direct Line Insurance ads - successfully came through a firefighters' induction course before joining the cast of London's Burning.

But there is one challenge that he wouldn't want to repeat. "Filming on horseback with a horse I don't know," says Edward. "I had an unerving experience when I was younger.

"I appeared in a BBC drama called Shepherd's Life. There was a scene where a group of us had to gallop across a field and the horses had to stop at a particular point. Needless to say, they didn't, and there was chaos as the horses raced on for miles. It put me off for life!"

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