List of Hank Zipzer episodes

Hank Zipzer is a children's television series which stars Nick James in the titular role as a 12-year-old dyslexic schoolboy. The show is based on the series of books by Henry Winkler, who plays the character of Mr. Rock, Hank's music teacher. The first season premiered in January 2014 on CBBC.[1] Unlike the books that took place in America, the series takes place in Britain. The second season began airing on 13 August 2015. Javone Prince made his first appearance as Mr. Joy in series 2, episode 5, "Hank's Hero." The third season began airing on 26 May 2016, which was followed by an 84-minute Christmas television film, Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe, in December 2016. All three seasons of the Hank Zipzer series stream globally on HBO Max,[2] and in the U.K. on BBC iPlayer.[3] HBO Max began streaming Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe on December 2, 2022.[4]

Series overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
11328 January 2014 (2014-01-28)22 April 2014 (2014-04-22)
21313 August 2015 (2015-08-13)5 November 2015 (2015-11-05)
31326 May 2016 (2016-05-26)18 August 2016 (2016-08-18)
Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe12 December 2016 (2016-12-12)


Episodes

Season 1 (2014)

Season 1 was produced by Siobhan Bachman and Ali Bryer Carron.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
11"Classroom Catastrophe"Matt BloomJoe Williams28 January 2014 (2014-01-28)363,000
Ms. Adolf gives the pupils an assignment to write an essay about their summer holidays. Keen to avoid doing any writing, Hank decides to build a model of his holiday at Niagara Falls and demonstrate the experience to the class instead.
22"The Lucky Socks"Matt BloomJoe Williams4 February 2014 (2014-02-04)N/A
The school announces its annual House sport and quiz competition and Hank finds himself forced to try out for the Yellow House.
33"The Curtain Went Up, My Trousers Went Down"Matt BloomJoe Williams11 February 2014 (2014-02-11)N/A
Getting the lead role in the school play should be a cause for celebration for Hank. But with school bully McKelty determined to get the role for himself and Hank struggling to learn his lines, it's not as easy as he thought it was going to be.
44"Battle of the Goblins"Matt BloomDaniel Peak18 February 2014 (2014-02-18)N/A

Hank accidentally breaks his and Frankie's latest science project and Frankie has to pick up the pieces rather than collect the latest voice-activated games console as soon as it hits the store.

Absent: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love, Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
55"Haunted Hank"Matt BloomDan Berlinka25 February 2014 (2014-02-25)N/A

Nick McKelty oversteps the mark when he picks on Hank's little sister Emily. To get revenge, Hank decides to make the world's scariest haunted house.

Absent: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love
66"The War of Words"Rebecca RycroftBede Blake4 March 2014 (2014-03-04)N/A

Stan and Emily struggle to cope with Hank and Rosa's more unorthodox approaches to study, and Hank starts to feel the pressure when Stan bets his coveted Topps Football Card against his mortal rival Mick McKelty - bully Nick McKelty's dad. Stan pushes Hank so far that he quits the team, but when his dad eats humble pie and Hank sees how important winning the bet is to him, Hank tries his best to meet his dad halfway.

Absent: Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
77"The Day I Flunked Chemistry"Matt BloomMadeleine Brettingham11 March 2014 (2014-03-11)N/A
Hank thinks new boy Ben is totally cool, and is amazed to discover that the feeling is mutual. But will Ben feel the same if he finds out about Hank's learning difficulties? Hank isn't willing to take the risk and so decides not to tell him. That plan has disastrous consequences when Hank misreads an experiment, leading to the gassing of Ms. Adolf and the evacuation of the science block. Ashley has a crush on Ben and Frankie is jealous of Hank's new friend.
88"The Mortadella Disaster"Rebecca RycroftJoe Williams18 March 2014 (2014-03-18)290,000

Hank gets his new report and gets bad marks. Meanwhile, a man called Bob Bing likes Rosa's new recipe. To hide his report, Hank sticks it in Rosa's meat grinder in the Spicy Salami which ends up in Rosa's mortadella.

Absent: Jude Foley as McKelty, Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
99"Who Ordered the Baby?"Rebecca RycroftBede Blake25 March 2014 (2014-03-25)285,000

Hank is pleased when his mum says he can work in the deli to earn a new pair of the latest cool trainers. That is until he's given his latest school assignment, to look after a pretend baby for the weekend. Despite his best attempts, Hank can't juggle a crying baby and work. He decides to focus on getting the trainers, but disaster strikes when he accidentally ends up swapping his fake baby for a real one.

Absent: Neil Fitzmaurice as Stan, Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
1010"I Think I Broke My Dad"Rebecca RycroftMark Oswin1 April 2014 (2014-04-01)207,000

Stan is dismayed to find that Hank is avoiding him because of his new dyslexia therapies, so he becomes a "Cool Dad". When he thinks he has the right to be in the band For the talent show, Hank has to stop his dad performing in the band at the talent show!

Absent: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love, Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
1111"The Week I Became a Genius"Rebecca RycroftAli Bryer Carron8 April 2014 (2014-04-08)N/A
Hank's school has an American-themed week, and Hank is made to do a presentation about Einstein, and feels upset when he finds out that Frankie and Ashley have teamed up with McKelty. He also makes friends with Year 6 boy, Mason Williams, who is at Westbrook Academy for Transition Week. Having met him, Hank and Mason bond and before long are good friends. Mason helps Hank with his Albert Einstein presentation when one of his cards gets stuck to his hand. Hank, Frankie, and Ashley make up in the end.
1212"Anyone for Lizard"Rebecca RycroftLucy Guy15 April 2014 (2014-04-15)N/A

Hank can't believe his luck when he is chosen to host the Japan exchange student. He even manages to remember to get his permission slip signed... only for McKelty to steal it. With no signed permission slip, Hank is in danger of not being allowed to take part. To show how committed Hank is to the exchange programme, Rosa organises a Japanese banquet for Ms. Adolf and Mr. Rock. The banquet ends in disaster: an escaped lizard, marauding crickets and a fainting Stan, who covers Ms. Adolf with sushi. All looks lost, until Rosa uncovers Ms. Adolf's secret passion: karaoke.

Absent: Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
1313"My First Date Dilemma"Rebecca RycroftJoe Williams22 April 2014 (2014-04-22)N/A

Hank meets a cool girl, Zoe, in Mr. Rock's additional reading class and falls head over heels in love. Ashley and Frankie try to subtly find out whether Zoe has a boyfriend but Hank is horrified when he learns that their approach has given the game away to Zoe. Emotions going haywire, Hank can't eat, sleep, and gets into trouble at school. Papa Pete advises Hank to embrace his emotions and Hank decides to take Zoe on a date, but it ends in disaster.

Absent: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love, Jude Foley as McKelty

Season 2 (2015)

Season 2 was produced by Jim Poyser.

  • Nick James, Juliet Cowan, Neil Fitzmaurice, and Madeline Holliday appear in all episodes.
  • Jayden Jean Paul-Denis, Alicia Lai, and Felicity Montagu are all absent for one episode.
  • Nick Mohammed is absent for two episodes before leaving the cast in the episode "Head Ache".
  • Javone Prince is absent for two episodes after joining the cast in the episode "Hank's Hero".
  • Jude Foley is absent for seven episodes.
  • Vincenzo Nicoli is absent for four episodes.
  • Henry Winkler is absent for three episodes.
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
141"Camera Calamity"Tom GeorgeJoe Williams13 August 2015 (2015-08-13)209,000

Every year Hank's school photo matches his school report perfectly - they're both terrible. But this year Hank's making sure his photo is picture perfect - until McKelty ruins it with a fountain of fizzy drink. Can Hank get clean and tidy and back in front of the camera before the photographer leaves? And will Emily get her place at the Institute of Scientific Excellence without her parents messing it up for her?

Absent: Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
152"No Room for Two"Matt BloomLucy Guy20 August 2015 (2015-08-20)224,000

It's Friday afternoon and tomorrow Hank will be in charge of the coolest stall at the school fair - this weekend is going to be amazing! Except Emily's room is being redecorated and she'll be sleeping in with Hank until it's done. Oh, and she's bringing Katherine with her. Maybe this weekend won't be so amazing after all.

Absent: Jayden Jean Paul-Denis as Frankie, Alicia Lai as Ashley, Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love, Jude Foley as McKelty
163"Cow Poo Treasure Hunt"Matt BloomMark Oswin27 August 2015 (2015-08-27)N/A

When he's not allowed to hang out at the shopping centre with Frankie and Ashley, Hank decides to show Stan and Rosa just how capable he is by being the first person to make it through Miss Adolf's weekend survival camp. Meanwhile, Papa Pete tries to make it through a single day of Emily helping out at the deli.

Absent: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love, Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
174"Head Ache"Tom GeorgeLucy Guy3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)N/A

Mr. Love is leaving and Hank is thrown into panic mode when Ms. Adolf decides to use him as her pet project to show the governors that she is the best candidate to be the new head teacher. Meanwhile, Emily announces she is going to home-school herself, much to the horror of Stan and Rosa who decide that they will have to try to become her new teachers - if she'll let them!

Last appearance as a main character: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love

Absent: Jude Foley as McKelty, Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
185"Hank's Hero"Tom GeorgeJoe Williams10 September 2015 (2015-09-10)N/A

Hank and Stan are whipped into a frenzy when they hear that new headmaster, Mr. Joy - keen to make a splash - is bringing their favourite footballer, Alex Broman to Westbrook Academy for an official visit. A few lucky pupils will be chosen for a kickabout with their hero, but when Hank finds himself in another Adolf detention it looks like he's going to miss out - or is he?

First appearance: Javone Prince as Mr. Joy

Absent: Jude Foley as McKelty, Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
196"Open Day"Matt BloomJoe Williams17 September 2015 (2015-09-17)N/A

It's Open Day at Westbrook Academy and Hank has big plans to show potential newcomers that not everyone is as boring as McKelty or as mean as Miss Adolf. Mr. Joy though, has other ideas... Keen to keep all troublemakers away from his grand assembly to the prospective parents, he excludes Hank and just to be sure, banishes Emily to Mr. Rock's music room. Is it really going to be a Zipzer-free Open Day?

Absent: Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
207"Ballot Box Hunter"Matt BloomJon Macqueen24 September 2015 (2015-09-24)N/A

When a seat on Westbrook's school council becomes available, Hank uses charm, personality and Rosa's pastries to try to stop it from going to McKelty. However Emily is trying to win the election another way - by convincing everybody that she's too cool for school.

Absent: Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
218"Valentine's Confusion"Matt BloomHolly Phillips1 October 2015 (2015-10-01)N/A

Hank has his heart set on asking Anya to the Valentine's dance, but soon discovers that this year Valentine's Day is doing funny things to people and Hank ends up in a pickle when he tries to please more than one girl. Meanwhile, Rosa and Stan are proving that even as grown-ups, Valentine's Day can be a confusing time.

Absent: Jude Foley as McKelty
229"Camouflage"Matt BloomAdam G. Goodwin & Jonathan Parkyn8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)N/A

With Emily in hospital having her tonsils out and a history project due, Hank decides that the best possible course of action is to take Katherine - Emily's lizard and best friend - into school. Meanwhile at the hospital, Stan is trying to prove to Rosa that he's not squeamish - easier said than done when all you want to do is pass out.

Absent: Javone Prince as Mr. Joy, Jude Foley as McKelty, Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
2310"Hank's Birthday"Tom GeorgeMadeline Brettingham15 October 2015 (2015-10-15)N/A

It's Hank's thirteenth birthday and he wants the greatest party of all time. Unfortunately Stan and Rosa have other ideas, so Hank decides to have a secret party of his own in the den.

Absent: Javone Prince as Mr. Joy
2411"Hank's New School"Tom GeorgeMark Evans22 October 2015 (2015-10-22)N/A

After yet another bad parents' evening, Stan is determined to get Hank a good education - at another school. Desperate not to leave Frankie, Ashley and Mr. Rock behind, Hank is forced to do the unthinkable and fight to stay at Westbrook Academy. Mr. Rock, on the other hand, finds an old friend's offer for a life away from Westbrook extremely tempting.

Absent: Jude Foley as McKelty
2512"Papa Pete in Love"Tom GeorgeDanny Peak29 October 2015 (2015-10-29)N/A

When Hank gets a good grade at school thanks to his grandad's support, Hank decides to find him a new girlfriend. What could go wrong? Back at home, Emily has a new boyfriend and a suspicious Stan grills him about his intentions... until that is, he realises his mistake.

Absent: Felicity Montagu as Miss Adolf, Jude Foley as McKelty
2613"Last Day"Tom GeorgeJon Macqueen5 November 2015 (2015-11-05)N/A

It is the last day of the summer term and Hank is determined to make it through without a detention. An incident with an egg in assembly changes all of that and Hank finds himself in danger of being excluded from school permanently.

Note: This episode features clips from previous episodes in season 2.

Season 3 (2016)

Season 3 was produced by Richard Grocock.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
271"Teacher Torture"Matt BloomLucy Guy26 May 2016 (2016-05-26)0.0

Hank is looking forward to having a new form teacher at school, rather than Miss Adolf. However, he discovers that his new teacher, Miss Goodison wants the class to talk about their feelings and problems in class. Even worse, she wants Hank to discuss his dyslexia and the rest of the class to write poetry about him. It's too much for Hank and he sets out, with Frankie and Ashley's help, to get Adolf back again. Meanwhile Rosa is trying and failing to come to terms with some new hi-tech gadgetry in the deli...

Note: This was the only episode to premiere on BBC iPlayer before airing on TV.

Absent: Neil Fitzmaurice as Stan, Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
282"Vlog It!"Nick CollettJoe Williams2 June 2016 (2016-06-02)N/A
The pupils of Westbrook try to produce the best vlogs and videos. When Hank is humiliated by Nick McKelty, he vows to outdo him with his next vlog. But is Hank really willing to sacrifice what little dignity he has in order to succeed? Meanwhile Stan and old enemy Mick McKelty (Nick's dad) find themselves facing off against each other when both sign up for Mr. Rock's after-school choir.
293"Zipzers and Aliens"Matt BloomMatt Bloom9 June 2016 (2016-06-09)N/A

Hank accidentally gets his friends' copies of worldwide publishing sensation The Alien Adventures confiscated by Miss Adolf and has to put things right before the author herself makes a very special visit to Westbrook.

Absent: Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
304"Educating Zipzer"Matt BloomDanny Peak16 June 2016 (2016-06-16)N/A

A film crew is coming to the school to make a documentary. Everyone comes into school very excited, particularly Mr. Joy who intends to be onscreen as much as possible. By a series of accidents, Hank becomes the central figure in the documentary, causing himself stress and putting a strain on his relationship with Frankie and Ashley (who were meant to be sharing the limelight with him). Mr. Rock tries to escape the unwelcome attention of the film crew, while Rosa tries to use the opportunity to advertise the deli. Ultimately it's up to Hank to try and sort everything out, win his friends back and get back to normal.

Absent: Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
315"Hank's Good Turn"Matt BloomMark Oswin23 June 2016 (2016-06-23)N/A
There is a school inspector coming round and the school is to be on its best behaviour. Meanwhile, Hank is trying to do a good turn to McKelty but ends up injuring him more. Hank gradually makes friends with him and they bond over McKelty's funny (but slightly rude) caricatures of members of staff. However Hank accidentally hands them in to Adolf and a chase ensues as Hank and McKelty try and get them back. They finally get them back, only for Hank to accidentally push McKelty and his wheelchair down some stairs, injuring him and the School Inspector in the process. Meanwhile Rosa is fed up at the mess in the house and decides to leave all the dishes, hoping someone will get the message.
326"My Girlfriend Has Flippers"Matt BloomHolly Phillips30 June 2016 (2016-06-30)N/A
Mr. Rock is put in charge of doing an assembly on marine life, much to the annoyance of Adolf, who wanted to do it in the first place. As Rock pairs Hank up with Anya, Anya reveals that they are no longer an item. Hank didn't even know they were together! Hank then sets out to win back Anya, but Frankie's advice to be cool and distant to Anya backfires terribly and she becomes more interested in McKelty. When it comes to the final assembly, Hank saves Anya from a huge collapsing prop and all is forgiven, but Anya still has some bad news for Hank. Meanwhile Emily unaccountably finds herself in love with a boy with a floppy fringe and sparkly eyes and she tries to find a scientific explanation for it.
337"Undercover Hank"Matt BloomJoe Williams7 July 2016 (2016-07-07)N/A

Mr. Joy announces to the school that he is to receive a special award in recognition of his work, but at that moment, Mr. Love appears, fresh back from his book tour, claiming the prize is actually for him. A tussle ensues. Meanwhile, Hank is wrongly identified as having sprayed graffiti on a wall and is sent home by Joy. He decides his only option is to sneak back into school, disguised as a girl, and to try and find the culprit and clear his name. He has to dodge the unwanted attentions of McKelty, and with Frankie and Ashley's help he manages to unmask the culprit.

Guest star: Nick Mohammed as Mr. Love

Absent: Vincenzo Nicoli as Papa Pete
348"School Sleepover"Matt BloomAdam G. Goodwin & Jonathan Parkyn14 July 2016 (2016-07-14)N/A
Mr. Rock is holding a sponsored school sleepover and it's the best thing ever... or at least it would be if Hank didn't also have to find time to make up for years of lousy Mother's Days by making his mum the perfect present. Can Hank and friends use the sleepover as cover for an emergency session of craft and design? Can Emily get away with bringing her beloved lizard Katherine to school? And will Stan's plans to make Rosa the ideal Mother's Day meal turn out quite as well as he hopes?
359"Operation: Prank Adolf"Matt BloomJon Macqueen21 July 2016 (2016-07-21)N/A
April Fool's Day is looming and Hank is pulling out all the stops to prank the unprankable Miss Adolf. Can Hank really come up with a way to outwit Westbrook's toughest teacher? Can he succeed without ruining Mr. Rock's chances of winning the new top teacher award? Meanwhile, Rosa plans to teach Emily the joy of April Fool's pranks - whether Emily wants to learn them or not..
3610"Captain Hank and the Last Picks"Nick CollettJon Macqueen28 July 2016 (2016-07-28)N/A

Hank has been drinking cans of Goodness Fizz in order to win games equipment for the school. Miss Luffkin, brand manager for Goodness Fizz, offers Joy more sports equipment in exchange for a branding campaign in the school. Joy, who is falling for her charms, accepts, but the gym is now rebranded as an elite sports centre, and Hank and the other sporting no-hopers are not allowed in. Meanwhile, Emily is campaigning hard to get Goodness Fizz banned, and she discovers that it's 95 per cent sugar. Ultimately, Hank and his Last Picks challenge McKelty to a game of basketball in an attempt to gain access to the elite centre - a showdown which is then interrupted by a campaigning Emily.

Absent: Henry Winkler as Mr. Rock
3711"Christmas in July"Nick CollettLucy Guy4 August 2016 (2016-08-04)N/A

Only Hank Zipzer would think of holding Christmas in the middle of summer and only Hank's family would agree to let him do it. Soon Hank's imagination runs out of control and he's inviting Mr. Rock to join the yuletide fun and planning to get a cow to dress up as a reindeer. Will Emily's perfect planning save Hank from another disaster? And can Mr. Rock's unexpected guest, Miss Adolf, really save the day?

Absent: Javone Prince as Mr. Joy, Jude Foley as McKelty
3812"Hank Rocks Out!"Nick CollettMark Oswin11 August 2016 (2016-08-11)N/A

It's that time of year again - once more Miss Adolf is trying to get victims to sign up for her annual survival camp. With a rock festival being held just a few miles from Miss Adolf's camp, Hank and friends mean to sneak off to see their favourite band. Unfortunately they reckoned without Miss Adolf's favourite snitch, Nick McKelty. Meanwhile, Stan tries to impress Rosa with his spontaneity by sneaking her off to the festival too, while Emily is left at home to teach Papa Pete and his game-loving pals the perils of playing against a super-smart girl.

Absent: Javone Prince as Mr. Joy
3913"The Crunchy Pickle"Nick CollettJoe Williams18 August 2016 (2016-08-18)N/A

Rosa has the option to move the whole family to New York and open a new branch of the deli, but she doesn't want to move Hank if he's settled and doing well at school. Hank overhears this and - desperate to move to America - sets out to do badly at school by getting in trouble. When he realizes that he'll miss his friends he tries to reverse his decision, but now he's in trouble with Miss Adolf and he has to try and get into her good books before a meeting with Stan and Rosa. He fails and we cut to the deli, where a tearful Papa Pete has organised a leaving do. However, it becomes clear that all members of the family are actually having second thoughts about leaving friends and family behind.

Note: This episode featured clips from other episodes in season 3

Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe (2016)

TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
"Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe"[5]Matt BloomJoe Williams & Debbie Isitt12 December 2016 (2016-12-12)288,000
Hank is in the run up to Christmas as he prepares for a new baby brother. But Hank’s life never runs smoothly and soon Miss Adolf is turning Mr. Rock’s Rudolph the Rock 'N' Roll Reindeer into a one-woman Christmas Carol – two school inspectors are getting injured in a bizarre sleighing accident and Mr. Joy is trying to cancel Christmas altogether. In his attempt to drag triumph from the glittering jaws of doom, Hank will ice skate into disaster, nearly crash a Christmas tree into a crowd, get himself and his best friends arrested, get his favourite teacher sacked and lose the love of his life. This time, he really has let everyone down. Surely even Hank can’t get out this one.

References

  1. ^ "BBC - CBBC announces second series of Hank Zipzer starring Henry Winkler - Media centre". www.bbc.co.uk. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  2. ^ Petski, Denise (11 May 2022). "HBO Max Greenlights Peyton List Ghost Romance Special Event, Acquires Henry Winkler's 'Hank Zipzer' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Hank Zipzer". Apple TV. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  4. ^ Adams, Sam (1 December 2022). "The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, and Hulu in December". Slate. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 8 October 2021.