Whilst solving this one I felt that some of the definitions and/or parts of wordplay were a bit of a stretch but this didn’t prevent a speedy completion.
However, there is still one clue (16ac) that I cannot explain to my satisfaction.
Across
1 Part of a repeat’s done (8)
SEPARATE – an anagram (done) of A REPEAT’S
5 Resolution to block favourite control on channel changer (6)
PRESET – RES (resolution) in (to block) PET (favourite)
9 A dreamer forgetting name of herb, perhaps (8)
AROMATIC – A ROMA[n]TIC (a dreamer forgetting name)
10 What empty billboard needs stick? (6)
ADHERE – AD HERE (what empty billboard needs)
12 Spoil church parade (5)
MARCH – MAR (spoil) CH (church)
13 Fellow put down kitty container (9)
FLOWERPOT – F (fellow) LOWER (put down) POT (kitty)
14 Tickled pink finding a female to inspire daughter (6)
AMUSED – A MUSE (female to inspire) D (daughter)
16 Leaders of commerce often round dozers (3,4)
FAT CATS – I don’t fully understand this one. Is it referring to the fact that overweight felines tend to spend a lot of time asleep? Also the def. isn’t necessarily true.
19 One way to deliver supply excessively (7)
OVERARM – OVER ARM (supply excessively)
21 Drop in a stretch of clear river (6)
ARRIVE – hidden in (a stretch of) ‘cleAR RIVEr’
23 Aeschylus, say, ain’t easy – expressed anger is contained (9)
TRAGEDIAN – RAGED (expressed anger) in (is contained) an anagram (easy) of AIN’T
25 Rise suddenly beginning to scratch itch (5)
SURGE – S[cratch] (beginning to scratch) URGE (itch)
26 Sailor with a way to get overseas (6)
ABROAD – AB (sailor) ROAD (way)
27 Cameron, say, comes across second European (8)
ESTONIAN – ETONIAN (Cameron, say) around (comes across) S (second)
28 End of instant tattooist’s fiddle (6)
TINKER – [instan]T (end of instant) INKER (tattooist)
29 Burning pile caught sight of over in mountain range (8)
PYRENEES – PYRE (burning pile) SEEN (caught sight of) reversed (over)
Down
1 Smooth sergeant-major and those he licks into shape? (6)
SMARMY – SM (sergeant-major) ARMY (those he licks into shape)
2 Plan for metric unit (9)
PROGRAMME – PRO (for) GRAMME (metric unit)
3 Give a sermon without pressure to achieve (5)
REACH – [p]REACH (give a sermon without pressure)
4 Squabble I had about right novel poisoner (7)
TRIFFID – TIFF (squabble) I’D (I had) around (about) R (right)
6 Socialist landlord is noteworthy (3-6)
RED-LETTER – RED (socialist) LETTER (landlord)
7 Stroke at the crease, if clean, could result in a whitewash (5)
SWEEP – a clean sweep could be a whitewash
8 With changes I restate thesis (8)
TREATISE – an anagram (with changes) of I RESTATE
11 A good walk spoiled by what’s in front of hotel …. sell up (4)
GOLF – FLOG (sell) reversed (up) – two defs., a quote and the NATO phonetic alphabet
15 Small label on glossy coat finally let out actor’s soubriquet (5,4)
STAGE NAME – S (small) TAG (label) ENAME[l] (glossy coat finally let out)
17 I’ve dates swarming round Romeo, no need to …. (9)
ADVERTISE – an anagram (swarming) of I’VE DATES around (round) R (Romeo) – with a sort of implied def.?
18 Promise / to get smaller (8)
CONTRACT – double def.
20 Send message to maiden over trouble (4)
MAIL – M (maiden) AIL (trouble)
21 Pardon me, nasty is out of order (7)
AMNESTY – an anagram (is out of order) of ME NASTY
22 X raised misdemeanor in court contest (6)
TENNIS – TEN (X) SIN (misdemeanor) reversed (raised) – why use the N. American spelling of ‘misdemeanour’?
24 Article mostly given for protection (5)
APRON – A (article) PRON[e] (mostly given)
25 Conservative in painful result (5)
SCORE – C (Conservative) in SORE (painful)
Just passing by, 16a dozers = catnappers, napper is slang for head, round = fat any help?
Thanks Jason and Gaufrid
Thought that this was not bad fun.
For 16a – I had it as FAT CATS = influential business people (leaders may be a little tenuous). Had round = FAT. A CAT is short for Caterpillar, a brand of bulldozer (or ‘dozer).
Didn’t get the ‘front of hotel’ part of 16a, so thanks for that.
Agree that it is an implied definition at 17d … and rather amusing at that.
Don’t know about the Anerican spelling of ‘misdemeanour’, but again an aha clue !
Thanks Jason and Gaufrid. I also did not see the parsing of FAT CATS but in light of the comments above, I think the definition part includes the “often” (“leaders of commerce often” are fat cats). Then I think Brucew’s suggestion re caterpillars = bulldozers is better than felines take naps.