Comedy A-Z Pages:
Episode Guide (Series 5)
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1: Asleep In The Deep (6 Oct 72)
A bomb falls on the local pumping station, trapping Walker and Godfrey. The rest of the platoon try to rescue them, but everyone ends up trapped. A burst water pipe means that the whole platoon are in danger of drowning unless they can find a way to escape.
Also appearing:
Colin Bean (Private Sponge)
2: Keep Young And Beautiful (13 Oct 72)
Parliament decides that older members of the Home guard should be transferred to the ARP, to be replaced by younger members of the ARP. The older members of the Walmington-On-Sea platoon become paranoid and go to great lengths to make themselves look younger. Captain Mainwaring takes to wearing a rather obvious toupee, while Sergeant Wilson buys himself a corset.
Also appearing:
Derek Bond (Minister), Charles Morgan (MP), James Ottaway (MP), Robert Raglan (Colonel)
3: A Soldier's Farewell (20 Oct 72)
The platoon visit the local cinema. After the film, everyone rushes out except Captain Mainwaring, who stands to attention for the National Anthem. At the next parade, Mainwaring punishes the men by making them stand to attention while the National Anthem is played repeatedly. That evening, Mainwaring has a cheese supper before going to bed. He dreams that he's Napoleon.
Also appearing:
Joy Allen (Clippie), Colin Bean (Private Sponge), Robert Gillespie (Charles Boyer), Joan Savage (Greta Garbo)
4: Getting The Bird (27 Oct 72)
Rumours abound when Sergeant Wilson is seen about town with a young girl on his arm.
Jones buys a consignment of pigeons from Walker to augment his supply of meat and is persuaded to help Walker to hide them in the church. He's horrified when he hears that there's a sudden unexplained shortage of pigeons in Trafalgar Square and tells Walker that he wants nothing more to do with the birds. The pigeons, however, put in an unexpected appearnce at Church parade that Sunday.
It's finally revealed that the young girl seen with Wilson is his daughter.
Also appearing:
Pamela Cundell (Mrs Fox), Alvar Liddell (Newsreader), Olive Mercer (Mrs Yeatman), Seretta Wilson (Wren)
5: The Desperate Drive Of Corporal Jones (3 Nov 72)
The platoon take part in an exercise in which they are supposed to defend a deserted barn. Jones and Godfrey get the map reference mixed up and the men end up in a barn which is intended to be the target for artillery practice. Jones tries to telephone HQ to stop the artillery barrage, but he can't get through. He has to drive against the clock to reach the men before the shells start falling.
Also appearing:
Larry Martyn (Signalman), Robert Raglan (Colonel), James Taylor (Artillery Officer)
6: If The Cap Fits (10 Nov 72)
Frazer keeps making unfavourable comments about the way Mainwaring is running the platoon. The Captain gets fed up and offers to swap ranks with Frazer for a couple of days. Power soon goes to Frazer's head. He dismisses Wilson and Jones and promotes Walker and Pike to Sergeant and Corporal respectively. The new Major General pays a visit and invites Frazer to play the bagpipes at an upcoming Highland gathering. Next day, when Mainwaring resumes his proper rank, he learns that he will be expected to play the bagpipes instead of Frazer.
Also appearing:
Dennis Blanch (Second Lieutenant), Alex McAvoy (Sergeant), Robert Raglan (Colonel), Campbell Singer (Major General Menzies)
7: The King Was In His Counting House (17 Nov 72)
The men are attending a party at Mainwaring's house when there's an air raid. They discover that the bank has taken a direct hit. Mainwaring gets his guests to count the money from the bank. Next day, he takes it to the Eastgate Branch in a horse and cart.
Also appearing:
Colin Bean (Private Sponge), Wendy Richard (Shirley)
8: All Is Safely Gathered In (24 Nov 72)
Captain Mainwaring gets the platoon to help Godfrey's friend, Mrs Prentice, to bring in her harvest. Jones falls into a hopper, everyone drinks too much potato wine and the Vicar's blessing of the harvest is rudely interrupted.
Also appearing:
Colin Bean (Private Sponge), Tina Cornioli (Olive), Brenda Cowling (Mrs Prentice), April Walker (Judy)
9: When Did You Last See Your Money? (1 Dec 72)
Jones has been collecting money from local tradesmen to help pay for a servicemen's canteen. He raises 500 pounds but, when he comes to deposit it in the bank, the packet he hands over contains sausages instead of cash. Everyone has to rally round to help him to remember where he's put the money.
Also appearing:
Harold Bennett (Mr Blewitt), Tony Hughes (Mr Billings)
10: Brain Versus Brawn (8 Dec 72)
Mainwaring tries to convince the Colonel that "brains are better than brawn". The Colonel challenges him to plant a dummy bomb in the OC's office. Mainwaring and his men borrow a fire engine and disguise themselves as firemen. On the way to plant the fake bomb, they get diverted to a real fire.
Also appearing:
Maggie Don (Waitress), Geoffrey Hughes (Corporal), Robert Raglan (Colonel), David Rose (Corporal), Anthony Roye (Mr Fairbrother)
11: A Brush With The Law (15 Dec 72)
Someone leaves the church office light on and Hodges spots it. He assumes that Mainwaring must be responsible and decides to prosecute him. The verger tells Hodges that Mainwaring is innocent, but is blackmailed into keeping quiet so that the prosecution can go ahead. Captain Mainwaring is exhonerated when Walker tries a spot of blackmail of his own. The verger finally confesses that he left the light on.
Also appearing:
Chris Gannon (Clerk Of The Court), Jeffrey Gardiner (Mr Wintergreen), Geoffrey Lumsden (Captain Square), Toby Perkins (Usher), Stuart Sherwin (Warden), Marjorie Wilde (Lady Magistrate)
12: Round And Round Went The Great Big Wheel (22 Dec 72)
The boffins from the War Office are testing a secret weapon - a huge catherine wheel packed with explosives and controlled by radio signals. The platoon are roped in as support troops. When Walker and Pike slip off to listen to the wireless, They inadvertantly cause interference to the signal controlling the big wheel, which runs off out of control. The platoon give chase in their van.
Also appearing:
Geoffrey Chater (Colonel Pierce), John Clegg (Wireless Operator), Michael Knowles (Captain Stewart), Jeffrey Segal (Minister), Edward Underdown (Major General Sir Charles Holland)
13: Time On My Hands (29 Dec 72)
A German pilot bails out over the town and ends up hanging from the clock tower. The men of the platoon go up to the top of the tower to rescue him. Then Jones breaks the ladder that provides the only way down.
Also appearing:
Colin Bean (Private Sponge), Harold Bennett (Mr Blewitt), Joan Cooper (Miss Fortecue), Eric Longworth (Mr Gordon), Christopher Sandford (German Pilot)