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Sgt – Save My Boy!

2022-08-04T11:29:10Z

2A00:23C7:1307:9A01:F1B6:6090:B442:626A: /* Plot */

{{no footnotes|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Dad's Army]]
| image =
| caption =
| series_no = 4
| episode = 4
| director = [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]]
| story = [[Jimmy Perry]] and David Croft
| producer = David Croft
| airdate = 16 October 1970
| length = 30 minutes
| guests =
| prev = [[Boots, Boots, Boots]]
| next = [[Don't Fence Me In (Dad's Army)|Don't Fence Me In]]
}}
"'''Sgt – Save My Boy!'''" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series ''[[Dad's Army]]''. It was originally transmitted on Friday 16 October 1970.

==Synopsis==
During a blackout, Pike manages to get himself tangled up on [[barbed wire]] on the mined beach. As the [[tide]] begins to come in, the [[platoon]] undertakes a rescue operation.

==Plot==
Mainwaring is giving a lecture on the progress of the war. He remarks that the [[Dunkirk]] evacuation meant that the orphans in the Harris Orphans' Holiday Home Hut on the coast had to leave as well, leaving the hut free for them to use as a patrol hut. They are quick to set up their equipment and now only have to wait for Private Pike with a flask of tea.

Eventually, Mrs Pike arrives at the hut with a tin of biscuits that Frank left at home, and is shocked when she learns that her son has yet to arrive, particularly as he left ten minutes before she did. She worries that he's been targeted by the [[Walmington-on-Sea|Walmington]] prowler; Walker remarks that he may be the prowler. As they worry, Frazer, who's on guard duty, hears a cry for help outside. The platoon and Mrs Pike rush outside and see Frank tangled up in the barbed wire which runs along the beach. Walker assumes that Frank must have gotten lost and tried to get through a cut-in gap in the wire used for bathers. What is worse, the beach is a [[minefield]].

Mainwaring tells Wilson to ring the [[Mine clearance organization|engineers]] – but they're dealing with another emergency and won't be able to get there for another three hours, which will be too late because the tide is coming in. Walker suggests taking a boat, but Frazer squashes this idea by saying it would take too long to get there from the nearest dock, and that Pike would have drowned by the time they got back. With no alternative, they decide to negotiate a path through the minefield. Frazer has seen the mines laid, so he outlines the pattern to Mainwaring. Jones' section, save Godfrey who has mysteriously vanished, prod their way down the beach with Jones's bayonet.

On their travels, they discover a book on 'How to Lay a Mine Field', and a suspicious object with 'notgnimlaW ot emocleW' written on it. However, when turned the right way up, Walker discovers that it's a child's bucket which reads 'Welcome to Walmington!'. As they near Pike, Godfrey turns up next to him, with two pairs of [[Inflatable armbands|waterwings]] and a blanket. It appears he followed the same route as Pike via the bathing gap. The men arrive at Pike's side, and Godfrey casually asks them whether they want a cup of tea.

Pike tells them to hurry, because he's got a piece of barbed wire sticking in his backside. They use a pair of [[Bolt cutter|cutters]] that Walker brought along to get him free, and start back, dragging the injured and moaning Pike on Godfrey's blanket. They stop when Jones prods something in the sand and look up to see a familiar pair of feet. It is [[Air Raid Precautions|ARP]] Warden Hodges ("What are you doin' there then, prayin' to [[Muhammad|Mecca]]?") with the engineer officer that laid the mines, who informs them that no mines were laid in their current position, and that the minefield ends 200 yards up the beach, meaning that they are not in any danger.

However, the engineer has to eat his words, when Jones produces a mine...

==Cast==
{{div col}}
*[[Arthur Lowe]] as [[Captain Mainwaring]]
*[[John Le Mesurier]] as [[Sergeant Wilson]]
*[[Clive Dunn]] as [[Lance Corporal Jones]]
*[[John Laurie]] as [[Private Frazer]]
*[[James Beck]] as [[Private Walker]]
*[[Arnold Ridley]] as [[Private Godfrey]]
*[[Ian Lavender]] as [[Private Pike]]
*[[Bill Pertwee]] as [[Chief ARP Warden Hodges|ARP Warden Hodges]]
*[[Janet Davies (actress)|Janet Davies]] as [[Mavis Pike|Mrs Pike]]
*[[Michael Knowles (actor)|Michael Knowles]] as the Engineer Officer
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
*The working title for this episode was 'The Mine'.
*According to dialogue between Mainwaring and Godfrey, and remarks by Wilson as regards to the type of mine, this episode must be set after the [[Operation Barbarossa|German invasion of the Soviet Union]] on 22 June 1941.
*It is mentioned in this episode that Pike can't swim. He seems to have learned by the time of the events of "[[Asleep in the Deep (Dad's Army)|Asleep in the Deep]]", which shows him swimming across the flooded inner room in the pumping station, as well as diving underwater to retrieve a dropped spanner.

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army|author1=Croft, David |author2=Perry, Jimmy |author3=Webber, Richard |year=2000|publisher=Orion|isbn= 0-7528-4637-X}}

==External links==
*{{BBC episode|b007btbz}}
*{{IMDb episode|0552310}}

{{Dad's Army}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sgt - Save My Boy!}}
[[Category:Dad's Army (series 4) episodes]]
[[Category:1970 British television episodes]]

Room at the Bottom (Dad's Army)

2022-08-04T11:27:39Z

2A00:23C7:1307:9A01:F1B6:6090:B442:626A: /* Plot */

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Dad's Army]]
| image =
| caption =
| series_no = 3
| episode = 6
| director = [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]]
| story = [[Jimmy Perry]] and David Croft
| producer = David Croft
| airdate = 16 October 1969
| length = 30 minutes
| guests =
| prev = [[Something Nasty in the Vault]]
| next = [[Big Guns (Dad's Army)|Big Guns]]
}}
"'''Room at the Bottom'''" is the sixth episode of the third series of the British comedy series ''[[Dad's Army]]'' that was originally transmitted on Thursday 16 October 1969.

==Plot==
Wilson is sitting at Mainwaring's desk, when Captain Bailey from GHQ arrives. He asks Wilson about how long Mainwaring has been in charge. Wilson says it was ever since they were [[Local Defence Volunteers]]. Bailey is surprised because there were no commissions in the LDV, and Wilson admits that Mainwaring made himself a [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]]. Bailey tells him that it's more ordinary to have a [[lieutenant]] in charge of a platoon, so Mainwaring must remove one of his pips. Wilson is delighted, and is even more delighted when Walker brings him his new hat: a [[beret]].

Wilson, with some glee, practises what he is going to say to Mainwaring, who then arrives, announcing that he's recruited a Drill Sergeant for drill practice. Wilson tells him about Bailey's visit, but Mainwaring laughs it off. He rings GHQ and speaks to a sergeant, who knows nothing about it. He waits for Wilson's explanation, and concludes that Wilson is jealous of him, and that is the reason why he bought a beret. GHQ rings; Mainwaring answers, and is horrified to learn that Wilson was telling the truth. Wilson insists that he is sorry for Mainwaring, even though he is laughing in his face.

Godfrey sees Mainwaring removing his pips, offering to assist based on his former experience in tailoring, but is quickly dismissed by Mainwaring, who is determined to make sure nobody finds out, but Godfrey blabs to the rest of the platoon. Frazer, Jones and Walker wonder whether he's been promoted to [[major]], though Walker hopes not, believing that Mainwaring is pompous enough already. When the [[parade]] is about to be dismissed, Mainwaring emerges from the office with a rubber tyre on his shoulders, covering up his badge of rank. Walker and Frazer point out that they can't salute Mainwaring unless they can see his rank. A reluctant Mainwaring is about to reveal the truth, when the [[Verger]] comes rushing in, announcing that the ''[[German battleship Bismarck#Sinking|Bismarck]]'' [[Last battle of the battleship Bismarck|has been sunk]]. The platoon cheer and Mainwaring quickly dismisses them, the Navy having "saved his bacon".

The next day, Captain Bailey returns and tells Wilson that Mainwaring hasn't even been commissioned as a lieutenant, and he must join the ranks. He adds that Wilson will be in charge for the time being. Bailey gives Wilson the news in an envelope and leaves via the main hall so as not to disturb the platoon's drilling. Mainwaring then arrives and opens the letter as Wilson quickly leaves the office. He hears a shot, and thinks Mainwaring has committed [[suicide]]. He rushes in and is joined by Jones, who explains that it was Godfrey's [[rifle]] that fired, and the two of them help a speechless Mainwaring into his chair.

Wilson commands the next parade and admits he will be leading them on the divisional scheme on Sunday. Mainwaring enters, wearing a private's uniform, nobly declaring that the protection of the town must come before pride. The platoon, particularly Jones and Godfrey, are saddened as he joins the ranks. Wilson calls the platoon to attention, but Mainwaring mistimes his drill, while Jones has improved. However, the roles are soon reversed.

Suddenly the pre-arranged Drill Sergeant, Gregory, turns up and immediately barks orders at the men, insulting many members of the platoon. Mainwaring speaks up in their defence but, now as a private, is picked on for speaking out of turn. However, he is soon given a taste of his own medicine when they practise sloping arms. Jones mucks it up, accidentally throwing his rifle on the Drill Sergeant's foot.

At the exercise Wilson does not make a good job of leadership. Jones volunteers to be the scout, but [[ant]]s climb up his trousers and he has to take them off to get rid of them. Believing it's the signal to advance, the platoon move forward, but soon find themselves in an ambush. It is a disheartened platoon that heads back to [[Walmington-on-Sea|Walmington]]. Sponge remarks there'll soon be no platoon for the new officer to take charge of. Therefore, the platoon decide to write to GHQ, asking for Mainwaring to be commissioned. In his letter, Walker offers a couple of bottles of scotch "if it will make any difference". Frazer declines to write with his colleagues, instead writing at home and asking for promotion himself.

As a result of the letters, Mainwaring is reinstated and everything is back to normal... almost. He and Wilson then muse on the events of the past few days. When Wilson laughs at the fact that Mainwaring had had no authority whatsoever to command the platoon, the latter then shocks Wilson by saying that he, therefore, had had no authority to promote him to sergeant in the first place. Wilson realises what Mainwaring is implying, but the latter plays on the moment by saying that he was sure everything would be sorted out ... and then says nonchalantly, "Perhaps you'd like to borrow my penknife!" (to remove his sergeant's stripes).

==Notes==
{{Trivia section|date=January 2022}}
*According to the Verger's announcement, the first half of this episode must be set on 27 May 1941.
*When Drill Sergeant Gregory asks Walker why he isn't in the army, he replies that he 'got his ticket' for being allergic to corned beef – a reference to the earlier episode ''[[The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker]]''.
*A transition song in this episode is "This is Worth Fighting for" by [[Leslie Hutchinson|Hutch]].

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character !! TV episode !! Audio drama
|-
| [[Captain Mainwaring]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Arthur Lowe]]
|-
| [[Sergeant Wilson]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[John Le Mesurier]]
|-
| [[Lance Corporal Jones]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Clive Dunn]]
|-
| [[Private Frazer]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[John Laurie]]
|-
| [[Private Walker]] || [[James Beck]] ||
|-
| [[Private Godfrey]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Arnold Ridley]]
|-
| [[Private Pike]] || [[Ian Lavender]] || rowspan="2"|
|-
| Maurice Yeatman || [[Edward Sinclair]]
|-
| Captain Bailey || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[John Ringham]]
|-
| Drill Sergeant Gregory || [[Anthony Sagar]] || [[Jack Watson (actor)|Jack Watson]]
|-
| Private Sponge || [[Colin Bean]] ||
|}

== Radio version ==
===Notes===
*As mentioned above, there were only minor changes from the original TV episode, yet there is no scene in the radio episode at all depicting the battle exercise. The platoon did participate in it, though, since Frazer, when commenting about the plunging morale of the platoon on the night Mainwaring absented himself, he remarks bitterly on the fact that "Sergeant Wilson led us straight into an ambush!"

===Cast===
The surname of the character played by guest actor [[John Ringham]] was changed from Captain Bailey to Captain Turner, presumably because actor [[Michael Knowles (actor)|Michael Knowles]], who co-adapted the TV episodes for radio with [[Harold Snoad]], made occasional cameo appearances as "Captain Bailey", including in the radio episode, [[A Stripe for Frazer]].

==Colour restoration of the original television recording==
{{main | Colour recovery }}

[[File:Original film frame from "Dad's Army" split-screened with colour.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The original recording unscrambled (Photo: BBC)]]
This episode of ''Dad's Army'', after its original broadcast on [[BBC One]] in October 1969 and repeat in May 1970, had only survived as a 16mm black-and-white film [[telerecording]] which had been transferred from the original colour videotape before that tape was [[Wiping#BBC|wiped]] and reused for reasons of cost. In 2007 James Insell, a preservation specialist at the [[BBC]] Archive, established the [[Colour recovery|Colour Recovery]] Working Group and in 2008 a [[Colour recovery|new technique]] developed by member [[Richard T. Russell|Richard Russell]] was used to restore the episode back to colour.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7778770.stm |title='Don't panic' - comedy classic is restored |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= 12 December 2008|access-date=16 February 2011}}</ref>

The technique relies on the fact that some black-and-white film recordings contain the original PAL colour [[Subcarrier#Television|sub-carrier]] recorded on each film frame as a pattern of fine "chroma dots" and the software is able to decode these back to colour. This process is completely different from the artificial colouring technique that was applied to some black-and-white films during the 1980s – with ''[[The Guardian]]'' describing the group's new descrambling process as "akin to turning an omelette back into an egg".<ref>{{cite news|author=Charles Norton |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/dec/11/digital-video-restoration-dad-s-army |title=Unscrambling an army of colours |work=The Guardian|date= 11 December 2008|access-date=16 February 2011 |location=London}}</ref>

After being re-mastered with a high quality audio soundtrack,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7780889.stm |title='Lost' Dad's Army show back on TV |publisher=BBC News |date=12 December 2008 |access-date=16 February 2011}}</ref> the resulting restored copy was as close to the episode's master recording as possible and is now kept as the official BBC Archive copy<ref>Re-Colouring the Past, Radio Times, 13–19 December 2008, pages 24-25</ref> — this was broadcast again in colour for the first time since 1970 on Saturday 13 December 2008 on [[BBC Two]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/12_december/09/dadsarmy.shtml |title=Dad's Army episode to be seen in colour for first time in nearly 40 years |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=16 February 2011}}</ref> but has so far not been included in the DVD release of the complete collection, and only an early, partially restored colour version was available for purchase on the [[BBC Store]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army|author1=Croft, David |author2=Perry, Jimmy |author3=Webber, Richard |year=2000|publisher=Orion|isbn= 0-7528-4637-X}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb episode|0552308}}

{{Dad's Army}}

[[Category:Dad's Army radio episodes]]
[[Category:Dad's Army (series 3) episodes]]
[[Category:1969 British television episodes]]