Turkey Dinner

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066 - Turkey Dinner

Script Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Director David Croft
Producer David Croft
Recorded Sunday 10/11/74
Original transmission Monday 23/12/74 8.00pm
Series Seven
Length 30 minutes
Original Viewing Figures 15.8 million
Preceded by The Godiva Affair
Followed by Ring Dem Bells

Turkey Dinner is the sixth episode of the seventh series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on Monday the 23 December 1974.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

After Jones' section shoots down a turkey, the platoon decide to hold a turkey dinner for the local OAPs. Meanwhile, Mainwaring is preparing for a Rotary Club dinner.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Mainwaring tells Wilson that before a battle, their commander told them a joke. However, when Mainwaring attempts to cheer up his unusually quiet platoon with a joke, it doesn't work. Jones asks Mainwaring if he and his section can speak to him in private. Once in the office, Jones admits that he took his section for a quick drink in the Horse and Groom. Mainwaring is less than impressed, so is annoyed when he hears that they also stopped in the King's Head to stop Cheeseman shivering, and stopped in the Goat and Compasses.

Mainwaring is then amused to learn that Godfrey had begun to sing rather raucously, so he was taken into the Red Lion to sober up. The landlord had come up to Jones and had told him about something rustling in the haystack. Jones shot at the rustler, and was shocked to learn that it was a turkey, which is now plucked and stuffed in his fridge! Mainwaring is shocked, and insists that they pay Mr Boggis, farmer at the North Berrington Turkey Farm, the only place where the turkey could have come from, for the loss of his turkey.

However, Mr Boggis is not there. Mainwaring asks his slightly dim-witted farm worker where he is;

Mainwaring: "Where is Mr Boggis?"
Worker: It's Wednesday!"
Mainwaring (slowly): "Where is your master?"
Worker: It's Wednesday!"
Mainwaring (to Wilson): The man's an idiot, Wilson

Eventually they discover Mr Boggis is at market day. They attempt to count the birds, and discover after much chaos that one bird is missing, however the farm worker is unwilling to accept money for the bird. Therefore, Jones' section decides to hold a turkey dinner for the OAPs of Walmington-on-Sea. Mainwaring is delighted and decides to organise a Turkey Dinner General Purposes Committee, with himself as chairman of course. Mrs Fox will cook the turkey, Mrs Pike decides to make the stuffing, and Mrs Cheeseman will make the gravy.

Everything goes well, until Mainwaring emerges from the office in his dinner suit: he is guest speaker at a Rotary Club dinner. Pike whirls around with a plate in his hand, and accidentally spills gravy all over Mainwaring's suit. Jones uses blotting paper to get rid of the gravy, but ends up making a mess of Mainwaring's shirt, which he covers up with white enamel paint, which ends up on Mainwaring's dinner jacket.

A sling is the only answer to the problems, as it will not only hide the paint, but it will also make Mr Mainwaring appear more brave at the dinner. However, Hodges comes bursting through the door, bumping into Pike, and knocking gravy onto his sling once again.

[edit] Notes

Although not a special, it was the Christmas episode, and was originally planned for transmission on 6 December.

[edit] Cast

Cast Characters
Arthur Lowe Captain Mainwaring
John Le Mesurier Sergeant Wilson
Clive Dunn Lance Corporal Jones
John Laurie Private Frazer
Arnold Ridley Private Godfrey
Ian Lavender Private Pike
Bill Pertwee ARP Warden Hodges
Talfryn Thomas Private Cheeseman
Edward Sinclair The Verger
Frank Williams The Vicar
Harold Bennett Mr Blewett
Pamela Cundell Mrs Fox
Janet Davies Mrs Pike
Olive Mercer Mrs Yeatman
Dave Butler Farmhand


Dad's Army
Characters
Captain Mainwaring | Sergeant Wilson | Lance-Corporal Jones
Private Walker | Private Pike | Private Frazer | Private Godfrey
Warden Hodges | Mavis Pike | Reverend Farthing | Maurice Yeatman
Television episodes
List of Dad's Army episodes | Missing episodes | DVD and Video releases
Radio episodes
List of Dad's Army radio episodes | Audio releases
Spin-offs
The Film | The Stage Show | It Sticks Out Half a Mile