War Babies (The Goodies)

"War Babies"
The Goodies episode
Episode no. Series 8
Episode 69 (of 76)
Produced by
Starring Tim Brooke-Taylor
Graeme Garden
Bill Oddie
Original air date 18 February 1980
(Monday — 8.10 p.m.)
Guest stars
Geoffrey Palmer as the
"School Headmaster"
Andrew Ray as "..."
Sharon Miller as "..."
Ernie Goodyear as ("...")
Series 8 episodes
List of The Goodies episodes

War Babies is an episode of the British comedy television series The Goodies — a BAFTA-nominated series for Best Light Entertainment Programme.[1][2][3]

It was the last episode to be produced and transmitted by BBC Television.

As always, the episode was written by members of The Goodies.

Contents

Plot

It is the Second World War, and Tim, Bill and Graeme are only two years old. However, they are much bigger in size than the usual two year old children — even bigger than the four year old, six year old, and eight year old children who are attending the same school for gifted children as they are.

Graeme and Bill are dressed in school uniforms and are both very intelligent two year old children. Tim, however, arrives at the school in a pram wearing a bib and bonnet, so it would appear that his inclusion in a school for gifted children is a mistake — or too soon. There is some implication that Tim's rich parents have paid vast sums of money so that he can attend the school, despite his average intelligence.

When a live bomb crashes into the room that Tim, Bill and Graeme are in, they are given the task to disarm it. Graeme and Bill set about disarming the bomb, but find the going difficult when Tim tries to put square objects into round holes and round objects into square holes, and tries banging the objects in, in his frustration to do so. However, Bill and Graeme are successful in what they are doing and the bomb is disarmed.

Then they are given their next assignment — they are to enter Germany and bring a cigar back for Winston Churchill. It is thought that, as children, they might find it easier to enter and leave Germany than an adult would. Tim, Bill and Graeme parachute into Germany, and Graeme and Bill successfully land. However, Bill misses catching Tim, who is all broken up as a result. Graeme puts all of Tim's 'spare parts' into a pram, and then asks Bill for Tim's head (which is still in its bonnet) — however, Bill accidentally brings back a cabbage, much to Graeme's disgust. After further searching, Tim's head is found and Graeme then 'operates' on him — giving Tim a clock for a heart, and a toy voicebox and a wind-up key to make Tim move, thereby turning Tim into the "Six Million Dollar Baby".

Back in England following their successful trip to Germany, the two year old Goodies are asked to impersonate Winston Churchill in public — Tim is given the job of acting the part, but the Goodies run into unexpected problems.

Spoofs and cultural references

References

  1. ^ Light Entertainment Production nomination — official BAFTA website
  2. ^ Best Light Entertainment Programme nomination — official BAFTA website
  3. ^ Information is given, by the BBC, about the BAFTA-nomination on the back of the "The GOODIES ... At Last ... Back for More, Again!" DVD cover.

External links