Number Engaged

"Number Engaged"
Dad's Army episode
Episode no.	Series Nine Episode 079
Directed by	Bob Spiers
Story by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Produced by	David Croft
Original air date	6/11/1977 (recorded 15 July 1977)
Running time	30 minutes

Number Engaged is the fifth episode of the ninth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on 6 November 1977.

Synopsis

A 'highly secret invasion warning device,' otherwise known as telephone wires, has been set up along the coast, and the platoon is to guard it. When the vicar arrives to give an open-air service, Mainwairing raises his face to heaven - and notices an unexploded bomb caught in the wires. Wilson, however, has a bright idea.

Plot

Mainwaring reveals to the platoon that they will be in charge of guarding a one mile stretch of telephone wires that are vital to the war effort. Once the platoon arrive at the site, Fraser states that he cannot begin to cook the porridge for the morning, as he has to head down to the river to catch the trout for supper. Mainwaring details Pike to prepare the porridge, so Fraser gives him the recipe of one mug of oats to one jug of water for every man.

During the night, there is an air raid, but the platoon don't stress about it too much. As they are sitting around eating breakfast in the morning, Pike asks Mainwaring what he should do with all the left over poridge. When Pike reveals that he got the reciepe round the wrong way, Mainwaring states that there is enough for 100 men, and calls Pike "a stupid boy."

As the Vicar arrives to perform the morning Holy Communion service, the platoon raise their heads as a prayer is said and notice an unexploded bomb in the telephone wires. After a number of comic attempts to dislodge the bomb, Wilson suggests they use the crane at the construction site up the road. Jones is then raised up on to the wires where he grabs hold of the bomb. However, he eventually loses his grip and drops it, but it lands in the pot of poridge that Pike had made more breakfast. Mainwaring apologises to Pike for calling him a stupid boy and before Jones can get off the wires, he suffers an electric shock.

Cast

Dad's Army

Characters

Cast

Crew

Television
episodes

Series 1	"The Man and the Hour" "Museum Piece" "Command Decision" "The Enemy Within the Gates" "The Showing Up of Corporal Jones" "Shooting Pains"

Series 2	"Operation Kilt" "The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage" "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker" "Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret" "A Stripe for Frazer" "Under Fire"

Series 3	"The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" "Battle School" "The Lion Has Phones" "The Bullet is Not for Firing" "Something Nasty in the Vault" "Room at the Bottom" "Big Guns" "The Day the Balloon Went Up" "War Dance" "Menace from the Deep" "Branded" "Man Hunt" "No Spring for Frazer" "Sons of the Sea"

Series 4	"The Big Parade" "Don't Forget the Diver" "Boots, Boots, Boots" "Sgt – Save My Boy!" "Don't Fence Me In" "Absent Friends" "Put That Light Out!" "The Two and a Half Feathers" "Mum's Army" "The Test" "A. Wilson (Manager)?" "Uninvited Guests" "Fallen Idol"

Series 5	"Asleep in the Deep" "Keep Young and Beautiful" "A Soldier's Farewell" "Getting the Bird" "The Desperate Drive of Corporal Jones" "If the Cap Fits..." "The King was in his Counting House" "All is Safely Gathered In" "When Did You Last See Your Money?" "Brain Versus Brawn" "A Brush with the Law" "Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel" "Time on My Hands"

Series 6	"The Deadly Attachment" "My British Buddy" "The Royal Train" "We Know Our Onions" "The Honourable Man" "Things that Go Bump in the Night" "The Recruit"

Series 7	"Everybody's Trucking" "A Man of Action" "Gorilla Warfare" "The Godiva Affair" "The Captain's Car" "Turkey Dinner"

Series 8	"Ring Dem Bells" "When You've Got to Go" "Is There Honey Still for Tea?" "Come In, Your Time Is Up" "High Finance" "The Face on the Poster"

Series 9	"Wake Up Walmington" "The Making of Private Pike" "Knights of Madness" "The Miser's Hoard" "Number Engaged" "Never Too Old"

Specials	"Untitled Sketch" "Broadcast to the Empire" "Battle of the Giants!" "My Brother and I" "The Love of Three Oranges"