| The Enemy Within the Gates | |
| Series 1, Episode 4 | |
 | |
| Air Date | 28 August 1968 |
| Written by | Jimmy Perry & David Croft |
| Director | David Croft |
| Producer | David Croft |
| Length | 30 Minutes |
| Original Audience Figures | 8.1 Million |
| Previous episode | Command Decision |
| Next episode | The Showing Up of Corporal Jones |
| List of episodes | |
The Enemy Within the Gates is the fourth episode of the first series of Dad's Army, which was first shown on 28th August 1968.
Synopsis[]
A stranger with a suspicious foreign accent is arrested by Mainwairing's men, only for it eventually to be revealed that he is a Polish officer serving with GHQ, who has come to inform them of a £10 reward for every Nazi arrested. While on night patrol, Jones' section capture two Germans pilots, but Private Godfrey complicates matters by allowing them to escape while they visits the lavatory...
Plot[]
The episode begins by Captain Mainwairing and Sergeant Wilson receiving the uniforms for the platoon. It turns out that the uniforms are not meant for them. They are meant for the ATA. The episode then goes on the show the platoon taking turns to use the guns in the drill. Captain Winogrodzki of the Polish Forces informs the platoon that there will be a £10 reward for every live parachutist captured.
Jones, Walker and Pike are on patrol. After believing they have seen an enemy parachutist, the trio give him the chance to surrender but receive no reply, resulting in Pike shooting at the mysterious white shape they believe to be a parachute. However, it turns out to be... a swan.
They eventually do catch two real prisoners, who escape when brought back to the Church Hall after Godfrey answers the call of nature, though they are eventually caught by Winogrodzki—who announces his intention to claim the bounty for himself. But when the prisoners are to be taken to GHQ, Walker convinces the soldiers to believe that Winogrodzki is an enemy parachutist too, on account of his accent. The platoon shall spend their £10 extra on a celebration dinner, for which Walker offers a rare novelty—roast swan.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- 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
Supporting cast[]
- Caroline Dowdeswell as Janet King
- Carl Jaffe as Captain Winogrodzki
- Denys Peeks as German pilot
- Nigel Rideout as German pilot
- Bill Pertwee as ARP Warden Hodges
- David Davenport as Military Police Sergeant
Notes[]
- Nigel Rideout was given an extra £10 for writing the German dialogue in the script.
- This episode was originally aired for 21 August 1968, but it was cancelled to make way for the live coverage of the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia.
