Changes: The Man and the Hour

Revision as of 14:31, 11 April 2020

The Man and the Hour
Series 1, Episode 1

Air Date	31st July 1968
Written by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Director	David Croft
Producer	David Croft
Length	30 minutes
Original Audience Figures	7.2 million
Previous episode	None
Next episode	Museum Piece
List of episodes

The Man and the Hour is the first-ever episode of Dad's Army, and was originally broadcast on Wednesday 31st July 1968, on BBC1.

Synopsis

On the outbreak of the Second World War, a local bank manager, George Mainwaring, takes it upon himself to form a unit of Local Defence Volunteers in the town of Walmington-on-Sea.

Plot

The episode starts in 'present day England' (1968) with Captain Mainwaring announcing to his former platoon that he is backing Britain. A flash back showing scenes from the Second World War and the British Army is then seen.

The action then switches to Swallow Bank, Walmington-on-Sea in 1940. Wilson, Pike and Mainwaring are laying sandbags at the window. Mainwaring then receives a message saying that he can set up an LDV unit to protect Britain. He finds out more about this on the wireless, having been told by a clerk, Miss King, that Anthony Eden is about to make a Ministerial broadcast. Pike is told to go round to all the LDV volunteers and tell them to meet in the church hall.

At the church hall, many people are waiting and Mainwaring (now the self-appointed commander) begins to enrol them. He makes Wilson his Sergeant and Jones his Lance-Corporal. An ARP warden bursts in and tells the commander to "shove off" because he needs the hall for an ARP lecture. He is forced to let him use it and informs the platoon to meet in the hall later.

Later, when Mainwaring and Wilson are inspecting the platoon, Godfrey has a gun and Mainwaring believes that he should have it because he is the officer. However, when Wilson mentions to this to Godfrey, he receives the reply "Well, I'm afraid he can't have it." Mainwaring is indignant on hearing this. "Are you refusing to obey an order on active service? Do you realise I could have you shot?" Walker then points out: "That'll be a bit tricky, seeing as he's the only one with a gun!"

The platoon are told about tanks and how to defeat then. The platoon play at being tanks and how to destroy them. Mrs Pike arrives to pick up Pike because it's his bedtime. When Pike points out he was just about to blow up a tank, his mum tells him "Well, you'll just have to blow it up tomorrow." The uniform (armbands) and weapons (pepper) arrive. It is not what the platoon expected. They are handed out.

Mainwaring gives a speech and the platoon cheer.

Cast

Main cast

Supporting cast

Caroline Dowdeswell as Janet King
John Ringham as Private Bracewell
Bill Pertwee as ARP Warden Hodges
Neville Hughes as Soldier
Jack Wright as Despatch Rider

Notes

This was the only Dad's Army episode to feature an audience laughter track during the opening titles.
A scene involving the fire brigade wanting to use the hall for practice was also filmed, but was cut from the final programme; it is unlikely that the scene still exists.
This episode was originally planned for transmission on Monday 5 June
David Croft intended the ending sequence to have actual wartime footage of Nuremburg marches and newsreels of refugees being bombed behind the cast members marching which caused controversy at the BBC, forcing him and Jimmy Perry to change the outro to what it is today.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{episode
+{{Episode
-|season = Series 1
+|Series = 1
 |number = 1
-|Season = 1
 |image = The Man and The Hour.jpg
-|airdate = 31 July 1968
+|airdate = 31st July 1968
-|director = David Croft
+|writer = [[Jimmy Perry]] and [[David Croft]]
+|director = [[David Croft]]
+|Producer = [[David Croft]]
 |Previous = None
 |Length = 30 minutes
+|Original Audience Figures = 7.2 million
-|next = [[Museum Piece]]
+|next = [[Museum Piece]]}}
-}}'''The Man and the Hour''' was the first episode of the show and was first broadcast on 31 July 1968 on the BBC.
+'''''The Man and the Hour''' ''is the first-ever episode of '''[[Dad's Army]]''', and was originally broadcast on Wednesday 31st July 1968, on BBC1.
 ==Synopsis==
-On the outbreak of World War II, a local bank manager, George Mainwaring, takes it upon himself to form a unit of Local Defence Volunteers in the town of Walmington-on-Sea.
+On the outbreak of the Second World War, a local bank manager, [[Captain George Mainwaring|George Mainwaring]], takes it upon himself to form a unit of [[Local Defence Volunteers]] in the town of [[Walmington-on-Sea]].
 ==Plot==
-[[Video:Dad's Army - First Ever Intro and Scenes  (From Pilot)|thumb|298px|left]]It starts in present day (1968) England with Captain Mainwaring announcing to his former platoon that he is backing Britain. A flash back shows on a TV screen showing scenes from World War II and the British Army.
+The episode starts in 'present day England' (1968) with Captain Mainwaring announcing to his former platoon that he is backing Britain. A flash back showing scenes from the Second World War and the British Army is then seen.
-It then starts in Swallows Bank (1940), Walmington-on-Sea. Wilson, Pike and Mainwaring are laying sandbags at the window. Mainwaring then receives a message saying that he can set up a LDV unit to protect Britain. He finds out more about this on the wireless, having been told by a clerk, Janet King, that Anthony Eden is about to make a Ministerial broadcast. Pike is told to go round to all the LDV volunteers and tell them to meet in the church hall.
+The action then switches to [[Swallow Bank]], Walmington-on-Sea in 1940. [[Sergeant Arthur Wilson|Wilson]], [[Pike]] and Mainwaring are laying sandbags at the window. Mainwaring then receives a message saying that he can set up an LDV unit to protect Britain. He finds out more about this on the wireless, having been told by a clerk, [[Janet King|Miss King]], that [[Anthony Eden]] is about to make a Ministerial broadcast. Pike is told to go round to all the LDV volunteers and tell them to meet in the [[St. Aldhelm's Church|church hall]].
-At the church hall, many people are waiting and Mainwaring (now the self-appointed commander) begins to enrol them. He makes Wilson his Sergeant and Jones his Lance-Corporal. An ARP warden bursts in and tells the commander to "shove off" because he needs the hall for an ARP lecture. He is forced to let him use it and informs the platoon to meet in the hall later.[[File:Meeting.jpg|thumb|The Meeting in Church Hall]]
+At the church hall, many people are waiting and Mainwaring (now the self-appointed commander) begins to enrol them. He makes Wilson his Sergeant and [[Jones]] his Lance-Corporal. An [[Hodges|ARP warden]] bursts in and tells the commander to "shove off" because he needs the hall for an ARP lecture. He is forced to let him use it and informs the platoon to meet in the hall later.
-Later, Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson are inspecting the platoon, Godfrey has a gun and Mainwaring believes that he should have it because he is the officer, but Godfrey refuses. The platoon are told about tanks and how to defeat then. The platoon play at being tanks and how to destroy them. Mrs Pike arrives to pick up Pike because it's his bed time. The uniform (armbands) and weapons (pepper) arrive. It is not what the platoon expected. They are handed out.
+Later, when Mainwaring and Wilson are inspecting the platoon, [[Godfrey]] has a gun and Mainwaring believes that he should have it because he is the officer. However, when Wilson mentions to this to Godfrey, he receives the reply "Well, I'm afraid he can't have it." Mainwaring is indignant on hearing this. "Are you refusing to obey an order on active service? Do you realise I could have you shot?" [[Walker]] then points out: "That'll be a bit tricky, seeing as he's the only one with a gun!"
+The platoon are told about tanks and how to defeat then. The platoon play at being tanks and how to destroy them. [[Mrs Pike]] arrives to pick up Pike because it's his bedtime. When Pike points out he was just about to blow up a tank, his mum tells him "Well, you'll just have to blow it up tomorrow." The uniform (armbands) and weapons (pepper) arrive. It is not what the platoon expected. They are handed out.
 Mainwaring gives a speech and the platoon cheer.
-===Notes===
+<gallery orientation="landscape" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordercolor="#008000">
-*This was the only ''Dad's Army'' episode to feature an audience laughter track during the opening titles
+Meeting.jpg|The platoon meet up.
-*A scene involving the fire brigade wanting to use the hall for practice was also filmed, but was cut from the final programme, it is unknown whether, the scene still exists
+Jones Signs Up.jpg|Jones signs up.
+Dads3-4140.jpg|The uniforms (armbands bearing the letters ''LDV'') arrive.
+TheManandtheHour2.jpg
+</gallery>
+==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]]
+*[[Janet Davies]] as [[Mavis Pike|Mrs Pike]]
+==== Supporting cast ====
+*[[Caroline Dowdeswell]] as [[Janet King]]
+*[[John Ringham]] as [[Private Bracewell]]
+*[[Bill Pertwee]] as [[ARP Warden William Hodges|ARP Warden Hodges]]
+*[[Neville Hughes]] as Soldier
+*[[Jack Wright]] as Despatch Rider
+==Notes==
+*This was the only ''Dad's Army'' episode to feature an audience laughter track during the opening titles.
+*A scene involving the fire brigade wanting to use the hall for practice was also filmed, but was cut from the final programme; it is unlikely that the scene still [[Missing Episodes|exists]].
 *This episode was originally planned for transmission on Monday 5 June
+*[[David Croft]] intended the ending sequence to have actual wartime footage of Nuremburg marches and newsreels of refugees being bombed behind the cast members marching which caused controversy at the BBC, forcing him and [[Jimmy Perry]] to change the outro to what it is today.
+==Videos==
+[[File:Dad's Army - First Ever Intro and Scenes (From Pilot)|thumb|left|300px]]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Man and the Hour, The}}
 [[Category:Episodes]]
+[[Category:Black & White Episodes]]
+[[Category:Series One Episodes]]