The Man and the Hour

"The Man and the Hour"
Dad's Army episode
Episode no.	Series One Episode 001
Directed by	David Croft^[1]
Story by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft^[1]
Produced by	David Croft^[1]
Original air date	Wednesday 31/7/68 8.20pm^[1] (recorded Sunday 15/4/68^[1])
Running time	30 minutes
Episode chronology

"The Man and the Hour" is the pilot episode of the British comedy sitcom Dad's Army. It originally aired on Wednesday 31 July 1968 and was later adapted for radio.

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 Kent town of Walmington-on-Sea.

Plot

It starts in present-day (1968) with Captain Mainwaring announcing to his former platoon that he is backing Britain. A flash back shows on a TV screen showing scenes from the Second World War and the Army.

It then reverts to Swallows Bank (1940), Walmington-on-Sea. George Mainwaring and his clerks, Arthur Wilson and Frank Pike, 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.

At the church hall, many people are waiting and Mainwaring (now the self-appointed commander) begins to enroll them. He makes Wilson his sergeant and Jones his lance-corporal. ARP warden Hodges bursts in and tells the commander to "shove off" because he needs the hall for an ARP lecture. Mainwaring is forced to let Hodges use it and instructs 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 men play at being tanks and how to destroy them. Frank's mother, Mavis, arrives to pick up Frank because it's his bedtime. 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

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 deleted from the final programme for unknown reasons.
This episode was originally planned for transmission on Monday 5 June.

Radio episode

"The Man and the Hour"
Dad's Army episode
Episode no.	Series One Episode 001
Story by	Harold Snoad & Michael Knowles^[1]
Produced by	John Dyas
Original air date	Monday 28/1/74 6.15pm^[1] (recorded Sunday 3/6/73^[1])
Running time	30 minutes
Episode chronology

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Croft, David; Perry, Jimmy; Webber, Richard (2000). The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army. Orion. p. 134. ISBN 0-7528-4637-X.

References

"The Man and the Hour" at the Internet Movie Database
"The Man and the Hour" at TV.com

Dad's Army by Jimmy Perry & David Croft

Characters

Episodes

Adaptations

Merchandise

Other articles

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

000!!Specials	Santa On Patrol Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages Cornish Floral Dance Battle of the Giants! Broadcast to the Empire My Brother and I The Love of Three Oranges

Episodes in italics are missing
† Episode has been reconstructed for release using animation.

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