Turkey Dinner

Infobox Dad's Army
episode_number episode_name=066 - Turkey Dinner
script=Jimmy Perry and David Croft
director=David Croft
producer=David Croft
recorded=Sunday 10/11/74
original_transmission=Monday 23/12/74 8.00pm
series=Seven
length=30 minutes
viewing_figures=15.8 million
preceding=The Godiva Affair
following=Ring Dem Bells

"Turkey Dinner" is the sixth episode of the seventh series of the British comedy series "Dad's Army" that was originally transmitted on Monday the 23 December 1974.

ynopsis

After Jones' section shoots down a turkey, the platoon decide to hold a turkey dinner for the local OAPs. Meanwhile, Mainwaring is preparing for a Rotary Club dinner.

Plot

Mainwaring tells Wilson that before a battle, their commander told them a joke. However, when Mainwaring attempts to cheer up his unusually quiet platoon with a joke, it doesn't work. Jones asks Mainwaring if he and his section can speak to him in private. Once in the office, Jones admits that he took his section for a quick drink in the Horse and Groom. Mainwaring is less than impressed, so is annoyed when he hears that they also stopped in the King's Head to stop Cheeseman shivering, and stopped in the Goat and Compasses.

Mainwaring is then amused to learn that Godfrey had begun to sing rather raucously, so he was taken into the Red Lion to sober up. The landlord had come up to Jones and had told him about something rustling in the haystack. Jones shot at the rustler, and was shocked to learn that it was a turkey, which is now plucked and stuffed in his fridge! Mainwaring is shocked, and insists that they pay Mr Boggis, farmer at the North Berrington Turkey Farm, the only place where the turkey could have come from, for the loss of his turkey.

However, Mr Boggis is not there. Mainwaring asks his slightly dim-witted farm worker where he is;:Mainwaring: "Where is Mr Boggis?":Worker: "It's Wednesday!":Mainwaring (slowly): "Where is your master?":Worker: "It's Wednesday!":Mainwaring (to Wilson): "The man's an idiot, Wilson"

Eventually they discover Mr Boggis is at market day. They attempt to count the birds, and discover after much chaos that one bird is missing, however the farm worker is unwilling to accept money for the bird. Therefore, Jones' section decides to hold a turkey dinner for the OAPs of Walmington-on-Sea. Mainwaring is delighted and decides to organise a Turkey Dinner General Purposes Committee, with himself as chairman of course. Mrs Fox will cook the turkey, Mrs Pike decides to make the stuffing, and Mrs Cheeseman will make the gravy.

Everything goes well, until Mainwaring emerges from the office in his dinner suit: he is guest speaker at a Rotary Club dinner. Pike whirls around with a plate in his hand, and accidentally spills gravy all over Mainwaring's suit. Jones uses blotting paper to get rid of the gravy, but ends up making a mess of Mainwaring's shirt, which he covers up with white enamel paint, which ends up on Mainwaring's dinner jacket.

A sling is the only answer to the problems, as it will not only hide the paint, but it will also make Mr Mainwaring appear more brave at the dinner. However, Hodges comes bursting through the door, bumping into Pike, and knocking gravy onto his sling once again.

Notes

Although not a special, it was the Christmas episode, and was originally planned for transmission on 6 December.

Cast