Dad's Army Episode Rating Graph

Mainwaring has visions of promotion for himself and Wilson and of expanding the platoon into a company, so he embarks on a recruitment drive. A poster is drawn up and Jones is voted to be in it. Unfortunately a mix-up at the printers results in Jones being branded an escaped prisoner of war instead.

In a cricket Match between the platoon and the air raid wardens, Chief Warden Hodges has a secret weapon up his sleeve. He plans to use England's fast bowler Fred Trueman, but all does not go as planed.

Cpl Jones has problems with his bank account. When Mainwaring tries to help, he finds that the trail leads through the platoon, on to Mrs Pike, and ends with Mr Hodges.

During an exercise Mainwaring and the platoon have to find a way to gain access into an ammo dump. After dressing up as firemen they are called to a real fire.

While the platoon are at a training camp Mainwaring gets drunk with the other officers during the night and misses the live grenade training the following morning. Later during the training one of the grenades lands in Jones van and Mainwaring rides to the rescue

Godfrey's cottage is due to be demolished to make way for a new airfield but no-one can bring themselves to break the news to him until Jones finds out that he already knows. In the end Frazer, knowing the family history of the General in charge, bribes him to get the airfield moved 200 yards. This results in some rather amusing consequences. The door to Mainwaring's bank office is replaced with a paper door, apart from the insult of not having a proper door Mainwaring is even more annoyed at the fact that Pike the Colonel and Jones manage to destroy it within minutes of it being installed.

When a low flying German aircraft. attacks Warmington On Sea. the platoon under the command of Lance Cpl Jones, fire at the aircraft, and use up all their ammunition. Mainwaring is furious, and orders an investigation.

The platoon are told to be on the lookout for any parachutes found lying about so Walker tells Mainwaring that he has found one. They also take on a dog which they use to track an escaped German pilot but accidently arrest a bird watcher

The platoon have gone away to a camp to undergo an efficiency test Meanwhile Walker has a van load of onions to sell to Hodges Later with no blank shells to use on the test Mainwaring has a brain wave and he uses the onions as ammunition to pass the test

The platoon finally get to grips with the enemy when they have to guard some Nazi Submariners but the Germans turn the tables on Mainwaring and try to escape but somehow Jones ends up with a grenade down his trousers

Lance Corporal Jones has mislaid £500 that has been collected by the merchants to build a center for the local people Frazer hypnotizes Jones and after a long search the money finally turns up.

The Colonel orders Mainwaring and the platoon to make a training film with a couple of well known actors but unknown to Mainwaring they are to play the Germans Mainwaring refuses to take part but the rest of the platoon are ordered to When the filming is cancelled Mainwaring and the men still dressed as German soldiers are spotted in the local pub and the alarm is given

As all the road signs have been removed from the area the platoon are ordered to put up temporary ones to help a large convoy on maneuvers that is due to drive through the area but due to the condition of the ground the platoon's van gets stuck in the mud

Godfrey asks to leave the platoon because he doesn't want to fight. Mainwaring is furious and the rest of the platoon shun him until they find out that he was a hero from the first war. So he rejoins the platoon as a medical orderly.

Captain Mainwaring gives a lecture on field craft in the vicar's garden, covering what to eat and how to erect a tent. Later, apart from having to put with the vicar, verger, Hodges and a gang of boy scouts, their field maneuvers are also interupted by three German fliers who have been shot down and are trapped in their dinghy in the middle of the lake... ""Handi hoch! Handi hoch!""

LCpl Jones goes to a reunion of his old regiment While he is away an old comrade that fought in the same battle joins the platoon and accuses Jones of cowardice On his return Jones has to tell the real story

Sgt Wilson becomes a manager of his own branch and gets a commission on the same day but hours later his new branch has been destroyed during an air raid Mainwaring offers him his old job back and his old rank.

The platoon are assigned guard duty on an isolated, disused pier for a week. However thanks to Pike's poor judgment over what to tie the boat too, they end up stranded with no contact with the mainland and no food. Attempts at Morse code only prompt Hodges to pursue the platoon to get them to 'Put that light out!' and he ends up stranded himself. If that wasn't enough Jones spots a mine has floated under the pier, but does Hodges have a solution that'll 'bowl them over'?

The platoon are dressed as Morris Dancers for a local show when Jones comes to Capt Mainwaring with a problem concerning Mrs Fox Jones thinks she is seeing the town clerk and wants Mainwaring to sort it out for him

Capt Mainwaring has gone into hospital for an operation on an ingrowing toenail Meanwhile Wilson as acting C O has Asked the Vicar and the Verger to join the platoon to make up the numbers

When a relative of Sergeant Wilson dies, he inherits the title, Then when a Russian factory worker visits the town, to boost Anglo-Russian relations,Mainwaring has been asked to present the key of the town, until the mayor hears about Wilson's title, and asks Mainwaring to step down.

Vanity swoops through the platoon after Parliament decide that Home Guard members who are not fit for battle must be reassigned to the A.R.P. and A.R.P wardens that are fit should be reassigned to the Home Guard. The platoon obviously don't want this to happen so resort to some rather shocking measures to fool the Area Commander into believing they are suitable to stay where they are.

Captain Mainwaring decides to enlist women to the platoon to assist with the war effort. After initial interviews go rather less than satisfactory, a Mrs. Fiona Grey walks into his office and into his life. Mainwaring is flattered that Fiona not only has similar views to him about the war, but also is complementary about his persona. He finds himself falling in love, unfortunately the men very quickly realise and start to gossip behind his back and Fiona decides to leave, but can Mainwaring get to the station in time to stop her?

Sergeant Wilson overhears Mrs Pike telling Frank that she is expecting a child. Wilson assumes that she is pregnant and that he is the father, but it turns out that she is looking after an evacuee. Mainwaring advises that Wilson marry her, until she clears up the misunderstanding.

During the journey home after a night at the cinema Mainwaring comes to the assistance of the clippie after Hodges makes fun of her Later Mainwaring dreams of being Napoleon with the clippie as Josephine

Frazer is busy counting up his earnings when his doctor visits and accidentally knocks over a money box revealing that Frazer is far from poor. Concerned, the doctor alerts Mainwaring, who alerts Jones and very soon Frazer's fortune is the subject of town gossip. Eventually the platoon, Hodges, the Vicar and the Verger are spying on Frazer to see what he does with his money. Will they get their hands on it, or does Frazer have a sneaky trick up his sleeve?

The pumping station of the reservoir has been damaged by a bomb with Walker and Godfrey trapped inside. Hodges is determined to overrule Mainwaring's rescue attempt until it's discovered the structure of the building is very unsafe and they draw lots to decide who is going to be the ones to dig the stranded men out. After successfully reaching Walker and Godfrey, the roof caves in and everyone but Jones ends up trapped in the underground bunker that is now filling rapidly with water. But does Godfrey have a solution that is more useful than asking to be relieved?

The platoon are asked to provide guard duty at a testing ground for secret weapons but when one of the devices gets loose the platoon have to give chase

After listening to a radio broadcast asking for men to form what was to become known as the home guard, George Mainwaring, a local bank manager, decides to act and form the platoon on his own. He appoints himself as Captain and recuruits his chief bank clerk Arthur Wilson as the platoon sergeant as well as enlisting the banks office boy Frank Pike. Several of the local tradesmen, including James Frazer; a philatelist shopkeeper, retired shop worker Charles Godfrey, Jack Jones the butcher and black market business man; Joe Walker also volunteer their service for 'King and Country'.. And so, The Walmington-On-Sea Home Guard was born.

Rumour sweeps through Warmington, that Wilson is seeing a young girl, He goes AWOL, and is found drunk. It turns out that the girl is his Daughter. Meanwhile Walker has taken a delivery of pigeons that have been stolen from Trafalgar Square, and has to find somewhere to hide them. Then the platoon assemble for church parade.

During a ' Wings For Victory ' fundraising event the platoon decide to stage a reenactment of the battle between St George and the Dragon but friction starts when Hodges and the wardens plan the same thing

The platoon are given a lecture on the German Army but because Frazer keeps on complaining Mainwaring makes him acting C.O. of the platoon Later when the colonel asks the platoon to attend a dinner Mainwaring has to play the bagpipes

The platoon captures a runaway barrage balloon and while trying to secure it Capt Mainwaring is carried aloft

Capt Mainwaring promotes Frazer to Lance Corporal thus causing friction between him and Jones When Frazer starts getting above himself Mainwaring cancels the promotion

The search begins for a spring clip for a Lewis gun that Frazer has lost while he was cleaning it. The trail leads them through Frazer's workshop to a Funeral Director, to Mr. Bluett's dining room table, to a grave yard. The platoon stop at nothing, committing various crimes including house breaking and grave robbing to get the clip back. But will they find it in time to save Frazer from a court-marshal?

The platoon practice house clearing by using the office and the Vicar and Hodges get caught up in the action Later during a live firing exercise the platoon are sent to the wrong map reference When Jones discovers the mistake he drives to rescue

Mainwaring is under orders to be more cooperative with the A.R.P. wardens. A task that's made very difficult by their newly appointed Chief. Walker strikes a deal with Jones to make it easier for him to carry rationed goods without being stopped by the police - he is to let the platoon use his butchers van as a troop carrier and ambulance by day and let Walker use it by night. He bribes Jones with the promise that Jones will receive petrol coupons for it. Unfortunately things don't entirely go to plan...

The platoon have moved to a new H.Q's position on the beach When Pike fails to turn up they find him caught up in the barbed wire at the waters edge With the tide coming in Mainwaring and Wilson mount a rescue mission but someone else gets there first

When the light is left on in the church hall, Chief Warden Hodges, suspects that Mainwaring is the culprit, and takes him to court. The verger knows what happened, but Hodges will not let him tell the truth.

Pike gets his head caught in the park railings and the platoon are summoned to help meanwhile a large bomb has exploded near the town and has put the gas and electricity supplies out of order When Mainwaring returns to hear what has happened he puts the town under martial law

Just when the platoon finally get their uniforms LCpl Jones is told that unless he can complete the assault course in 15 minutes he will have to leave So Mainwaring and the rest of the platoon think of a plan to help him

Absent Friends is the sixth episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on Friday 30 October 1970.

A German pilot has baled out and is caught hanging by his parachute on the clock tower The platoon climb up to rescue him but get trapped themselves

The Platoon decide to give a party to the visiting American troops.When the Yanks start to get fresh with the platoon's girl friends, all hell lets loose.

The platoon have taken charge of a large field gun and have to learn how to use it

Mainwaring watches a film reel at the cinema which shows Winston Churchill inspecting Army troops and their mascot - a ram, of course where Mainwaring's concerned - if another platoon has a mascot, so must his. Sponge volunteers one from his farm but they have to catch it first, something that of course ends in complete disaster with Pike up to his neck in it - literally. Meanwhile the town parade is being organised and of course Mainwaring wants the platoon to lead, but Hodges has other ideas...