Directed by David Croft Running time 30 minutes | Produced by David Croft | |
Episode no. Series Eight
Episode 072 Story by Jimmy Perry and David Croft Original air date 10/10/75 8.00pm
(recorded Thursday 17 July 1975) | ||
"The Face on the Poster" is the sixth episode of the eighth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army first broadcast on 10 October 1975.
Contents
Synopsis
The platoon start a recruiting campaign, and Jones is chosen as the face for the poster. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up at the printers, his face gets planted on an escaped prisoner of war poster.
Plot
Wilson enters Mainwaring's office to find him writing a Confidential Report about him. Mainwaring shows it to him so he can sign it and make sure he's playing fair. Wilson scoffs at his attempts, comparing it to a headmaster's end-of-term report. Mainwaring isn't quite so blasé, and hints that the Confidential Report could lead to big changes. He hints that he may be promoted to Major very soon, and admits he wants to start a recruiting campaign to triple the platoon and turn it into a company.
He convenes a parade and tells them of his plan. Jones suggests a poster similar to that of Lord Kitchener's recruitment poster, and Mainwaring is delighted with the suggestion. Jones then suggests a secret ballot to decide the face for the poster, and Frazer decides to bring in a professional photographer.
Jones wins the ballot by a large margin and the photographer turns out to be Mr Blewitt. After four unsuccessful attempts, the photo is taken, and Wilson takes it round to the printers.
At the printers, a police officer is asking for a Wanted poster of an escaped prisoner of war to be printed. The photo is placed on the out-tray along with Jones' photo on top.
Two days later, Godfrey brings in a sample of the poster, and the platoon discover that the disorganised printer mixed the photographs up. Jones now appears to be a wanted man.
Jones notices the poster outside a Free Polish Club (not, as Pike mistakenly believes, somewhere giving away free polish). A Polish Army major comes out, comments on the poster, "Ugly-looking swine," and then sees Jones is the man on the poster. Jones is arrested and interrogated; despite his protests, the major persists in believing Jones is the escapee, and puts him in the local POW camp.
Hodges drives Mainwaring and the rest of the platoon to the POW camp, where they too are arrested by the same major. Mainwaring puts his foot in it by declaring Jones is his colleague, and they are all placed in the POW camp with Jones. Wilson comments that the Colonel won't be very impressed with what's happened, and wonders what he'll write in Mainwaring's Confidential Report.