TV Episode 32: Absent Friends

30 minutes, Colour, BBC 1970

Original Recording: Friday 7th August 1970
Original Broadcast: Friday 30th October 1970

Captain Mainwaring cancels a Lodge meeting in London.Assuming the Captain's absence the platoon take advantage with the exception of Wilson, Jones and Pike, they descend on the local public house to challenge the Air Raid Wardens to a game of darts.

Mainwaring however, unexpectedly returns early and is not impressed to find most of his platoon absent without leave.

Wilson is sent to recover the platoon, which he fails to do on discovery of Mrs. Pike's date with Hodges. Mainwaring then descends on the platoon in which he is rebuked strongly by Frazer.
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Classic Moment: Absent Friends by Jimmy Perry & David Croft

Mainwaring: The whole thing is beyond my comprehension, Wilson. I mean... fancy not wanting to come on parade. It's the highlight of my day.

Do you know, while I'm having my tea, I feel a sort of excitement mounting inside me. Then I put on my uniform and march down here to the parade and - do you know, I feel an enormous sense of pride in what we stand for.

We are doing something for England, and now... to see the platoon we've trained for all these months into a highly disciplined body of fighting men, in the saloon bar - drunk, belching... ugh. And Walker with a cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth... like some lounge lizard.

Mainwaring sighs

I just don't understand it at all, do you?

Wilson: Erm?

Mainwaring: I said I don't understand it at all.

Wilson: No, neither do I sir. What can she see in him? He's such a coarse sort of man.

Mainwaring: I don't think you've heard a word I've been saying.
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In the meantime, an emergency occurs when an IRA suspect - Regan, turns up and the police require backup from the Home Guard. Mainwaring and what's left of his men attempt an arrest, unaware that Regan's relatives are in pursuit.

The rest of the platoon have an attack of conscience and return to the hall to parade finding themselves embroiled in a fight with the suspects.

Wilson steps in to handle the situation after the Platoon fail to apprehend the suspects, in the process he also sees off Hodges.

Mainwaring addresses the platoon and stresses to put the incident of mutiny behind them as well as correcting a rumour generated by Jones after Mainwaring's request for Oxtail for his wife!

Cast
Arthur Lowe (Captain Mainwaring) , John Le Mesurier (Sergeant Wilson), Clive Dunn (Lance Corporal Jones), John Laurie (Private Frazer), James Beck (Private Walker), Arnold Ridley (Private Godfrey), Ian Lavender (Private Pike), Bill Pertwee (ARP Warden), Janet Davies (Mrs. Pike), Edward Sinclair (Verger), J.G. Devlin (Regan), Arthur English (Policeman), Patrick Connor (Shamus), Verne Morgan (Landlord), Michael Lomax (2nd ARP Warden)

More About "Absent Friends"

After its initial broadcast at 8.0 on October 30th 1970, "Absent Friends" has only been repeated on BBC Television once, this occured on July 4th 1971.

A repeat was scheduled on 14th November 1992 but was cancelled, possibly because of references to the IRA in the script.

On its initial broadcast "Absent Friends" netted 13.9 million viewers.

Making a guest appearance as a Policeman in this episode is seasoned character actor and comedian Arthur English who started off in theatre and appeared in many TV shows and series over the years and would later feature in David Croft & Jeremy Lloyd's "Are You Being Served" and Johnny Speight's "In Sickness and in Health".

Both BSB and UK Gold have broadcast the episode on several occasions.

The episode was released on BBC video in June 1992 on BBC Video Ref: 4763 alongside the episodes "No Spring For Frazer" and "A.Wilson (Manager)".

"Absent Friends" was later adapted for radio by Michael Knowles and Harold Snoade in 1975 with several rewrites to the script. Regan becomes Tom Pearson - an escaped convict. More information

The Radio Times included a photograph subtitled Dad's Army on Sick Parade: 8.0 by Don Smith of Arthur Lowe, Clive Dunn, John Laurie and James Beck from the climax of the episode in its October 23rd-30th 1970 edition.

Written and researched by Andy Howells.
With acknowledgements to The Dad's Army Handbook by Paul Carpenter and Tony Pritchard and The A-Z of Dad's Army by Richard Webber.

This Presentation: Copyright: www.dadsarmy.tv 2002
All Photographs Copyright: BBC & Radio Times / Don Smith 1970