"He still thinks Queen Victoria is the King!"

"He still thinks Queen Victoria is the King!"

For Episode 20 (as suggested by Joe Podcast in his letter to us last time around) we'll be looking at episodes shown the week we were born. So Warren has cast his eye over 'Doomwatch: Project Sahara' and Lisa will be talking about 'Ace Of Wands: The Power Of Atep'.  And today (being snowed in and all that) I made myself useful by watching 'Dad's Army: Museum Piece'. Doubtless Warren will say something about how that is an appropriate choice for such an ancient specimen as myself...

What comes across with our selection is that we've ended up with some bread-and-butter editions of the various series. Nothing spectacular or even that memorable to be honest; just good simple episodes that are perfectly entertaining in their own right.

'Museum Piece' sees the format still finding its feet. We get to see thrice-married 88-year-old George Jones (father to Jack) and Miss King has yet to vanish from Swallow Bank. Bracewell's golf clubs are mentioned, but we don't actually catch a glimpse of John Ringham, who will later return as Captain Bailey.

The fake opening newsreel film sequences are present and correct, and screen grabs of them are probably the nearest we'll ever get to 'Dad's Army' telesnaps.

There's a lot of authentic period detail sprinkled through the dialogue, with talk of 'ITMA', ENSA and General Gort. But as we're visiting the Peabody Museum of Historical Army Weapons, we get cameos from a Boiling Oil Dispenser (14th century apparently) and a Chinese Rocket Gun circa 1901. Jones also wonders about the fighting potential of some 'halibuts' but thankfully we're not about to get a early rendition of  'Monty Python's Fish-Slapping Dance.

Captain Mainwaring's comment that modern warefare has progressed somewhat beyond the rocket raises a wry smile, of course. What was more of a surprise to me, and I'd never noticed it before, was the name of the actor playing the Boy Scout. Is that really the same Michael Osborne who gave us his Sorak in 'Doctor Who: The Horns Of Nimon'?

Looks like it is! Proof that even with a series such as 'Dad's Army' (that I thought I knew backwards) there's always something to learn!

That'll teach me to pay attention!

(By Andrew Trowbridge)