Turkey Dinner

This article is about the 1974 Dad's Army episode. For the use of turkey meat in cuisine, see Turkey meat.

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6th episode of the 7th series of Dad's Army

"Turkey Dinner"

Dad's Army episode
Episode no.| Series 7
Episode 6
Directed by| David Croft
Story by| Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Original air date| 23 December 1974 (1974-12-23)
Running time| 30 minutes
Episode chronology
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"Ring Dem Bells"

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List of episodes

"Turkey Dinner" is the sixth episode of the seventh series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Monday, 23 December 1974.[1] Although not a Christmas special, it was the Christmas episode, and was originally planned for transmission on 6 December 1974.

## Synopsis

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When the platoon accidentally shoot and kill a loose turkey, a turkey dinner is organised.

## Plot

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Mr. Blewitt has finished painting a wooden plaque on Captain Mainwaring's office door, and Mainwaring has finished writing a speech for an upcoming rotary dinner. Mainwaring tells Sergeant 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 about an Englishman, a Welshman and a Scotsman, it does not work, though when Cheeseman asks what happened to the Welshman, Wilson manages to make them laugh by saying "Maybe he didn't like semolina". Jones then 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, and is annoyed when he hears that they also stopped in the King's Head to stop Cheeseman shivering, and then 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 refrigerator! Mainwaring is shocked, and insists that they pay Mr Boggis, a 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, and the men learn from a farm worker that he is at market day; however the farm worker is unwilling to accept money for the bird unless he is certain that one is missing. They attempt to count the birds, and discover after much chaos that no birds are missing. 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 will make the stuffing, and Mrs Cheeseman will do 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 walks up to him with a plate in his hand, and accidentally gets gravy on Mainwaring's suit. Wilson uses blotting paper to get rid of the gravy, but ends up making a mess of Mainwaring's shirt, which Jones 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 Mainwaring appear more brave at the dinner. However, Hodges comes bursting through the door, bumping into Pike, and spilling gravy all over his suit once again resulting in Mainwaring giving his trademark catchphrase, "You stupid boy!".

## Cast

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* Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring
* John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson
* Clive Dunn as Lance Corporal Jones
* John Laurie as Private Frazer
* Arnold Ridley as Private Godfrey
* Ian Lavender as Private Pike
* Bill Pertwee as ARP Warden Hodges
* Talfryn Thomas as Private Cheeseman
* Edward Sinclair as The Verger
* Frank Williams as The Vicar
* Harold Bennett as Mr Blewett
* Pamela Cundell as Mrs Fox
* Janet Davies as Mrs Pike
* Olive Mercer as Mrs Yeatman
* Dave Butler as Farmhand

## References

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1. ^ Croft, David (23 December 1974), Turkey Dinner (Comedy, War), Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie, BBC, retrieved 31 August 2020

* v
* t
* e

Dad's Army

Characters|

* Captain Mainwaring
* Sergeant Wilson
* Lance Corporal Jones
* Private Frazer
* Private Godfrey
* Private Walker
* Private Pike
* Chief ARP Warden Hodges

Episodes|

* Episode list
* Missing episodes
* Radio episodes
* "Present Arms"

Adaptations & spinoffs|

* 1971 film
* 2016 film
* Stage show
* The Rear Guard
* It Sticks Out Half a Mile
* High & Dry

Merchandise|

* Audio releases
* Books and memorabilia

Other articles|

* Blitz and Pieces
* Dad's Army Appreciation Society
* Dad's Army Museum
* Jones's van
* Walmington-on-Sea
* Bressingham Steam and Gardens

Episodes

Series 1|

* "The Man and the Hour"
* "Museum Piece"
* "Command Decision"
* "The Enemy Within the Gates"
* "The Showing Up of Corporal Jones"
* "Shooting Pains"

Series 2|

* "Operation Kilt"
* "The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage"
* "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker"†‡
* "Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret"
* "A Stripe for Frazer"†‡
* "Under Fire"†‡

Series 3|

* "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones"
* "Battle School"
* "The Lion Has 'Phones"
* "The Bullet Is Not for Firing"
* "Something Nasty in the Vault"
* "Room at the Bottom"
* "Big Guns"
* "The Day the Balloon Went Up"
* "War Dance"
* "Menace from the Deep"
* "Branded"
* "Man Hunt"
* "No Spring for Frazer"
* "Sons of the Sea"

Series 4|

* "The Big Parade"
* "Don't Forget the Diver"
* "Boots, Boots, Boots"
* "Sgt – Save My Boy!"
* "Don't Fence Me In"
* "Absent Friends"
* "Put That Light Out!"
* "The Two and a Half Feathers"
* "Mum's Army"
* "The Test"
* "A. Wilson (Manager)?"
* "Uninvited Guests"
* "Fallen Idol"

Series 5|

* "Asleep in the Deep"
* "Keep Young and Beautiful"
* "A Soldier's Farewell"
* "Getting the Bird"
* "The Desperate Drive of Corporal Jones"
* "If the Cap Fits..."
* "The King Was in His Counting House"
* "All is Safely Gathered In"
* "When Did You Last See Your Money?"
* "Brain Versus Brawn"
* "A Brush with the Law"
* "Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel"
* "Time on My Hands"

Series 6|

* "The Deadly Attachment"
* "My British Buddy"
* "The Royal Train"
* "We Know Our Onions"
* "The Honourable Man"
* "Things that Go Bump in the Night"
* "The Recruit"

Series 7|

* "Everybody's Trucking"
* "A Man of Action"
* "Gorilla Warfare"
* "The Godiva Affair"
* "The Captain's Car"
* "Turkey Dinner"

Series 8|

* "Ring Dem Bells"
* "When You've Got to Go"
* "Is There Honey Still for Tea?"
* "Come In, Your Time Is Up"
* "High Finance"
* "The Face on the Poster"

Series 9|

* "Wake Up Walmington"
* "The Making of Private Pike"
* "Knights of Madness"
* "The Miser's Hoard"
* "Number Engaged"
* "Never Too Old"

000!!Specials|

* "Santa on Patrol"†
* "Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages"
* "Cornish Floral Dance"†
* "Battle of the Giants!"
* "Broadcast to the Empire"
* "My Brother and I"
* "The Love of Three Oranges"

† Missing episode has been reconstructed using animation. ‡ Missing episode has been recreated with new cast
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