The Face on the Poster

Infobox Dad's Army
episode_number episode_name=072 - The Face on the Poster
script=Jimmy Perry and David Croft
director=David Croft
producer=David Croft
recorded=Thursday 17/7/75
original_transmission=10/10/75 8.00pm
series=Eight
length=30 minutes
viewing_figures=15.5 million
preceding=High Finance
following=My Brother and I

"The Face on the Poster" is the sixth episode of the eighth series of the British comedy series "Dad's Army" that was originally transmitted on the 10 October 1975.

ynopsis

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 (he bribed most of the platoon with sausages!) 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 an escaped prisoner of war poster 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 it is revealed that the disorganised printer mixed the photographs up, and Jones' face has been plastered on a prisoner of war poster.

Jones notices the poster outside a Free Polish Club, and is subsequently arrested by a Polish officer. He is interrogated, and placed 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 guard commander. Mainwaring puts his foot in it by declaring that 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!

Notes

When catching sight of a sign to a Free Polish club for refugees, Pike mistakenly belives they are giving away free polish.

Cast