Kurt: /* Notes */

2023-02-24T16:53:53Z

Notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:53, 24 February 2023
Line 59:		Line 59:
	#The arrival of the American troops in Britain places this episode some time in 1942. In reality the first American troops were stationed in [[Northern Ireland]] in January.		#The arrival of the American troops in Britain places this episode some time in 1942. In reality the first American troops were stationed in [[Northern Ireland]] in January.
	#Hodges offends the American colonel by suggesting they have made an "improvement on last time", the United States having entered the [[World War I\|last war]] "three years late" in 1917, whereas [[World War II\|this time]] they are "only two and a half years late" (war having broken out in [[Europe]] in September 1939).		#Hodges offends the American colonel by suggesting they have made an "improvement on last time", the United States having entered the [[World War I\|last war]] "three years late" in 1917, whereas [[World War II\|this time]] they are "only two and a half years late" (war having broken out in [[Europe]] in September 1939).
	#[[Alan Tilvern]], who plays Colonel Schultz, also played Captain Rodriguez in the earlier ''Dad's Army'' episode "[[Battle School (Dad's Army ~~episode~~)\|Battle School]]".		#[[Alan Tilvern]], who plays Colonel Schultz, also played Captain Rodriguez in the earlier ''Dad's Army'' episode "[[Battle School (Dad's Army)\|Battle School]]".
	#This episode was Talfryn Thomas' first appearance in ''Dad's Army''.		#This episode was Talfryn Thomas' first appearance in ''Dad's Army''.
	#Suzanne Kerchiss, who played Pike's companion Ivy Samways, was at the time married to Ian Lavender.		#Suzanne Kerchiss, who played Pike's companion Ivy Samways, was at the time married to Ian Lavender.

Kurt at 16:51, 24 February 2023

2023-02-24T16:51:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:51, 24 February 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2012}}~~
	{{Infobox television episode		{{Infobox television episode
	\| series = [[Dad's Army]]		\| series = [[Dad's Army]]

Kurt at 17:48, 27 September 2022

2022-09-27T17:48:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:48, 27 September 2022
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~{{unreferenced\|date=February 2019}}~~
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2012}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2012}}
	{{Infobox television episode		{{Infobox television episode

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-26T18:48:25Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 13:48, 26 August 2022
(No difference)

2A00:23C7:1307:9A01:38A0:1134:F69B:1BA3 at 06:40, 21 August 2022

2022-08-21T06:40:09Z

New page

{{unreferenced|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Dad's Army]]
| image =
| caption =
| series_no = 6
| episode = 2
| director = David Croft
| story = [[Jimmy Perry]] and [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]]
| producer = David Croft
| airdate = Wednesday 7 November 1973 6.50pm<br />(recorded Friday 8 June 1973)
| length = 30 minutes
| guests =
| prev = [[The Deadly Attachment]]
| next = [[The Royal Train]]
}}
"'''My British Buddy'''" is the second episode of the sixth series of the British [[television]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Dad's Army]]''. It was originally transmitted on [[BBC 1]] on Wednesday 7 November 1973.

==Synopsis==
Following [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]], the Americans have joined the fight against [[Nazism]], and the first small contingent of troops arrives in [[Walmington-on-Sea]]. Mainwaring tells them to make themselves at home, which they promptly do – with the [[Platoon|platoon]]'s girlfriends. When the British are told they do not know the right temperature to serve beer, and the Americans are told they do not know when to enter a war, a fight breaks out. A photographer from the local paper is on hand to record the [[special relationship]].

==Plot==
The Walmington-on-Sea [[British Home Guard|Home Guard]] unit has received exciting news; as Captain Mainwaring puts it, the long dark tunnel is now illuminated by a bright light shining for all to see. He is not, as Pike initially believes, referring to the [[Blackout (wartime)|blackout]], but to the arrival of the Americans in [[World War II]] (and not before time, according to certain members of the platoon). A detachment of American troops will be arriving in Walmington-on-Sea within the week, and the Home Guard intend to treat them to a traditional British welcome. It is Lance Corporal Jones who has the brilliant idea (arrived at following a characteristically long-winded anecdote about a spear-throwing contest during his military service in [[Mahdist War|the Sudan]]) of treating their visitors to a [[darts]] match in the local [[pub]], to which the platoon will bring their girlfriends.

All initially goes well with the meeting of two nations. Mainwaring is surprised by the informality of the American Colonel Schultz (who greets the British officer with a cheery "Howdy partner, put it there!"), and the colonel is somewhat nonplussed both by Frazer's unique rendition of the [[Robert Burns]] poem "[[Scots Wha Hae]]" (with strategic updating and references to [[Hitler]]) and Jones' complicated explanation of where the term '[[Alternative words for British|limeys]]' originated, but all seems to be going well, with a number of pleasing propaganda photos taken by a Welsh photographer, Mr. Cheeseman. It starts to go wrong when the American soldiers are told to make themselves feel at home – and thus immediately start flirting with the Home Guard's girlfriends, who all promptly forget about their boyfriends when faced with the attention of the handsome young Americans.

Matters are not helped by the ungracious American response to warm beer and the lack of Scotch due to war privations, and when Warden Hodges struts in and begins telling the Americans that their late entry into the First and Second World Wars is not greatly appreciated, it does not take long for a fight to break out.

Very soon, the news of the brawl between the British and the Americans is in all the newspapers. The next day, Mainwaring (having earned a [[Black eye|black eye]] as the first person to get hit in the fight) is ordered by his superiors to make a formal apology to the Americans, and thus restore Anglo-American relations and offset any potential German propaganda value out of the fight. There also needs to be a photo, which will be taken by Cheeseman, of Mainwaring and Colonel Schultz shaking hands to confirm said restoration. Resentful at being made the [[scapegoating|scapegoat]], Mainwaring intends to make a formal statement detailing how his platoon were not responsible for the violence; but when it turns out that every member of the platoon (even, surprisingly, Godfrey) was a more than willing participant in the fight, it soon becomes a moot gesture.

Mainwaring is surprised, however, by the arrival of Schultz who, having learned of the extent of British hardship during the war, and somewhat ashamed of his earlier ingratitude, has arrived to offer his apologies on behalf of his unit, and to give the men a gift of chocolate. This would seem to be repairing the friendly relations – until the Home Guard learn of a dance in the American mess to which their girlfriends are all invited.

Just as Cheeseman is about to take the apology photo, Jones unintentionally provokes the American colonel to violence once again and the photo, of Schultz giving Mainwaring yet another black eye, is taken.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Arthur Lowe]] as [[Captain Mainwaring]]
* [[John Le Mesurier]] as [[Sergeant Wilson]]
* [[Clive Dunn]] as [[Lance Corporal Jones]]
* [[John Laurie]] as [[Private Frazer]]
* [[James Beck]] as [[Private Walker]]
* [[Arnold Ridley]] as [[Private Godfrey]]
* [[Ian Lavender]] as [[Private Pike]]
* [[Bill Pertwee]] as [[Chief ARP Warden Hodges|ARP Warden Hodges]]
* [[Colin Bean]] as [[Private Sponge]]
* [[Talfryn Thomas]] as [[List of Dad's Army characters#Other platoon members|Mr Cheeseman]]
* [[Alan Tilvern]] as Colonel Schultz
* [[Edward Sinclair]] as The Verger
* [[Frank Williams (actor)|Frank Williams]] as The Vicar
* [[Janet Davies (actress)|Janet Davies]] as Mrs Pike
* [[Wendy Richard]] as Shirley
* [[Pamela Cundell]] as Mrs Fox
* [[Verne Morgan]] as Landlord
* [[Suzanne Kerchiss]] as Ivy Samways
* [[Robert Raglan]] as The Colonel
* [[Blain Fairman]] as US Sergeant
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
#The arrival of the American troops in Britain places this episode some time in 1942. In reality the first American troops were stationed in [[Northern Ireland]] in January.
#Hodges offends the American colonel by suggesting they have made an "improvement on last time", the United States having entered the [[World War I|last war]] "three years late" in 1917, whereas [[World War II|this time]] they are "only two and a half years late" (war having broken out in [[Europe]] in September 1939).
#[[Alan Tilvern]], who plays Colonel Schultz, also played Captain Rodriguez in the earlier ''Dad's Army'' episode "[[Battle School (Dad's Army episode)|Battle School]]".
#This episode was Talfryn Thomas' first appearance in ''Dad's Army''.
#Suzanne Kerchiss, who played Pike's companion Ivy Samways, was at the time married to Ian Lavender.

{{Dad's Army}}

[[Category:Dad's Army (series 6) episodes]]
[[Category:1973 British television episodes]]

My British Buddy - Revision history

Kurt: /* Notes */

Kurt at 16:51, 24 February 2023

Kurt at 17:48, 27 September 2022

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2A00:23C7:1307:9A01:38A0:1134:F69B:1BA3 at 06:40, 21 August 2022