Shooting Pains
| "Shooting Pains" | |
|---|---|
| Dad's Army episode | |
| Episode no. |
Series One Episode 006 |
| Directed by | David Croft |
| Story by | Jimmy Perry and David Croft |
| Produced by | David Croft |
| Original air date | Wednesday 11/9/68 8.20pm (recorded Monday 20/5/68) |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
Shooting Pains is the sixth and final episode of the first series of the British comedy series Dad's Army, which was originally transmitted on Wednesday 11 September 1968.
The Walmington-On-Sea platoon is selected to provide the guard of honour for Prime Minister Winston Churchill's visit to the review the area's coastal fortifications, but a poor show at the shooting range prompts the irascible Major Regan to consider using the Eastgate platoon instead. A shooting contest between Walmington and Eastgate will settle the matter.
Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson are in the bank manager's office. Mainwaring is carrying a pistol on a ridiculous improvised holster, which is supposed to allow a fast draw, but it doesn't work when he tries a demonstration and he is then subsequently forced to take the pistol out in order to sit down. They are discussing the upcoming shooting practice (the previous session was a disaster, the platoon having shot out all the tyres on the Major's car - including the spare) when Mainwaring opens a letter from General Headquarters (GHQ). He reads it excitedly, it says that the Walmington platoon will be escorting the Prime Minister in a tour of local coastal defences. Mainwaring is very excited, implying the honour is based on his reputation, but Wilson drolly points out that the letter says it's only because they were the first platoon formed in the area. Mainwaring dismisses Wilson, and whilst fooling around with his pistol, discharges it accidentally at the same time as the secretary is bringing in the coffee, and the tray and its contents ends up going everywhere.
At the shooting practice, Corporal Jones, Private Pike, Private Walker and Private Frazer are sent by Regan to man the target equipment. Jones tell Pike to take charge of the flag which is used to denote a miss, telling him to use it for every shot as no-one from the platoon will hit the target. Unbeknownst to Jones, Regan has decided to show them how it is done and is exasperated to get flagged a miss on every shot. Furious, he orders Mainwaring and Wilson down to the target and it is obvious he has hit near the centre of the target on every shot. Mainwaring is very annoyed and embarrassed by his men's behaviour.
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