Plot[]
Every time Mr Swindley goes to the bank he is taking his life in his hands. The answer, he decides, lies with judo. But when Mr Swindley makes trouble for everyone including the Rev. Lloyd who is visiting the store to collect donations and overhears Swindley and Mrs Edgeley attempting throws with one another in the storeroom and leaps to the wrong conclusion as to what all the talk of hands on waists and legs is about. Mr Swindley decides on professional coaching and enrolls with Gerry's Gym. He provokes Mr Hunt into joining him but a mistake in picking up a discarded black belt for his Judogi means that the students in the class think he is the real thing and attack him eagerly. Painfully sore the next day, Hunt is again visited by the vicar who reveals he is also a black belt. The reverend gentleman is aware of the mistake he made when he overheard Swindley and wishes to apologise. A vengeful Hunt sends him after Swindley who has just set off for the bank. The two men end up in hospital when Swindley mistakes the vicar's friendly tap on the shoulder as the prelude to an attack and defends himself thoroughly...
Cast[]
Regular cast[]
- Leonard Swindley - Arthur Lowe
- Mrs. Edgeley - Betty Driver
- Mr Hunt - Robert Dorning
- Miss Sinclair - Joy Stewart
Guest cast[]
- Rev. Lloyd - Edwin Apps
- Gerry - Joe Robinson
- Mick - John Woodvine
- Judo class - Tommy Mann, Michael Keely, Steve Pullen, Ray Anten, Arthur Jeffrey
Notes[]
- Betty Driver sustained a back injury during the making of this episode in a scene where she practises judo throws with Arthur Lowe.
- Joe Robinson, playing Gerry, was an ex-wrestler, martial arts expert and stuntman. He worked on The Avengers and co-wrote "Honor Blackman's Book of Self Defence" which Swindley is shown reading in the episode.
- The episode contains a Coronation Street reference when Swindley and Hunt's discussion of their Judogi robes leads Swindley to remember a production of The Mikado which was performed in the Mission of Glad Tidings. Such an occasion was not depicted in any episode of Coronation Street.
- This episode was transmitted on Wednesday 2nd February at 9.10pm by Tyne Tees Television, on Thursday 3rd February by both Border Television and Television Wales and the West (at 7.30pm and 10.10pm respectively) and on Friday 4th February by both Scottish Television and Anglia Television (at 9.10pm and 10.52pm respectively). Along with the rest of the second season the episode was not transmitted by Westward Television, Ulster Television, Channel Television or the Teledu Cymru service of Television Wales and the West.
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 5,301,000 homes (chart placing unknown but outside the top twenty).
Commercial releases[]
This episode was included in Network DVD collection Pardon the Expression - The Complete Second Series, released on 24th August, 2009.