Plot[]
Brigadier Hawk, the Chairman of Dobson and Hawks, gives orders for a big economy drive. Leonard Swindley, Assistant Manager, throws himself into the task, switching off the heating (even though it's January) and closing some of the staff amenities such as the rest area. However when certain of his instructions are ignored he takes drastic action and pulls some of the fuses out of the switch box to force the issue, but one of the fuses is the wrong one and it stops the lift - trapping the Brigadier on his six-monthly tour of inspection inside it together with a livid Wally Hunt for several hours. The situation seemingly restored to normal, Swindley fetches the chairman a coffee but a problem with the new automatic vending machine results in him being doused in tomato soup. After a disastrous day, Swindley leaves the store for the night and pulls the main electricity switch to conserve energy, not knowing that he has again trapped Hawk and Hunt inside the lift, this time for the night...
Cast[]
Regular cast[]
- Leonard Swindley - Arthur Lowe
- Mr Hunt - Robert Dorning
- Mrs. Edgeley - Betty Driver
- Miss Sinclair - Joy Stewart
Guest cast[]
- Dave - Jack Smethurst
- Brigadier Hawk - Anthony Sharp
Notes[]
- This episode opened the programme's second season.
- This episode was transmitted on Wednesday 12th January at 9.10pm by Tyne Tees Television, on Thursday 13th January by both Border Television and Television Wales and the West (at 7.30pm and 10.10pm respectively) and on Friday 14th January at 9.10pm by Scottish Television. 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 - 6,000,000 homes (20th place).
Commercial releases[]
This episode was included in Network DVD collection Pardon the Expression - The Complete Second Series, released on 24th August, 2009.