The Last Salute (1998)
Synopsis
1961: the days of happy motoring and AA patrolmen were duty-bound to salute to every passing passenger that bore an AA badge on their vehicle, and hapless patrolman Harry Thorpe struggles with his job. He frequently clashes with his superior, one Inspector Leonard Spanwick, who also happens to reside in a caravan in Harry's back garden and is romantically involved with his blowsy sister Joyce. Leonard often makes Harry's life difficult, and he struggles to keep his local branch afloat and recruit new members, which is compounded by the intense competition from the rival RAC organisation, who are keen to drain away their trade. Although he's dedicated, Harry often has difficulty trying to stay up to date with some of the organisation's recent advancements.
First Air Date: 1998-03-15
Last Air Date: 1999-08-29
Number of Seasons: 2
Number of Episodes: 12
Created By: Tim Binding, Simon Nye
Networks: BBC One
Top Cast
- Paul Bown as Harry Thorpe
- Philip Jackson as Leonard Spanwick
- Ben Pullen as Robin Pettifer
- Claire Cox as Catherine Heaseman
- Jo Unwin as Joyce Thorpe
- David Shane as Ray Munce
- Paul Young as Mr Bannerman
- Brett Fancy as Johnny Lupus
- Robin Hudson as Neville
- Nigel Williams as Raymond Cartwright
Seasons
Series 1 (1998)
No overview available for this season.
Episodes:
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Ep. 1: Happy Motoring
Harry Thorpe is told to recruit five new AA members by the end of the week, otherwise he'll lose his job.
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Ep. 2: Come Dancing
There are rumours that the AA and the RAC are to be merged. When the men from the local RAC branch are invited to the annual AA dinner dance, it's a recipe for trouble.
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Ep. 3: Bono Mateno
A new bypass is about to be opened. The AA men are given the job of 'guarding' the new road before the opening ceremony.
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Ep. 4: The Youngish Ones
Leonard becomes convinced that Joyce is being unfaithful to him. Joyce learns that Cliff Richard will be passing through the area and she's determined to meet him.
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Ep. 5: One for the Road
The AA men are told that, in future, they should only salute members when stationary. They are unhappy with the change. Harry keeps forgetting about the new procedure and goes on saluting while he's in motion. He manages to come off his bike, so Leonard tells him to use the AA van while his bike is being repaired. A competition has been organised to arrive at a new AA badge. All of the AA men decide to have a go at producing a winning design. Joyce decides to hold a 'soiree' to show off her new cocktail cabinet. Nobody turns up. The AA van is damaged when a drunken local magistrate runs into it. Harry has to resort to extreme measures to get it repaired before Leonard finds out about the damage.
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Ep. 6: French Salute
Joyce is planning to go off with Johnny Lupus for a 'dirty weekend'. Her car breaks down and Johnny starts trying to fix it. Then Mr Bannerman comes along on his AA bike and insists on helping. Johnny has to hide in nearby woods. Their 'weekend of passion' is ruined. Harry stops to help a beautiful French girl who has broken down. He thinks it's love at first sight, but later realises she's just flirting with him. Pettigrew and Munce find a mysterious car parked in a secluded spot off the road. They think the vehicle must be involved in a crime, but eventually discover that it belongs to a couple who've stopped so that they can go for a walk.
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