Series One, Episode Four

PROJECT NO.: 11/5/0/2522 

SR: Th 15/10/70 (#02)

TX: Sun 29/11/70, 22.00 (#04)

DURATION: 28’22" (the archive list erroneously claims 28’20").

ALTERNATE TITLES: ‘Playgirl Club’ was identified as the title in correspondance between producer John Howard Davies and Bill Oddie. In the past, sources have claimed ‘Caught In The Act’ or ‘Compromising Photos’ . These two tend to be in common usage.

BBC F&TVA: 16mm monochrome film recording. Damaged, but a complete print all the same.

BFI: No copy held.

SCRIPT: Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie with Tim Brooke Taylor.

PLOT: After finally acquiring a ‘phone, The Goodies are contacted by the Minister of State for Trade and Domestic Affairs. She has been caught behaving improperly in the Playgirl Club, although this is never fully explained. TBT is sent in drag to infiltrate "the exclusive, sexy club for ladies" and steal the photos.

SEQUENTIAL ORDER: SS1, FS1, SS2, FS2, FS3, SS3, FS4, AD1, AD2, SS4, SS5, SS6, FS5, SS7.

CAST: Tim Brooke-Taylor [all bar FS4, AD2]; Graeme Garden [all bar FS1, FS3, AD1]; Bill Oddie [all bar FS1, FS3, AD1, AD2]; Mollie Sugden (Prudence(?), the Minister of State for Trade and Domestic Affairs [SS1, SS2, SS7 only]), Liz Fraser (‘special guest’ - Miss Hermione Heffer [FS4, SS4, SS5, SS6 only]); Bert Simms, Ernest Jenkins (GPO Men [SS1]); Queenie Watts (club compere [SS5 only]); Pauline Devaney (Girl 2 [FS5]); Ericka Crowne (Girl 1 [SS5]).

UNCREDITED CAST: Vic Taylor ( policeman [SS2]); Lionel Sansby (coal man [FS4]); Russ Arness, Lynton Burns, Peter Daly (dancers including Monsieur Robby [SS5]); Larry Shepherd (gorilla [SS7 film insert]); Rodney Cardiff, Barry Tobin, Jeremy Ranchef, David Gilchrist, Lionel Sansby (2 wolves, sauna attendant [FS3], man in street, German, coalman [FS4]); Susan Napier, Susan Morall, Jane Deady, Laurel Brown, Barbara Shackleton (girl at club [FS3?], girls in street [FS4]) . At least six other women appeared in this episode.

CREW: John Tiley (film cameraman); Alan Lygo (film editor); Ron Oates (visual effects); Betty Aldiss (costume); Rhian Davies (make-up); Derek Slee (lighting); Laurence Taylor (sound); Bill Oddie and Michael Gibbs(music); Jim Franklin (film direction); Janet Budden and Roger Murray-Leach (design); John Howard Davies (producer).

UNCREDITED CREW: none to speak of.

STOCK FOOTAGE: A sequence from King Kong (Merian C. Cooper/Ernest B. Schoedsack 1933) appears at the end , through door B of the office [SS7]. An anomaly in the extras list indicates that Larry Shepherd played the gorilla, although this is not the identity of the actor in the film. An internet search also revealed a Shepherd who writes books on neurology. He is not a gorilla.

MUSIC/FOUND SOUNDS: Oddie and Gibbs provide ‘The Goodies Theme (reprise)’[SS1], ‘Needed’ [FS2], ‘Nothing Like A Woman’ [FS3], an unidentified song [FS4], another (‘Pretty Baby’? [SS5]) and an instrumental [FS5] - had they shagged the producer or something? Muzak includes the backing for Rent-a-View [SS3], a saxaphone blast for TBT’s reappearance [SS4], cabaret music [SS5], ‘divine’ scales for Heffer’s lounge [SS6] and some even more non-descript easy listening gubbins for ‘Goodies Sliced Butter’ [AD2]. Significant sound effects are church bells [SS1], running feet [FS1] and splintering teeth [AD2]. Now you know.

BILL’S CORPSE COUNT: The episode is littered with innuendos and BO sidesteps the corpsing problem rather neatly by pulling a triumphant face whenever he has to deliver such a gag. Other than that he plays up to the "gurls" so he’s allowed to chuckle as much as he likes.

CHROMAKEY: BO’s sherbet vision is inset rather poorly, failing to blot out the left side and bottom of the blinds on the Rent-a-View screen [SS3]. The blinds may still be the same as ‘Beefeaters’ and not the blue ones used in subsequent episodes. It’s in monochrome so I can’t really tell. The cues for backdrops behind doors are all correct.

GRAEME’S INVENTION : The computer is not used at all, but he’s pretty thrilled by Miss Heffer’s curtain contraption [SS6]. Earlier, when Graeme rearranges the office for the ministerial visit, "plan four I should think" signals an automated change to the decor. It is unclear whether the computer operates the changeover (or fades up the theme tune), but it does indicate that there are many alternative layouts to the office.

TIM’S PANIC ATTACKS : A couple, but GG’s is the most sustained during his tete-a-tete with Miss Heffer [SS6].

REFERENCES/ORIGINS: For TBT’s ‘lady consultant’ he adopts the voice of Lady Constance, as heard in I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again.A full article and episode guide to that show will appear in a future edition. The plot itself lends a nod to the Profumo Scandal which was exposed in Private Eye a few years earlier. It also bears a striking resemblance to an episode of Adam Adamant Lives! (‘More Deadly Than The Sword’ , season one, episode three - BBC1 07/07/66).

PLAYGIRL CLUB - A full transcript