When You've Got to Go

"When You've Got to Go"
Dad's Army episode
Episode no.	Series Eight Episode 068
Directed by	David Croft
Story by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Produced by	David Croft
Original air date	12 September 1975 (recorded 6 June 1975)
Running time	30 minutes

When You've Got to Go is the second episode of the eighth British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally broadcast on Wednesday 12 September 1975.

Plot

Wilson and Mrs Pike are having tea waiting for Pike to come home from his call-up medical. When he arrives home, Mrs Pike is unpleasantly surprised when Pike tells her that he has passed A1 (in spite of his chronically bad chest, his painful sinuses, his weak ankles and recently acquired nervous twitch), and has requested to be put in the RAF. At the evening's parade, Mainwaring and the platoon are deciding what to do to celebrate Private Pike's departure. They decide to have a dinner at the Fish and Chip restaurant.

Later on, Mainwaring is having a meeting with the blood donor people who ask him how many pints of blood he and the platoon will be able to donate. He originally says 50, but after learning that the Wardens have also promised 50, he then changes his mind and says 100. Mainwaring soon discovers he has bitten off more than he can chew, as all but two members of the platoon are ineligible to donate blood due to medical conditions or being overage. Hodges arrives to rub it in to Mainwaring, but is interrupted by Corporal Jones who states that he has been down to the POW camp and gathered 80 Italian soldiers. Hodges then states that he still wins because he reached his target. Jones then replies that he hasn't, as he has also brought down 17 nuns as well. With Mainwaring, Pike and the Vicar making donations as well, it brings the total for the platoon to 100 pints. Meanwhile, one of the doctors has discovered that Private Pike's blood type is so rare that you won't find another one like him in 10,000.

The platoon are sitting in the restaurant having a fish and chip dinner in honour of Private Pike. After Wilson says a few words, Pike says that he would like to tell them all a funny story. He mentions the results of the blood drive and how rare his blood type is, and that if he was wounded in the Air Force, they would not be able to provide him with a blood transfusion. Frazer states that "so far the story hasn't been highly comic". Pike then adds that because of his rare blood type, the Air Force won't have him and so he's not going, and the reason he didn't want to tell the platoon straight away is because he's never had a dinner in his honour before.

Notes

This episode contains a light reference to an uncomfortable fact; Mainwaring says to the Italian soldier, "Your government should be more careful about who it chooses for friends", the soldier then replies "Oh, you can talk. What about Stalin?"; while the Allies bravely fought against an evil dictator (Hitler) who killed millions of people, they also allied themselves with another dictator who also killed millions of people: Joseph Stalin.

Cast

Dad's Army

Characters

Television
episodes

Series 1	The Man and the Hour Museum Piece Command Decision The Enemy Within the Gates The Showing Up of Corporal Jones Shooting Pains

Series 2	Operation Kilt The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret A Stripe for Frazer† Under Fire

Series 3	The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones Battle School The Lion Has Phones The Bullet is Not for Firing Something Nasty in the Vault Room at the Bottom Big Guns The Day the Balloon Went Up War Dance Menace from the Deep Branded Man Hunt No Spring for Frazer Sons of the Sea

Series 4	The Big Parade Don't Forget the Diver Boots, Boots, Boots Sgt – Save My Boy! Don't Fence Me In Absent Friends Put That Light Out! The Two and a Half Feathers Mum's Army The Test A. Wilson (Manager)? Uninvited Guests Fallen Idol

Series 5	Asleep in the Deep Keep Young and Beautiful A Soldier's Farewell Getting the Bird The Desperate Drive of Corporal Jones If the Cap Fits... The King was in his Counting House All is Safely Gathered In When Did You Last See Your Money? Brain Versus Brawn A Brush with the Law Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel Time on My Hands

Series 6	The Deadly Attachment My British Buddy The Royal Train We Know Our Onions The Honourable Man Things that Go Bump in the Night The Recruit

Series 7	Everybody's Trucking A Man of Action Gorilla Warfare The Godiva Affair The Captain's Car Turkey Dinner

Series 8	Ring Dem Bells When You've Got to Go Is There Honey Still for Tea? Come In, Your Time Is Up High Finance The Face on the Poster

Series 9	Wake Up Walmington The Making of Private Pike Knights of Madness The Miser's Hoard Number Engaged Never Too Old

Specials	Santa On Patrol Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages Cornish Floral Dance Battle of the Giants! Broadcast to the Empire My Brother and I The Love of Three Oranges