Battle of the Giants!

This extended Christmas special looks like two episodes meshed together.

The first half involved a military parade with written orders from the higher up that ceremonial medals are worn. Captain Mainwaring had placed the orders in his desk and not acknowledged them.

Sergeant Wilson knows it is because Mainwaring has no medals to polish whatsoever.

After the parade. Captain Mainwaring gets involved in a challenge from the Eastgate Platoon after an argument in the pub. A test of initiative and fitness to prove who commands the better platoon.

Sergeant Wilson notes that the mainly geriatrics in the Home Guard should be well beaten.

On the day Corporal Jones comes down with Malaria. Warden Hodges does his best to sabotage the Home Guards. Private Pike shows initiative but not as much as Private Walker.

This was a good knockabout comedy when the test starts. The platoon vans following each other in circles, finally resorting to cheating by letting the air in the tyres down. The warden gets thrown into the water. You just knew Walker had a trick up his sleeve.

It was good to examine the mechanics of comedy in this episode. It shows why the writing was better than rival ITV comedies which seemed to be all about birds and booze.

Poor Captain Mainwaring, so often ridiculed for not having any medals, and where better to degrade him, then at a military parade. After a clash in the pub with Captain Square Mainwaring agrees to a challenge from The Eastgate Platoon.

It is a fun episode, it's long, running just over an hour, all the classic elements are here, including a car chase, and Jonesy coming down with malaria. Dunn steals many scenes.

Some of it looks like it was done on film, it looks great. Favourite moment being where the warden is shoved into the water.

Classic Christmas comedy, I can only imagine how many millions tuned in. 8/10