The Last Salute
{{short description|British comedy television series (1998-1999)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| alt_name =
| genre = Comedy
| creator =
| developer =
| based_on =
| writer = Tim Binding
Simon Nye
| director = Graeme Harper
Keith Washington
| creative_director =
| presenter =
| starring = Paul Bown
Philip Jackson
Claire Cox
| judges =
| voices =
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Ray Russell
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 2
| num_episodes = 12
| executive_producer =
| producer = Mike Stephens
Garrie Mallen
| editor =
| location =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 30 minutes
| company = BBC
| channel = BBC One
| first_aired = {{start date|1998|3|15|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1999|8|29|df=y}}
| related =
}}
The Last Salute is a British comedy television series which first aired on BBC One 15 March 1998 to 29 August 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_last_salute/|title = The Last Salute - BBC1 Sitcom| website=British Comedy Guide }} The series follows the misadventures of an AA patrolman in Hampshire in the early 1960s.
Actors who appeared in various episodes include Christopher Villiers, Hilary Mason, John Junkin, Eva Gray, Lill Roughley, Paul Brooke, Christopher Benjamin, Frances White, and Geoffrey Beevers.
Plot Summary
Set in 1961, during the days of happy motoring and when AA patrolmen were duty-bound to salute to every passing passenger that beared an AA badge on their vehicle. The story focusses on a hapless AA patrolman Harry Thorpe (Paul Bown), who has troubles with his job and frequently has problems with his superior AA Inspector Leonard Spanwick (Philip Jackson), whom also happens to lives in a caravan in Harry's back garden and is romantically involved with his blowsy sister Joyce (Jo Unwin). Leonard often makes Harry's life difficult, and he struggles to keep his local branch (of the AA) afloat and recruit new members, which is compounded by the intense competiton from the rival RAC organisation, who are keen to drain away their trade.{{Cite news |date=March 14, 1998 |title=Comic Salute to the AA |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000563/19980314/041/0008?browse=False |work=Dundee Evening Telegraph |pages=8}} Although he is dedicated to his job, Harry often has difficulty trying to keep up to date with some of the organisation's advancements over recent years.{{Cite web |title=The Last Salute |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_last_salute/ |website=British Comedy Guide}}
Main cast
- Paul Bown as Harry Thorpe
- Philip Jackson as Leonard Spanwick
- Jo Unwin as Joyce Thorpe
- Claire Cox as Catherine Heaseman
- Ben Pullen as Robin Pettifer
- David Shane as Roy Munce
- Paul Young as Mr. Bannerman
- Brett Fancy as Johnny Lupus
Episodes
===Series 1 (1998)===
{{Episode table |background=#4B5F2A|overall=6 |series=6 |title=30 |airdate=20 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Happy Motoring
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1998|3|15}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Come Dancing
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1998|3|22}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Bono Mateno
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1998|3|29}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = The Youngish Ones
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1998|4|5}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = One for the Road
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1998|4|12}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = French Leave
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1998|4|19}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
}}
===Series 2 (1999)===
{{Episode table |background=#4B5F2A|overall=6 |series=6 |title=30 |airdate=20 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Laundry
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1999|7|25}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Bank Holiday
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1999|8|1}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 9
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = War
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1999|8|8}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 10
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Twins
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1999|8|15}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 11
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Moonlighting
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1999|8|22}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 12
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Eve of Destruction
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|1999|8|29}}
| ShortSummary =
|LineColor=4B5F2A
}}
}}
References
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0145617}}
- [https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_last_salute/ The Last Salute] at British Comedy Guide
{{Simon Nye}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Salute, The}}
Category:BBC television comedy
Category:BBC television sitcoms
Category:1998 British television series debuts
Category:1999 British television series endings