Harold returns home after a hard day and looks forward to a nice dinner, but all he gets instead is sardines. His father had been wood-worming an old wardrobe when he accidentally became trapped inside, hence no dinner. A letter from the Inland Revenue causes Albert to panic. Apparently when Harold's mother died thirty-odd years ago, Albert failed to notify the I.R. and never declared her pension. Mr.Greenwood ( Colin Gordon ) calls and Harold gets him drunk. He insists that Albert receive a full pension for his late wife, backdated. But how to claim it?
The newspapers have been full of scare stories recently about 'benefit cheats'. It happens every time we get a Tory Government in power. It is far easier to pick on the poor than on the rich. Millionaires like Lord Ashcroft can fund political parties to the tune of millions without paying a penny in tax ( though he had promised to do so ) and nothing gets done about it. As George Malone ( Peter Kerrigan ) from Alan Bleasdale's 'Boys From The Blackstuff' observed: "Thieving is only frowned upon when you take a little from some instead of a lot from many.".
Albert has to drag up to go to the Post Office to get the money ( a plot detail that makes no sense. He could have always have said he was cashing the book on his wife's behalf. As long as he had proof of identity on his person, he would have gotten away with it ), where he meets Norman ( Peter Madden ), a retired police officer who fancies him rotten. Madden was chess player 'McAdams' in the Bond movie 'From Russia With Love'.
Funniest moment - Harold having to impersonate his sister 'Muriel' when Mr.Greenwood next calls! On a sad note, this marked the final television appearance of that very British actor Colin Gordon. His credits include 'The Prisoner' ( along with Leo McKern, he was the only actor to play 'Number Two' more than once ), 'Dr.Who', the original 'Casino Royale', 'The Pink Panther', U.F.O', and 'Hancock's Half-Hour'.
The newspapers have been full of scare stories recently about 'benefit cheats'. It happens every time we get a Tory Government in power. It is far easier to pick on the poor than on the rich. Millionaires like Lord Ashcroft can fund political parties to the tune of millions without paying a penny in tax ( though he had promised to do so ) and nothing gets done about it. As George Malone ( Peter Kerrigan ) from Alan Bleasdale's 'Boys From The Blackstuff' observed: "Thieving is only frowned upon when you take a little from some instead of a lot from many.".
Albert has to drag up to go to the Post Office to get the money ( a plot detail that makes no sense. He could have always have said he was cashing the book on his wife's behalf. As long as he had proof of identity on his person, he would have gotten away with it ), where he meets Norman ( Peter Madden ), a retired police officer who fancies him rotten. Madden was chess player 'McAdams' in the Bond movie 'From Russia With Love'.
Funniest moment - Harold having to impersonate his sister 'Muriel' when Mr.Greenwood next calls! On a sad note, this marked the final television appearance of that very British actor Colin Gordon. His credits include 'The Prisoner' ( along with Leo McKern, he was the only actor to play 'Number Two' more than once ), 'Dr.Who', the original 'Casino Royale', 'The Pink Panther', U.F.O', and 'Hancock's Half-Hour'.