The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker

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3rd episode of the 2nd series of Dad's Army

"The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker"

Dad's Army episode

Episode no.

Series 2
Episode 3

Directed by

David Croft

Story by

Jimmy Perry and David Croft

Original air date

15 March 1969 (1969-03-15)

Running time

30 minutes

Episode chronology

← Previous
"The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage"

Next →
"Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret"

List of episodes

"The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Walker" is a missing episode in the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 15 March 1969. One of the three missing Dad's Army episodes, only a few short clips and screenshots survive in the archives.

Synopsis

Private Frank Pike receives a notice that he's been selected for conscription into the regular army. This causes distress for both him and his fellow Home Guard platoon members, who value Pike's presence in the unit. Mainwaring and the others quickly rally to keep him in the Home Guard, despite the fact that his mother, Mrs. Pike, is adamantly opposed to him leaving.

The platoon tries various tactics to prevent Pike from going, even attempting to secure a medical exemption by faking an illness. In the end, a surprising twist reveals that Pike doesn’t need to join the regular army after all, restoring harmony and securing his place in the platoon once more. This episode humorously explores themes of camaraderie, loyalty, and the lengths the team will go to stay together during wartime.

Plot

When Walker is called up, he applies to the Military Service Hardship Committee, which rejects him on the grounds that he does not keep books for his business. After Jones's attempts to sabotage his medical test fail, Walker is invalided out because he is allergic to corned beef.

Cast

Remake

Kevin McNally as Captain Mainwaring
Robert Bathurst as Sergeant Wilson
Kevin Eldon as Lance Corporal Jones
David Hayman as Private Frazer
Mathew Horne as Private Walker
Timothy West as Private Godfrey
Tom Rosenthal as Private Pike
Christopher Villiers as Brigadier (War Office)
Sam Phillips as Captain Cutts
Julia Deakin as the Chairwoman
Andrew Havill as the Brigadier
Jerry-Jane Pears as Judy
Gareth Benjamin as Mr Rees
Lee Barnett as the soldier

Notes

This episode was originally planned for transmission on 20 January 1969.
This is one of the three missing Dad's Army episodes, after the tape was wiped by the BBC for reuse. The other two are A Stripe for Frazer and Under Fire.
UKTV Gold commissioned recreations of all three missing episodes. The remake of this episode was first broadcast on 25 August 2019.
In the remade episode, two cast members have a link to David Croft, Julia Deakin was in Oh Doctor Beeching! and Andrew Havill was in the 2016 film of Dad's Army.
In 2023, a new animated version of this episode was broadcast as one of a series of animated recreations of all of the missing episodes. Owing to the audio of the broadcast episode also being missing, the radio series episode was used instead

External links

Dad's Army

Characters

Episodes

Adaptations & spinoffs

Merchandise

Other articles

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"
000!!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"
† Missing episode has been reconstructed using animation. ‡ Missing episode has been recreated with new cast

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