The Last Salute — Season 1, Episode 5: One for the Road
Comedy • 30 min • 2 seasons, 12 episodes • ★ 7.0/10
Episode synopsis
The AA men are told that, in future, they should only salute members when stationary. They are unhappy with the change. Harry keeps forgetting about the new procedure and goes on saluting while he's in motion. He manages to come off his bike, so Leonard tells him to use the AA van while his bike is being repaired. A competition has been organised to arrive at a new AA badge. All of the AA men decide to have a go at producing a winning design. Joyce decides to hold a 'soiree' to show off her new cocktail cabinet. Nobody turns up. The AA van is damaged when a drunken local magistrate runs into it. Harry has to resort to extreme measures to get it repaired before Leonard finds out about the damage.
About The Last Salute
1961: the days of happy motoring and AA patrolmen were duty-bound to salute to every passing passenger that bore an AA badge on their vehicle, and hapless patrolman Harry Thorpe struggles with his job. He frequently clashes with his superior, one Inspector Leonard Spanwick, who also happens to reside in a caravan in Harry's back garden and is romantically involved with his blowsy sister Joyce. Leonard often makes Harry's life difficult, and he struggles to keep his local branch afloat and recruit new members, which is compounded by the intense competition from the rival RAC organisation, who are keen to drain away their trade. Although he's dedicated, Harry often has difficulty trying to stay up to date with some of the organisation's recent advancements.