Title: The Light Entertainment War
Original Airdate: 14/11/1974
Starting with the title for the show Up Your Pavement, the episode transitions through several introductions of potential main characters before settling on RAF flyers who can't understand each other's banter. Then their superiors complain that the Germans aren't taking the war seriously enough. At a military court martial the prosecutor keeps getting interrupted by a general asking stupid questions. Then a preview for a romantic film set during the war that the preview fails to say the name of.
But now, it's: Cut to two women watching Up Your Pavement, one tries to prove to the other that the general public are idiots. Then several TV executives argue how to increase ratings as someone tries to enter their office, a cartoon about a man trying to sleep, people figuring out which words sound nice only to be interrupted by one of the RAF flyers, and a woman jumping over several productions on a horse which is interrupted by World War II getting sentimental.
Tropes:
- Ass Shove: In the "Military Court Martial" sketch, the presiding general keeps diverting the prosecutor with questions about minor details, like why the accused was presented with a special pair of gaiters from his regiment; the prosecutor tries to answer in the most polite way possible until...General: I want to know how he made them happy.
Prosecutor: (shouting) HE USED TO RAM THINGS UP THEIR--
General: All right, all right, all right, no need to spell it out! - Berserk Button: "Don't say 'tin' to Rebecca; you know how it upsets her."
- The Bus Came Back(?): There is some debate as to whether or not the masked surgeon in the opening sketch was John Cleese, who had left the programme by this point.
- Derailed for Details: The general during the Court Martial seems to be exhibiting this behavior, but considering how unusual the case is his inquisition is completely justified.
- Early-Bird Cameo: The "When Does a Dream Begin" song is first heard in the beginning played on a banjo during the parody of the Steptoe and Son title sequence.
- I Just Like Saying the Word/Inherently Funny Words: The entire premise of the "Woody and Tinny Words" sketch.
- Insert Cameo: Douglas Adams appears as Dr. Emile Koning during the opening.
- Jive Turkey: Parodied in the "RAF Banter" sketch; the chaps' banter has become so impenetrable that none of them can understand each other.Bovril: Hold on then. [shouts] Wingco!
Wingco: Yes?
Bovril: Bend an ear to the Squadron Leader's banter for a sec, would you?
Wingco: Can do.
Bovril: Jolly good.
Wingco: Fire away.
Squadron Leader: [draws a deep breath and looks slightly uncertain, then starts even more deliberately than before] Bally Jerry... pranged his kite... right in the how's yer father... hairy blighter... dicky-birdied... feathered back on his Sammy... took a waspy... flipped over on his Betty Harper's... and caught his can... in.... the Bertie...
Wingco: ...No, don't understand that banter at all. - Stock Footage: This is the final episode to use the Nude Organist and the It's Man, although their appearances were reused from other episodes. Also, because of the departure of John Cleese, the man saying "And now..." is replaced by a Terry Gilliam animated sasquatch.
- Too Many Halves: In the film trailer, the character Pip is described as being "half-parrot, half-man, half-woman, three-quarter badger".
