"The Russians Are Coming"

Eric the policeman makes reference to "funny fags", a nod to Rodney’s previous conviction for possession of illegal substances. Grandad has an allotment. Mrs Omboka lives in the flat directly below the Trotters. Grandad’s brother George fought in the war, and Grandad was at Kings Cross to meet his regiment as they returned [as well as Grandad and George, we will later meet Albert, so there are least three brothers]

Derek Newark plays Eric the Policeman!

Is this the first time Del calls Rodney a "plonker"? We also see another semi-famous icon, Del’s pistol-shaped cigar lighter, for the first time.

Rodney is wearing eye shadow for some reason (perhaps the make-up woman was the same one that went on to work on Doctor Who’s "Planet of Fire"?). And there’s another outing for Del’s black geisha-style dressing gown.

A curiously unhilarious episode nevertheless has much to say on the perils of war:

"What have we got in this country to combat the might of the Soviet Union? Three jump jets and a strongly worded letter to the Russian ambassador."

"The only war you ever fought was the inch war."

The Trotters transform three tons of lead into a fully supplied nuclear fallout shelter between scenes.

Leonard Pearce gets equal billing in the credits with Derek Newark, who has about 30 seconds of screen-time!

"Courage like that could put you right off your victory dinner". I remembered this as being dull, but it’s oddly topical again thanks to recent world events. The best words are Grandad’s on the sad reality of war, proving this to be above all else a character piece. Nevertheless, the idea of the Trotter’s building a nuclear fallout shelter and speculating on repopulating the Earth is still a bit silly.