by Mark Murton
Original Air Date: April 18, 1975
Directed by: John Howard Davies
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: Tom and Barbara Good’s (Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal) plans progress as the first of their plants begin to take root. Things look up when they befriend a junk man who provides them with an old wood fired stove. Meanwhile, Tom has to confront the issue of how to stop birds eating their crops.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Sam (Tony Selby), the Rag and Bone Man who got them their stove, calls again explaining, “You asked me if I’d look out for a bird scarer for you; Well, I’ve got one.” He opens his bag and pulls out an adorable black kitten which Barbara quickly engulfs in her arms.
The kitten doesn’t appear to have a name, although Sam introduces him as Shere Khan (after the tiger in The Jungle Book).
As Barbara cuddles the kitten Tom tells her, mock-sternly, “Now now now, none of that lapdog business.” “It’s a cat,” points out Barbara. “Well, none of that lap-cat business then,” replies Tom, “That is a working animal.”
“It’s alright, Rover,” Barbara tells the cat, “his bark’s worse than his bite.”
Tom takes the cat from her and looking it in the eye informs it, “You chase birds, got it?”
As he talks the cat is distracted by the laughter from the studio audience.
Tom carries the cat to the back door and boosts it out into the garden with a command of “Kill!” “Well, that’s another problem solved, isn’t it?” says Barbara. “Yes,” confirms Tom, “Always providing of course he does chase birds . . . ” He soon gets his answer when the loud clucking of multiple chickens is heard from the garden. “He chases birds alright,” exclaims Tom jumping up, “He’s in the chicken run!”
Happily they don’t get rid of the cat and it features in two more episodes:
“The Pagan Rite” (May 9, 1975) being held by Barbara as they sit by the stove talking . . .
. . . and again in “Going to Pot” (January 23, 1976) this time being held by Tom as they sit by the stove.
Final Mewsings: Cats always make life good.
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