The Navy Lark

The Navy Lark is a satirical radio sit-com based on board a British warship named HMS Troutbridge, transmitted on the BBC Light Programme and subsequently BBC Radio 2. Produced by Sir Alastair Scott-Johnston, written by Laurie Wyman,

Programmes were self-contained rather than episodic. The three main characters were silly-ass Sub Lieutenant Phillips (Leslie Phillips), scheming CPO Pertwee (Jon Pertwee) and their constantly bemused commander Lt (later Lt Commander) Murray (Stephen Murray) (In the first series, this character was Lt Price, played by Dennis Price). A normal episode consisted in these three trying to get out of trouble (usually self created) without being found out by their direct superior, Captain Povey.

The program had a huge number of secondary characters including Captain Povey's domineering wife Ramona Povey, (un)able seamen "Fatso" Johnson (Ronnie Barker), proudly Welsh starboard lookout Taffy Goldstein, Admiral Ffont-Bittocks, sneezing Captain A-A-A-Atchison, unintelligible Commander Weatherby, blithering Vice-Admiral Burwasher, WRENs Heather Chasen and Judy Cornwell and a whole cartload of others.

Heavily reliant upon extreme accents and voice impediments for its humour, it also tended to cast women as junior ranks and feature somewhat unsubtle sexist wordplay, which probably remains appropriate to a military satire. The programme featured timeless and distinctive musical breaks and several enduring catchphrases, most notably from Sub Lieutenant Phillips: "ooh nasty" "oh lummie" and "left hand down-a-bit". "Ev'rybody down!" was a phrase of CPO Pertwee's, necessitated by a string of incomprehensible navigation orders by Lt. Phillips, and followed by a sound effect of the ship crashing.

The series made household names of Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee and Richard Caldicot, but Ronnie Barker's versatile contributions were only recognised after he had become better known through television comedy.

Repeats of the show may be heard on BBC7.

There were several TV and radio sequels, including The Embassy Lark and The Big Business Lark. The TV Lark was intended to be a replacement for The Navy Lark starting with what would have been the series' fifth season. The entire cast had been drummed out of the service (as the announcer puts it) and hired by Troughtbridge TV Ltd. However, each episode veered closer and closer back to its Naval origins — until finally the ongoing plot was that Murray, Phillips, and Pertwee were in charge of producing a weekly TV show about life in the Navy! At some point, probably due to public pressure, the production team of Sir Alastair Scott-Johnston and Laurie Wyman gave in, and episode ten of The TV Lark revealed that CPO Pertwee had arranged to get the entire crew demobbed so he could flog almost the entirety of HMS Troughtbridge!

In 1959 a film version was made, written by Laurie Wyman and Sid Colin and directed by Gordon Parry. It starred Cecil Parker, Ronald Shiner, Leslie Phillips and Nicholas Phipps.

THE NAVY LARK EPISODE GUIDE

1st Series Spring 1959

  1.   1- 1   Mar 29 59   The First Episode      
  2.   1- 2   Apr  5 59   Working Their Passage
  3.   1- 3   Apr 12 59   Having Their Fun
  4.   1- 4   Apr 19 59   The Fairground Lights
  5.   1- 5   Apr 26 59   The Comfort Fund     
  6.   1- 6   May  3 59   Stuck up the Inlet
  7.   1- 7   May 10 59   The Admiral's Party 
  8.   1- 8   May 17 59   The Hank of Heather
  9.   1- 9   May 24 59   The Multiple Mine 
 10.   1-10   May 31 59   The Gun Mechanism Test
 11.   1-11   Jun  7 59   The Whittlesea Bay Yacht Regatta
 12.   1-12   Jun 14 59   The Psychology Test
 13.   1-13   Jun 21 59   A Watch on the Initiative Test
 14.   1-14   Jun 28 59   An Exercise in Filming    
 15.   1-15   Jul  5 59   The Smuggling Spy
 16.   1-16   Jul 12 59   The Whittlesea Carnival and Fête

2nd Series Autumn 1959

 17.   2- 1   Oct 16 59   New at the Helm  
 18.   2- 2   Oct 23 59   Fatso's Box Brownie           
 19.   2- 3   Oct 30 59   Bring Back the Barge
 20.   2- 4   Nov  6 59   The Mock Action 
 21.   2- 5   Nov 13 59   Going Dutch   
 22.   2- 6   Nov 20 59   The Figurehead        
 23.   2- 7   Nov 27 59   Working Their Passage   
 24.   2- 8   Dec  4 59   Johnson Finds Treasure
 25.   2- 9   Dec 11 59   The Charter Trip to Antarctica
 26.   2-10   Dec 18 59   Cementing Relations
 27.   2-11   Dec 25 59   Strike up the Band     
 28.   2-12   Jan  1 60   The Route March 
 29.   2-13   Jan  8 60   The Trip up the Thames
 30.   2-14   Jan 15 60   Working Their Passage
 31.   2-15   Jan 22 60   A Crisp Romance       
 32.   2-16   Jan 29 60   The Lighthouse Lark           
 33.   2-17   Feb  5 60   Pertwee Posted to Portsmouth
 34.   2-18   Feb 12 60   Working Their Passage 
 35.   2-19   Feb 19 60   Working Their Passage      
 36.   2-20   Feb 26 60   Working Their Passage
 37.   2-21   Mar  4 60   The Cross Country Run
 38.   2-22   Mar 11 60   Working Their Passage
 39.   2-23   Mar 18 60   Working Their Passage        
 40.   2-24   Mar 25 60   Working Their Passage
 41.   2-25   Apr  1 60   Mr Murray Goes Sick     
 42.   2-26   Apr  8 60   The Portarneyland Fishing Limit
 43.   2-27   May 11 60   Wrens Reunion at the Festival Hall

3rd Series 1960

 44.   3- 1   Nov  2 60   In Portsmouth for a Re-Fit
 45.   3- 2   Nov  9 60   Refitting Ebeneezer Pertwee
 46.   3- 3   Nov 16 60   Sea Trials of the Poppadom
 47.   3- 4   Nov 23 60   Mutiny Aboard Troutbridge
 48.   3- 5   Nov 30 60   The Explosive Biscuits
 49.   3- 6   Dec  7 60   Sir Willoughby Takes Over an Island
 50.   3- 7   Dec 14 60   Mount Rumpus Atoll
 51.   3- 8   Dec 21 60   (50th Show Special for the Queen and Queen Mother)
 52.   3- 9   Dec 28 60   Johnson's Birthday 
 53.   3-10   Jan  4 61   Working Their Passage
 54.   3-11   Jan 11 61   Working Their Passage
 55.   3-12   Jan 18 61   Working Their Passage      
 56.   3-13   Jan 25 61   Working Their Passage
 57.   3-14   Feb  1 61   Working Their Passage
 58.   3-15   Feb  8 61   The Floggle Grummit Missile
 59.   3-16   Feb 15 61   The Hitch Hiking Counterfeiter
 60.   3-17   Feb 22 61   Commodore Goldstein
 61.   3-18   Mar  1 61   Mr Phillips Has Navigation Tuition
 62.   3-19   Mar  8 61   CPO Pertwee and the Laundry
 63.   3-20   Mar 15 61   Working Their Passage in the Last of the Current Series

4th Series 1961

 64.   4- 1   Sep 15 61   Returning from Leave        
 65.   4- 2   Sep 22 61   Captain Povey's Spy      
 66.   4- 3   Sep 29 61   Working Their Passage   
 67.   4- 4   Oct  6 61   The Northampton Hunt Ball
 68.   4- 5   Oct 13 61   Hijacked            
 69.   4- 6   Oct 20 61   Admiral Troutbridge
 70.   4- 7   Oct 27 61   Relatives and Reservations
 71.   4- 8   Nov  3 61   Humgrummits on the High Seas
 72.   4- 9   Nov 10 61   Are Captain and Mrs Povey Married?
 73.   4-10   Nov 17 61   Cine Cameras at Sea
 74.   4-11   Nov 24 61   The Citizen Adjustment Course
 75.   4-12   Dec  1 61   A Hole Lieutenant
 76.   4-13   Dec  8 61   Spy Catching in Casablanca
 77.   4-14   Dec 15 61   Mount Pot Erupts
 78.   4-15   Dec 22 61   Captain Povey's Shop
 79.   4-16   Dec 29 61   Leading Seaman Goldstein's Party
 80.   4-17   Jan  5 62   The Invitation
 81.   4-18   Jan 12 62   Working Their Passage
 82.   4-19   Jan 19 62   A Strange Hobby
 83.   4-20   Jan 26 62   Mr Phillips Get Engaged
 84.   4-21   Feb  2 62   The Sinking of the Bubble Car
 85.   4-22   Feb  9 62   Long John Pertwee
 86.   4-23   Feb 16 62   The Admiral's Accident Report
 87.   4-24   Feb 23 62   Over the Sea to Rosyth
 88.   4-25   Mar  2 62   The Return of Sir Frederick Flatley
 89.   4-26   Mar  9 62   The Ship's Concert

Christmas special 1962

 90.   S- 1    unaired

The TV Lark 1963

T01.                      Opening Night
T02.                      Advertising Drive
T03.                      The Party Political Broadcast
T04.                      Back to Portsmouth
T05.                      Serial Programming
T06.                      The African Incident
T07.                      Yours, or MINE!!!
T08.
T09.
T10.                      Back in the Navy

5th Series spring 1963

 91.   5- 1   Apr  5 63   First Day out of Dock
 92.   5- 2   Apr 12 63   (100th edition)
 93.   5- 3   Apr 19 63   A Deliberate Bashing
 94.   5- 4   Apr 26 63   Whittlesea Regatta
 95.   5- 5   May  3 63   HMS Troutbridge Gets a Rocket
 96.   5- 6   May 10 63   The Ghost Ship

6th Series autumn 1963

 97.   6- 1   Sep 27 63   Wren Chasen Returns
 98.   6- 2   Oct  4 63   On the Carpet
 99.   6- 3   Oct 11 63   The Bungalese Spies
100.   6- 4   Oct 18 63   Troutbridge's Party
101.   6- 5   Oct 25 63   Rescuing Admirals
102.   6- 6   Nov  1 63   Demise of the Depth Charges
103.   6- 7   Nov  8 63   The Struggle for Promotion
104.   6- 8   Nov 15 63   Fred Computables
105.   6- 9   Nov 22 63   Bashing Six Kinds of Brick Dust (a.k.a. Stormy Weather)
106.   6-10   Nov 29 63   Chasing the Kepeac
107.   6-11   Dec  6 63   The Submerged Island
108.   6-12   Dec 13 63   The Sicilian Secret Agent
109.   6-13   Dec 20 63   German's Troutbridge
110.   6-14   Dec 27 63   Confirming Povey's Rank
111.   6-15   Jan  3 64   Ferrying Their Way Through (a.k.a. The Calais Dock Strike)
112.   6-16   Jan 10 64   Taking Liberties with History (a.k.a. Johnson's Memoirs)
113.   6-17   Jan 17 64   The Emperor of Tratvia
114.   6-18   Jan 24 64   Doing Their Fifteen Sided Nuts (a.k.a. Open Day)
115.   6-19   Jan 31 64   Having a Go, for the Last Time in the Current Series 
                          (a.k.a. Stuck on a Sandbank)

7th Series 1965

116.   7- 1   Jul 11 65   Taking Some Liberties
117.   7- 2   Jul 18 65   Taking Some Liberties
118.   7- 3   Jul 25 65   Doing a Mischief
119.   7- 4   Aug  1 65   The Poveys Move House
120.   7- 5   Aug  8 65   Captain Povey Reports Sick
121.   7- 6   Aug 15 65   Admiral Pertwee's Fleet
122.   7- 7   Aug 22 65   Let Loose with a Chopper
123.   7- 8   Aug 29 65   Making a Right Pig's Breakfast
124.   7- 9   Sep  5 65   The Mysterious Pudding Mine
125.   7-10   Sep 12 65   Belting Three Feet up in the Air Through 
                          (a.k.a. The Hovercraft Training Course)
126.   7-11   Sep 19 65   Floggle Toggling Their Way Through 
                          (a.k.a. The Sabotaged Floggle-Toggle Box)
127.   7-12   Sep 26 65   The Portarneyland Training Exercise
128.   7-13   Oct  3 65   Doing a Mischief for the Last Time in the Series 
                          (a.k.a. Going on Leave to Croydon)

Christmas Special 1965

129.   S- 2    unaired 

8th Series 1966

130.   8- 1   Sep  4 66   Searching for Their Ship (a.k.a. Where is Troutbridge?)
131.   8- 2   Sep 11 66   Float a Peddle Fiddle
132.   8- 3   Sep 18 66   Gumming Up the Works (a.k.a. A Sticky Business)
133.   8- 4   Sep 25 66   Buoying Up (a.k.a. Buoys Will Be Buoys)
134.   8- 5   Oct  2 66   Charitably Taking Part (a.k.a. Steamship Day)
135.   8- 6   Oct  9 66   Drifting Through (a.k.a. Farewell to HMS Varsity)
136.   8- 7   Oct 16 66   Blowing Themselves Up (a.k.a. The Army Lark)
137.   8- 8   Oct 23 66   Buying Tickets (a.k.a. Just the Ticket)
138.   8- 9   Oct 30 66   Mr Phillips Promotion
139.   8-10   Nov  6 66   Pertwee and the Tratvian Beer
140.   8-11   Nov 13 66   The PM Papa
141.   8-12   Nov 20 66   Getting Rid of Pertwee
142.   8-13   Nov 27 66   Off to Sea at Last

9th Series 1967

143.   9- 1   Jul  2 67   Having Been Towing (a.k.a. Back from the Antarctic)
144.   9- 2   Jul  9 67   Fishing in Troubled Waters (a.k.a. Fishers off the Faeroes)
145.   9- 3   Jul 16 67   Cleaning Up (a.k.a. A Filthy Ferryboat)
146.   9- 4   Jul 23 67   Doing a Disastrical (a.k.a. Jigsaws and Jemmies)
147.   9- 5   Jul 30 67   Deliberately Abandoned (a.k.a. The Navel Review)
148.   9- 6   Aug  6 67   Going Caravaning (a.k.a. The Curious Caravan Case)
149.   9- 7   Aug 13 67   Having a Bit of Trouble with the French (a.k.a. Frenchmen in J.41)
150.   9- 8   Aug 20 67   Tangling with the Law (a.k.a. The Police Drop In)
151.   9- 9   Aug 27 67   Having Been Assaulting (a.k.a. Mr Murray's Endurance Course)
152.   9-10   Sep  3 67   Have Been Redecorating (a.k.a. Women in the Wardroom)
153.   9-11   Sep 10 67   Celebrating Their Important Anniversary 
                          (a.k.a. Troutbridge's Silver Jub4lee Party)
155.   9-12   Sep 17 67   Computerising (a.k.a. CECIL the Navigation Computer)
156.   9-13   Sep 24 67   Seeing Red (a.k.a. A Russian Rendezvous)
157.   9-14   Oct  1 67   Bugging (a.k.a. The Bugged and Burgled Beer)
158.   9-15   Oct  8 67   Flying in the Face (a.k.a. Picking up the Poppadom)
159.   9-16   Oct 15 67   Cuthbert Joins the Navy
150.   9-17   Oct 22 67   Frustrating the Spark of Invention (a.k.a. The Flying Machine)
160.   9-18   Oct 29 67   Doing Some Historical Research 
                          (a.k.a. When Sub Lt. Philips was at Dartmouth)
161.   9-19   Nov  5 67   Frying Up (a.k.a. A Fishy Business)
162.   9-20   Nov 12 67   Have Been Painting Pink Spots (a.k.a. Troutbridge in Quarantine)

10th Series 1968

163.  10- 1   Oct 13 68   Lighting Up (a.k.a. Troutbridge Electrifies Portsmouth)
164.  10- 2   Oct 20 68   The Redundancy Drive
165.  10- 3   Oct 27 68   Dredging Their Way Through (a.k.a. The Smugglers Return)
166.  10- 4   Nov  3 68   Instructing Their New CO in the Ways 
                          (a.k.a. Captain Trotter Takes Charge)
167.  10- 5   Nov 10 68   Visiting Broadstairs (a.k.a. The Anti-Submarine Missile)
168.  10- 6   Nov 17 68   Accredited (a.k.a. Sub-Conductor Phillips)
169.  10- 7   Nov 24 68   Have Been Appearing (a.k.a. The South Kawowan Summit)
170.  10- 8   Dec  1 68   Avoiding Redundancy (a.k.a. Pertwee's Enlistment Expires)
171.  10- 9   Dec  8 68   Having Been Exercising (a.k.a. Capt. Povey Takes Over)
172.  10-10   Dec 15 68   Crashing Their Way Through (a.k.a. Sir Willoughby Goes to Kawowa)
173.  10-11   Dec 22 68   Presented the Padre (a.k.a. The Padre's Birthday)
174.  10-12   Dec 29 68   Blowing Up (a.k.a. The Portsmouth Kiosk)
175.  10-13   Jan  5 69   Shot At (a.k.a. The Radio Beacon)
176.  10-14   Jan 12 69   Having Been Masquerading 
                          (a.k.a. Masquerade, Mr Phillips Wrong Uniform)
177.  10-15   Jan 19 69   Have Been Breaking Up (a.k.a. Harold Wilson Reviews the Fleet)
178.  10-16   Jan 26 69   Weathering (a.k.a. The Relief of the Weather Ship)
179.  10-17   Feb  2 69   Bunging Up (a.k.a. The Mickey Mouse Toothbrush)
180.  10-18   Feb  9 69   Assisting the Police with Their Enquiries for the Last Time
                          (a.k.a. The Brick Smugglers)

11th Series 1969

181.  11- 1   Dec 28 69   Desquatting Troutbridge (a.k.a. Lt Commander Murray and the Squatters)
182.  11- 2   Jan  4 70   Admiral Hunting (a.k.a. What is the S.S.E.?)
183.  11- 3   Jan 11 70   Promoting (a.k.a. C.P.O. Pertwee Climbs up the Promotion Ladder)
184.  11- 4   Jan 18 70   Running Aground Capt. Povey as Governor of Forbodia
185.  11- 5   Jan 25 70   Starred (a.k.a. Sir Willoughby's Party)
186.  11- 6   Feb  1 70   Taking the Initiative (a.k.a. The Fleet Initiative Test)
187.  11- 7   Feb  8 70   Proving (a.k.a. C.P.O. Pertwee's Long Service Medal)
188.  11- 8   Feb 15 70   Hunting Flying Saucers (a.k.a. The Phenomenal Pertwee Tug)
189.  11- 9   Feb 22 70   Spy-Catching (a.k.a. The Security Clampdown)
190.  11-10   Mar  1 70   Having Trouble with a Washing Machine 
                          (a.k.a. The Anniversary and the Washing)
191.  11-11   Mar  8 70   The Forbodians Hijack Troutbridge
192.  11-12   Mar 15 70   Getting Splice (a.k.a. Number One Gets Married)
193.  11-13   Mar 22 70   Bombarding (a.k.a. The Honeymooners Return)
194.  11-14   Mar 29 70   Trying for the Jackpot 
                          (a.k.a. C.P.O. Pertwee and the Lead Half Crowns)
195.  11-15   Apr  5 70   Dartmouth Naval College Has Had a Narrow Escape 
                          (a.k.a. Sup-Lt Phillips to Leave for Dartmouth)
196.  11-16   Apr 12 70   Bashing up the Radar for the Last Time in This Series 
                          (a.k.a. The Mark 31 Radar)

12th Series 1971

197.  12- 1   May 16 71   The Put-a-Horse-out-to-Graze Fund
198.  12- 2   May 23 71   Impressions for Survival
199.  12- 3   May 30 71   The Beard-Growing Race
200.  12- 4   Jun  6 71   The Mysterious Radio Signals
201.  12- 5   Jun 13 71   Operation Recovery
202.  12- 6   Jun 20 71   The Slogan Contest
203.  12- 7   Jun 27 71   Sir Willoughby at Shanghai
204.  12- 8   Jul  4 71   Operation Cowes Barge
205.  12- 9   Jul 11 71   Number One's Anniversary
206.  12-10   Jul 18 71   The Loch Ness Monster
207.  12-11   Jul 25 71   The Forbodian Attaché

13th Series 1972

208.  13- 1   Mar 26 72   The TV Documentary
209.  13- 2   Apr  2 72   Escaping Back Into (a.k.a. The P.O.W. Escape Exercise)
210.  13- 3   Apr  9 72   Number One's Married Quarters
211.  13- 4   Apr 16 72   Operating for Profit (a.k.a. The Newhaven-Dieppe Smuggling Run)
212.  13- 5   Apr 23 72   Cavorting about (a.k.a. The Bumble Spit Lighthouse Affair)
213.  13- 6   Apr 30 72   Digging Themselves Stupid (a.k.a. The Tonipouhaha Treasure)
214.  13- 7   May  7 72   The U.S.A. Navigator Swap
215.  13- 8   May 14 72   Son of a Sea Lord
216.  13- 9   May 21 72   Hypnotised (a.k.a. Hypnotising Ramona)
217.  13-10   May 28 72   Mastering (a.k.a. The Mastering of Sardinia)
218.  13-11   Jun  4 72   Opportunity Knockers
219.  13-12   Jun 11 72   Friday the 13th
220.  13-13   Jun 18 72   The New NAAFI

14th Series 1973

221.  14- 1   Jul 29 73   The Montezuela Revolution
222.  14- 2   Aug  5 73   Having Their Little Boats Eaten (a.k.a. The Island Swordfish)
223.  14- 3   Aug 12 73   Bunged in the Brig (a.k.a. Bunged in the Rattle)
224.  14- 4   Aug 19 73   Doing a Kangaroo Polka (a.k.a. Kidnapped Down Under)
225.  14- 5   Aug 26 73   The Digital Isles Go Unstable
226.  14- 6   Sep  2 73   Bombed by the Raffia (a.k.a. Egbert Hitches a Ride)
227.  14- 7   Sep  9 73   Povey an Admiral at Last
228.  14- 8   Sep 16 73   Nobbled (a.k.a. The Bergan Horse Trials)
229.  14- 9   Sep 23 73   Mastering (a.k.a. Captain Povey's Wig)
230.  14-10   Sep 30 73   Taking the Pill with Disastrous Consequences (a.k.a. The Brain Pill)
231.  14-11   Oct  7 73   Demonstrating Their Firepower (a.k.a. Operation Showcase)
232.  14-12   Oct 14 73   Living the High Life (a.k.a. CPO Pertwee Yachtmonger)
233.  14-13   Oct 21 73   The Talpinium Shell

15th Series 1975

234.  15- 1   Nov  9 75   Sequel to the Talpinium Shell
235.  15- 2   Nov 16 75   NANA
236.  15- 3   Nov 23 75   Fallen Victim to the Green Eye of Jealousy 
                          (a.k.a. Helen, the New Wren)
237.  15- 4   Nov 30 75   Were Freezing Their Assets (a.k.a. Relief for Station 150)
238.  15- 5   Dec  7 75   Rejuvenating (a.k.a. Black is Beautiful)
239.  15- 6   Dec 14 75   Throwing Their Voices (a.k.a. Sidney and the Stamp)
240.  15- 7   Dec 21 75   Riding to Victory (a.k.a. Commander Murray Becomes a Showjumper)
241.  15- 8   Dec 28 75   Confounding the Ungodly (a.k.a. Horrible Horace)
242.  15- 9   Jan  4 76   Burning Their Bras (a.k.a. Officer's and Gent's Lib)
243.  15-10   Jan 11 76   The Case of the HGM Mark 5
244.  15-11   Jan 18 76   Having a History Lesson (a.k.a. Uncle Wilberforce Pertwee)

Special 1977

245.  S- 3   Jul 16 77   The BBC are Sending the Bill to Buckingham Palace

See also: Radio comedy.

External links

• Navy Lark First Lines (http://web.onetel.com/~gnudawn/otr/nl-1stlines.html)
• BBC 7 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/)
• Navy Lark Episode Guide (http://epguides.com/NavyLark/)