| Whoops Baghdad | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Directed by | John Howard Davies |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Editor | John Howard Davies |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 25 January – 1 March 1973 |
Whoops Baghdad is a BBC television comedy programme first broadcast from 25 January to 1 March 1973.
It stars Frankie Howerd, and was similar to his earlier programme Up Pompeii!, with the setting moved from Ancient Rome to mediaeval Baghdad. However, it was less successful than its predecessor, only running for six episodes and is little remembered, although all episodes apparently survive. The original proposed title, Up Baghdad, was rejected because it was felt that it might have been seen as supportive of the then-current Iraqi regime.
| # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Wazir Takes a Wife" | John Howard Davies | Sid Colin, David McKellar, David Nobbs | 25 January 1973 | |
| Ali Oopla, servant to Abu ben Ackers, Wazir of Old Baghdad, must find his master a new wife to look after his troublesome daughters, the innocent Saccharine and the overdeveloped Boobiana. Ali finds a beautiful woman named Shannonar to marry the Wazir, only for Ali to face execution when Shannonar turns out to be the Caliph's new concubine. Luckily, the Guard Captain agrees to ignore the whole thing when Saccharine innocently reveals the Captain tried to "give her one" while picking flowers in the woods. | |||||
| 2 | "Festival of Magic" | John Howard Davies | Peter Vincent, Bob Hedley | 1 February 1973 | |
| The Caliph's Royal Command Performance approaches with Wizard Prang as the main act. Ali overhears an assassin sent by Tambalane the Tartar plotting to impersonate Prang and use his magic powder to turn the Caliph into a frog. The assassin steals the powder and turns Prang into a frog. Ali tries to warn the Wazir but accidentally turns him into a frog too. Ali also disguises himself as Prang and tricks the assassin into handing over the powder, which Ali uses to turn the assassin into a frog and return Prang to normal, saving the day. However, Prang runs out of powder before the Wazir can be returned to normal and must fetch more from his home in China. | |||||
| 3 | "Genie of the Bottle" | John Howard Davies | Sid Colin, Maurice Sellar, Roy Tuvey | 8 February 1973 | |
| The Wazir has financial troubles and plans to wed Saccharine and Boobiana to the wealthy Sultan of Bangalore. When the Sultan demands a 10,000 Dinar dowry the Wazir threatens to sell Ali unless he can somehow find the money. Ali comes across a Genie in a bottle who grants Ali the money as his first wish, but when Saccharine and Boobiana see their elderly future husband they beg Ali to save them. Using his second wish Ali has the money turned into sand and the wedding is cancelled. Ali plans to use the third wish to get seven beautiful maidens for himself, but Boobiana sells the Genie's bottle to a wine merchant who gets the seven maidens instead. | |||||
| 4 | "A Cargo of Crumpet" | John Howard Davies | Maurice Sellar, Roy Tuvey | 15 February 1973 | |
| Saccharine and Boobiana organise a revolt among the Caliph’s harem. The Wazir blames Ali and threatens to have him executed unless he can find a new concubine for the Caliph. Ali finds Boobiana at the Concubine market making a stand for women's rights and has to spend the Wazir's money to buy her back. Meanwhile the Caliph's new concubine is bought by Sheik Akabar the Vile so the Wazir give Ali until sunrise to get her back. Ali manages to trap Akabar in a closet and steals the concubine for the Caliph who gives Ali all his former concubines in gratitude, but Akabar breaks out of the closet and Ali must give him the concubines in exchange for his life. | |||||
| 5 | "Ali and the Thieves" | John Howard Davies | Sid Colin, David McKellar, Maurice Sellar, Roy Tuvey | 22 February 1973 | |
| Havabanana the tribesman kidnaps the Wazir so his master, Tambalane the Tartar, can ransom him. Ali poses as a soothsayer after learning Tambalane has offered a reward to find his missing wife, Tangerine. With Saccharine in disguise Ali pretends he has summoned Tangerine, but the trick is exposed by Havabanana. Fearing execution Ali begs God to produce Tambalane's wife, and his prayer is answered when Tambalane's elderly first wife magically appears. Tangerine also appears and reveals Havabanana kidnapped her for himself. With Tangerine returned Tambalane frees the Wazir and gifts an unfortunate Ali his elderly first wife as his reward. | |||||
| 6 | "Saved from the Harem" | John Howard Davies | Sid Colin | 1 March 1973 | |
| The Caliph demands Saccharine join his harem. Ali suggests Saccharine get married so the Caliph can't have her. Saccharine naively refuses since her husband would be a married man, and Ali taught her never to sleep with married men. The Guard Captain retrieves Saccharine so Ali poses as hairdresser Ali the Barber to infiltrate the harem and find Saccharine with help from Charisma, the head concubine. Ali poses as Saccharine, causing the Caliph to flee in disgust. Saccharine returns home, but Ali, still dressed as Saccharine, is caught by Sinbad the Sailor, who has been at sea without a woman for 15 years. | |||||
