The Navy Lark

[Robert]

 

The Navy Lark is a radio sitcom about life aboard a British Royal Navy frigate named HMS Troutbridge (a play on HMS Troubridge, a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsmouth. In series 1 and 2, the ship and crew were stationed offshore at an unnamed location known simply as "The Island". In series 2 this island was revealed to be owned by Lt. Cdr. Stanton.

For most of its run the show starred Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee and Stephen Murray, whose names rotated in order of precedence with each new episode over the entire 15-series run. Stephen Murray's daughter, Amanda Murray, also appeared in a few episodes. The program was transmitted on the BBC Light Programme and subsequently BBC Radio 2. It was produced by Alastair Scott Johnston.

Cover of Radio Times for 11-17 October 1959 showing Stephen Murray, Heather Chasen, Leslie Phillips, Richard Caldicott and Jon Pertwee

Episodes were self-contained, although there was continuity within the series, and sometimes a reference to a previous episode might be made. A normal episode consisted of Sub Lt Phillips, scheming Chief Petty Officer Pertwee, and bemused Lt. Murray trying to get out of trouble they created for themselves without their direct superior, Commander (later Captain) "Thunderguts" Povey finding out. Scenes frequently featured a string of eccentric characters, often played by Ronnie Barker or Jon Pertwee. Over the course of the programme Lt Murray marries Admiral Ffont-Bittocks' daughter Rita.

The Republic of Potarneyland, a country situated somewhere on the Indian subcontinent, is featured in several episodes. Over the course of the series, it is revealed that Potarneyland had recently been granted independence from Great Britain, and had joined NATO because the Potanis considered it to be a "free gift scheme". During Series 3 of The Navy Lark, a Potarneyland frigate, the Poppadom, appears in several episodes manned by various Potani officers voiced by Michael Bates and Ronnie Barker.

 

S01E00 – The First Episode (Extra)

S01E01 – The Missing Jeep

S01E02 – Operation Fag End

S01E03 – Having Their Fun

S01E04 – The Fairground Lights

S01E05 – The Comfort Fund

S01E06 – Stuck Up The Inlet

S01E07 – The Admiral’s Party

S01E08 – The Hank Of Heather

S01E09 – The Multiple Mines

S01E10 – The Gun Mechanism Test

S01E11 – The Whittlesea Bay Yacht Regatta

S01E12 – The Psychology Test

S01E13 – A Watch On The Initiative

S01E14 – A Exercise In Filming

S01E15 – The Smuggling Spy

S01E16 – The Whittlesea Carnival And Fˆte

S02E01 – New At The Helm

S02E02 – Fatso’s Box Brownie

S02E03 – Bringing Back The Barge

S02E04 – The Mock Action

S02E05 – Going Dutch

S02E06 – The Figurehead

S02E08 – Johnson Finds Treasure

S02E09 – The Charter Trip To Antarctica

S02E10 – Cementing Relations

S02E11 – Strike Up The Band

S02E13 – The Trip Up The Thames

S02E15 – A Crisp Romance

S02E16 – The Lighthouse Lark

S02E17 – Pertwee Posted To Portsmouth

S02E18 – Johnson’s Diet

S02E19 – Tug Of War

S02E21 – The Cross Country Run

S02E22 – The Morning After

S02E23 – The Admiral’s Present

S02E24 – Secret Mission To Calais

S02E25 – Mr Murray Goes Sick

S02E26 – The Portarneyland Fishing Limit

S02E27 – Wrens’ Reunion At The Festival Hall

S03E01 – In Portsmouth For A Re-fit

S03E02 – Refitting Ebeneezer Pertwee

S03E03 – Sea Trials Of The Poppadom

S03E04 – Mutiny Aboard Troutbridge

S03E05 – The Explosive Biscuits

S03E06 – Sir Willoughby Takes Over An Island

S03E07 – Mount Rumpus Atoll

S03E08 – Mr Murray’s Houseboat

S03E09 – Johnson’s Birthday

S03E10 – Povey’s Unexpected Leave

S03E11 – Families’ Day

S03E12 – The Falmouth Ghost Ship

S03E13 – Onabushkan Flu

S03E14 – The Efficiency Expert

S03E15 – The Floggle Grummit Missile

S03E16 – The Hitch-hiking Counterfeiter

S03E17 – Commodore Goldstein

S03E18 – Mr Phillips Has Navigation Tuition

S03E19 – CPO Pertwee And The Laundry

S04E01 – Returning From Leave

S04E02 – Captain Povey’s Spy

S04E04 – The Northampton Hunt Ball

S04E05 – Hijacked

S04E06 – Admiral Troutbridge

S04E07 – Relatives And Reservations

S04E08 – Humgrummits On The High Seas

S04E09 – Are Captain And Mrs Povey Married

S04E10 – Cine Cameras At Sea

S04E11 – The Citizen Adjustment Course

S04E12 – A Hole Lieutenant

S04E13 – Spy Catching In Casablanca

S04E14 – Mount Pot Erupts

S04E15 – Captain Povey’s Shop

S04E16 – Leading Seaman Goldstein’s Party

S04E17 – The Invitation

S04E19 – A Strange Hobby

S04E20 – Mr Phillips Gets Engaged

S04E21 – The Sinking of the Bubble Car

S04E22 – Long Jonathan Pertwee

S04E23 – The Admiral’s Accident Report

S04E24 – Over The Sea To Rosyth

S04E25 – The Return Of Sir Frederick Flatley

S04E26 – The Ship’s Concert

S05E01 – First Day Out Of Dock

S05E02 – 100th Edition

S05E03 – A Deliberate Bashing

S05E04 – Whittlesea Regatta

S05E05 – Troutbridge Gets A Rocket

S05E06 – The Ghost Ship

S06E01 – Wren Chasen Returns

S06E02 – On The Carpet

S06E03 – The Bungalese Spies

S06E04 – Troutbridge’s Party

S06E05 – Rescuing Admirals

S06E06 – Demise Of The Depth Charges

S06E07 – The Struggle For Promotion

S06E08 – Fred Computables

S06E09 – Bashing Six Kinds Of Brick Dust

S06E10 – Chasing The Kepeac

S06E11 – The Submerged Island

S06E12 – The Sicilian Secret Agent

S06E13 – Germany’s Troutbridge

S06E14 – Confirming Povey’s Rank

S06E15 – Ferrying Their Way Through

S06E16 – Taking Liberties With History

S06E17 – The Emperor Of Tratvia

S06E18 – Doing Their Fifteen Sided Nuts

S06E19 – Stuck On A Sandbank

S07E01 – Taking Some Liberties

S07E02 – Smugglers In The Solent

S07E03 – Doing A Mischief

S07E04 – The Povey’s Move House

S07E05 – Captain Povey Reports Sick

S07E06 – Admiral Pertwee’s Fleet

S07E07 – Let Loose With A Chopper

S07E08 – Making A Right Pig’s Breakfast

S07E09 – The Mysterious Pudding Mine

S07E10 – Belting Three Feet Up In The Air Through

S07E11 – The Sabotaged Floggle-Toggle Box

S07E12 – The Potarneyland Training Exercise

S07E13 – Going On Leave To Croydon

S08E01 – Searching For Their Ship

S08E02 – The Float A Peddle Fiddle

S08E03 – Gumming Up The Works

S08E04 – Buoying Up

S08E05 – Charitably Taking Part

S08E06 – Drifting Through

S08E07 – Blowing Themselves Up

S08E08 – Buying Tickets

S08E09 – Mr Phillips Promotion

S08E10 – Pertwee And The Tratvian Beer

S08E11 – The PM Papa

S08E12 – Getting Rid Of Pertwee

S08E13 – Off To Sea At Last

S09E01 – Have Been Towing

S09E02 – Fishing In Troubled Waters

S09E03 – Cleaning Up

S09E04 – Doing A Disastrical

S09E05 – Deliberately Abandoned

S09E06 – Going Caravaning

S09E07 – Having A Bit Of Trouble With The French

S09E08 – Tangling With The Law

S09E09 – Have Been Assaulting

S09E10 – Have Been Redecorating

S09E11 – Celebrating Their Important Anniversary

S09E12 – Computerising

S09E13 – Seeing Red

S09E14 – Bugging

S09E15 – Flying In The Face

S09E16 – Cuthbert Joins The Navy

S09E17 – Frustrating The Spark Of Invention

S09E18 – Doing Some Historical Research

S09E19 – Frying Up

S09E20 – Have Been Painting Pink Spots

S10E01 – Lighting Up

S10E02 – The Redundancy Drive

S10E03 – Dredging Their Way Through

S10E04 – Instructing Their New CO In The Ways

S10E05 – Visiting Broadstairs

S10E06 – Accredited

S10E07 – Have Been Appearing

S10E08 – Avoiding Redunancy

S10E09 – Having Been Exercising

S10E10 – Crashing Their Way Through

S10E11 – Presented The Padre

S10E12 – Blowing Up

S10E13 – Shot At

S10E14 – Have Been Masquerading

S10E15 – Have Been Breaking Up

S10E16 – Weathering

S10E17 – Bunging Up

S10E18 – Assisting The Police With Their Enquiries

S11E01 – Desquatting Troutbridge

S11E02 – Admiral Hunting

S11E03 – Promoting

S11E04 – Running Aground

S11E04 – Running Aground

S11E05 – Starred

S11E06 – Taking The Initiative

S11E07 – Proving

S11E08 – Hunting Flying Saucers

S11E09 – Spy-Catching

S11E10 – Having Trouble With A Washing Machine

S11E11 – The Forbodians Hijack Troutbridge

S11E12 – Getting Spliced

S11E13 – Bombarding

S11E14 – Trying For The Jackpot

S11E15 – Dartmouth Naval College Has Had A Narrow Escape

S11E16 – Bashing Up The Radar

S12E01 – The Put-A-Horse-Out-To-Graze Fund

S12E02 – Impressions For Survival

S12E03 – The Beard-Growing Race

S12E04 – The Mysterious Radio Signals

S12E05 – Operation Recovery

S12E06 – The Slogan Contest

S12E07 – Sir Willoughby At Shanghai

S12E08 – Operation Cowes Barge

S12E09 – Number One’s Anniversary

S12E10 – The Loch Ness Monster

S13E01 – The TV Documentary

S13E02 – The POW Escape Exercise

S13E03 – Number One’s Married Quarters

S13E04 – Operating For Profit

S13E05 – Cavorting About

S13E06 – Digging Themselves Stupid

S13E07 – The U.S.A. Navigator Swap

S13E08 – Son Of A Sea Lord

S13E09 – Hypnotised

S13E10 – Mastering

S13E11 – Opportunity Knockers

S13E12 – Friday The 13th

S13E13 – The New NAAFI

S14E01 – The Montezuela Revolution

S14E02 – Having Their Little Boats Eaten

S14E03 – Bunged In The Brig

S14E04 – Doing A Kangaroo Polka

S14E05 – The Digital Isle Goes Unstable

S14E06 – Bombed By The Raffia

S14E07 – Povey An Admiral At Last

S14E08 – Nobbled

S14E09 – Captain Povey’s Wig

S14E10 – Taking The Pill With Disastrous Consequences

S14E11 – Demonstrating Their Firepower

S14E12 – Living The High Life

S14E13 – The Talpinium Shell

S15E01 – Sequel To The Talpinium Shell

S15E02 – Nana

S15E03 – Fallen Victim To The Green Eye Of Jealousy

S15E04 – Were Freezing Their Assets

S15E05 – Rejuvenating

S15E06 – Throwing Their Voices

S15E07 – Riding To Victory

S15E08 – Confounding The Ungodly

S15E09 – Officer’s And Gent’s Lib

S15E10 – The Case Of The Hgm Mark 5

S15E11 – Having A History Lesson

S15ESP – Queen’s Silver Jubilee Edition

S15ESP – The Reunion