It Sticks Out Half A Mile – Episode 1: The Bank Loan – Broadcast 20/11/83 (Part 1 of 3) A Dads Army spin-off, written by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles as a vehicle for Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier. Arthur Lowe died shortly after the Pilot was recorded but his widow enjoyed the Pilot and said they should press ahead with a series so it was rewritten to have Hodges (Bill Pertwee) buy the Pier by getting Frank Pike (Ian Lavender) to persuade Bank Manager ‘Uncle Arthur’ Wilson (John Le Mesurier) to invest. A new Pilot was recorded followed by a further 12 episodes ending with Le Mesuriers death in 1983. The series was set a few years after the war in 1948. The dilapidated Pier pictures are of Birnbeck Pier in Weston-Super-Mare. Ep Rec. Trans. Title Pilot 11981NeverIt Sticks Out Half A Mile Pilot 2 11-9-82 13-11-83 The Business Proposition 1 19-2-83 20-11-83 The Bank Loan 2 23-2-83 27-11-83 Who Owned the Pier? 3 23-2-83 4-12-83 Inspecting the Piles 4 19-2-83 11-12-83 Pike In Love 5 26-2-83 18-12-83 The Friends Of Frambourne Pier 6 5-3-83 1-1-84 The First Meeting 7 8-3-83 8-1-84 Marooned 8 5-3-83 15-1-84 The Fancy Dress Night 9 26-2-83 21-8-84 The Builder 10 8-3-83 4-9-84 War Damage 11 15-3-83 18-9-84 The Pin Up Girl 12 15-3-83 2-10-84 Hidden Treasure