Series Two - Episode Four: Next Stop Timbuktu
C.A.B Episodes | Episode Details | Cast & Crew | Images | Episode Synopsis | Episode Guide
C.A.B Episodes
Episode Details
UK Air Date: Wednesday 10th February 1988, 16.45pm
Copyright Year: MCMLXXXVII (1987)
Consecutive Episode Number: 17
Fremantle Archive Ref: 37194
IMDB Link: Episode page
Cast & Crew
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Images
More images can be found in the image galleries.
Episode Synopsis
With the arrival of the space suit Colin believes UFOs have arrived on Earth. It turns out to be Nyegel who claims he is from the Eastern and Oriental Space Agency. He has been hired to locate the secret ancient Egyptian tomb - for an international art dealer to preserve the treasures inside, but Colin has his doubts about Nyegel. Franny returns to the shop with Hellman's missing clothes and gets caught in the act. The strange policeman is monitoring all that's going on by using a radio receiver and a computer and reports back to some unknown person.
Episode Guide
‘This is secret Agent C.A.B. C.A.B. is the call sign for Colin Freshwater. This is my assistant Franny Barnes, codename Franny the Brill. The secrets of Ma Mossop’s old junk shop have lead us to mysterious adventures at The Wooden Kamel’.
‘Secret Agent C.A.B. While Franny and I were in the back room of The Wooden Kamel a soldier called Private Tripe came to the shop to talk to Umma, he said he was from the Ministry of Defence. He left a message for Hellman, in code. I copied the message out and while I was trying to decode it the spaceman suddenly moved’.
The spaceman walks slowly towards Colin, he records the following message on his Dictaphone, ‘this is Secret Agent C.A.B. urgent report, have reason to believe a UFO may have landed in the area - there’s a live spaceman in the shop’. The spaceman walks closer to Colin as he thinks of the cat’s glowing blue eyes and the glowing blue bead. Suddenly a voice is heard from the spaceman ‘excuse me’, he asks for help but Colin asks who he is but he helps remove the spaceman’s helmet.
The man introduces himself as Nyegel as he takes off the spaceman suit, he asks if he has met Colin before but he replies with a no. Nyegel asks who he is, and Colin splutters ‘C.A.B, Colin’. Nyegel says that is an interesting but unusual name and mentions there is a Mr Collins in Jane Austen and asks if he’s heard of her. Colin says that she does not go to their school. Colin asks how long Nyegel had been in the spacesuit and he confirms he had been in there since early morning as he was delivered in it, he remarks that was clever. Nyegel apologises that he does not have his hat on, saying Mr Big would not like it, seeing him on duty improperly dressed and tells Colin not to let on. Colin is confused about what Nyegel is saying so he asks if Colin is English to which he replies that he’s from up the road. Nyegel says he finds names very interesting noting that the name Colin comes from French name Nicholas meaning ‘Victory of the people’ and asks Colin if he’s interested. Nyegel says he’s confused with the CAB as a first name, there is an American entertainer with that first name and also in Hebrew it is a type of hollow pot, he asks Colin if he’s one of those ‘slightly potty’ and he chuckles to himself. Nyegel goes on to explain that he is from the EOSA, the Eastern Oriental Space Agency. Colin asks if he’s there to see Hellman but he’s out at the moment but should be back soon. Nyegel says that Hellman is a dreadful man and he does not want to see him. He points to the back shop and asks Colin what’s behind there and Colin replies ‘Just another room’.
Upstairs the Policeman is has a driving game on his monitor while speaking on the phone to someone listening at the interference, saying that is what he’s up against saying there’s a bad connection in the shop. The person on the other end of the phone (which the Policeman refers to as Sir) can not understand him saying it’s a bad connection so the Policeman tells him to hold while he sees what he can do to improve the connection. He takes his helmet off, stands up and hits his head on the ceiling, he then picks up and slams the phone against the table, sits down, puts his helmet back on and continues the phone conversation with ‘is that any better Sir?’
Back in the shop Colin has put the spaceman suit back together again and he joins Nyegel in the back shop. As he enters the back shop he sees only the bowls (with the pie and custard in) but not his map, he frantically looks in some of the cupboards at the side and Nyegel asks if he’s lost anything but Colin tells him he lost nothing. Colin picks up the saucepan of custard off the floor as Nyegel asks him what he’s lost, what colour it is and calls him CAB. Colin tells him his name is Colin and CAB was just a mistake. Nyegel says he’s wasting time not knowing his name and looking for nothing but he has no time to waste. Nyegel sits Colin down at the table to explain the reason why he is there. Colin tells him he is only looking after the shop while Hellman goes to the cleaners to clean his trousers which he spilt the custard down. Nyegel tells him he has nothing to say to Hellman, he is there to speak to Colin and tells him to listen carefully. Nyegel tells Colin if Hellman comes back whilst he is there he will make pretend that he is a distant relative of Colin’s on a flying visit. Nyegel goes on to explain he works for EOSA who have been hired by a well know art dealer who is looking for the tomb that Sergeant Nobby Clarke found, a.k.a Hellman. Colin adds that Private Tripe called him Hellman which Nyegel says he noticed. Nyegel adds it is suspicious as Tripe was in the army with Hellman and they both went into the tomb together so can not see why he is passing on coded messages. Colin tells him that Tripe said he was from the Ministry of Defence, but Nyegel tells him not to believe that as he knows all of them in that department. Nyegel asks if Colin remembers Tripe’s message but Colin says he gave it to Umma so Nyegel says it is not important. Nyegel continues that the EOSA specialises in the use of satellite photography and he is telling Colin as they know he has the map and photograph aqs they want it so they know the area they need to search to find the tomb. Colin mutters ‘not more people after the secret’ and Nyegel replies saying that he knows what he is talking about as he was beginning to think he had the wrong person.
Suddenly the door in the front shop goes as Colin hears Hellman’s voice who he confirms is Hellman to Nyegel. Colin calls Hellman towards the back shop as Nyegel takes out a photograph and starts pretending he is Colin’s relative. Hellman walks in wearing his red pirate trousers and Colin laughs. Hellman asks who Nyegel is and Nyegel introduces himself as Handsome CAB saying he is only in the area a short while and really wanted to see Colin. Hellman tells him he can go now and Nyegel comments on his outfit as ‘most original’ asking if he is one of the Morris dancers which Hellman denies. Nyegel says his goodbyes to Colin saying he would like to see his photos sometime. Nyegel then leaves as Hellman watches him. Hellman asks who that man is as he did not believe him, he asks who has moved the spaceman and why he wants to see Colin’s photographs and which of his photographs would he like to see. Colin replies unconvincingly saying just some school photographs. Colin tells him it is getting late and he should be getting back, he asks for his bag back – the one behind Hellman’s back. Hellman says he must have picked it up by mistake but there is not much in it so why would he be soon keen to get the bag back. Colin explains he has to take his library book back tomorrow. Hellman asks if there have been any other messages or phonecalls and what about Tripe? Colin tells him he spoke to Umma and Hellman replies saying he never wants to see Tripe. He asks what Tripe wanted but Colin repeats that he spoke to Umma, Hellman mutters that he hopes she did not sell him anything. Hellman then asks about Franny and the dustbin, Colin tells him she has gone, but Hellman asks where as he wants to know where his Long John Silver costume has got too. Colin says ‘oh’ which Hellman is not pleased with, he instructs Colin to find her and get the costume back by six o’clock and he can have his bag back then. As Colin leaves he tells him to ask Franny what she spoke to Tripe about in the street.
Franny then comes in the back door and lays the costume down on the table; Hellman then comes into the back shop. Franny sees his trousers and laughs; he thanks Franny for returning the rest of his costume saying that Colin has just gone to find her and that he will have had a wasted journey. Franny says she has to go so Hellman asks her what Tripe wanted. Franny tells him that Tripe wanted to know when Hellman came to the shop and when would she likely see him again but she told Tripe that she did not know but Tripe would be back to make sure Umma gave Hellman the message. Hellman retorts that he did not know about the message. Franny starts to say the one Colin wrote down but stops before she says too much but Hellman realises that Colin wrote down the message too, Franny tells him it was just in case Umma forgot to pass it on and that is all she remembers and she then leaves. Hellman then takes Colin’s bag into the front shop.
Colin is walking through the street as he recalls Nyegel telling him he wants the map and photo. Colin then records a message on his dictaphone saying that Umma is the only one who could have moved the costume and the map and photo saying he now needs to find Umma. He recalls Umma mentioning that she cleans at St Ann’s school so he will try there. Colin runs through some streets as something in the air seems to be following him. He stops and sees a Helicopter above which drops him a handkerchief with a message attached, the helicopter then flies off. Colin unravels then paper and records a message on his dictaphone ‘Just received a message from a helicopter it reads…’ Then back in the Wooden Kamel the Policeman hears his message continue, ‘for your eyes only stop, eat when read stop, we need that map stop, high priority stop, Nyegel stop, EOSA, end of message.’ The policeman writes down the message he hears.
Back downstairs Hellman, in full costume, is preparing for the party by blowing up balloons, he then walks over the cat statue and presses the buttons beneath which makes the cat swing to the side revealing a compartment containing Colin’s bag.
Upstairs the Policeman is searching his computer for ‘EOSA’ while on the phone to ‘Sir’. The Policeman tells him that they take photographs from a great height. He continues to read the details from his computer screen saying that they are believed to be working for Jack Palermo, an Italian person from Italy and is also known as Turkish Delight. He has a photograph of a newspaper cutting in front of him as he tells ‘Sir’ that he has the world’s biggest stolen art collection and gives him the opening times from his computer. He tells the man on the phone that the boy has gone in search of the Sudanese woman but does not know why because he is suffering from a lot of pink noise (which is explained as white noise but pink) which he is trying to fix and hopes to have word in the next few days.
Downstairs in the shop Hellman changes the time on the clock to lock the doors, he checks the back door is locked and switches off the lights and the record player. He picks up the Pepsi phone and calls the Policeman telling him he is coming up and they will have to rip open the bag to try to find the map and photo as it may be in a secret pocket. Hellman asks if he knows where Tripe went but does not get the answer he wants so he tells him he will be there in a few minutes and ends the phone call. Hellman walks over the Wooden Kamel on the wall and presses some buttons, then the toy train on the table starts to go backwards and the Mummy sarcophagus opens revealing a secret passageway. Hellman walks in and the Mummy closes, we see the Mummy up close and the episode ends.
