Turlough's Luck - Spin Off

Turlough is awoken by your man off Department S at 10:00 am. He has a hangover, and is briskly reminded of his appointment with the Trion Department of Social Services to sign on for the dole. The bloke off Department S finds Turlough's arab cloak type thing covered in vomit, and Turlough explains that Roskal was "taken ill" at the dance party last night. The bloke off Department S leaves tea and some money on the kitchen table, which is sufficient motivation for Turlough to go downstairs. The Department S guy reminds Turlough that he expects repayment, plus he has to pay to have his arab cloak type thing cleaned, and what's left has to last him until his next dole cheque. "Gorden Bennet" decries Turlough unhappily.

Later, as Turlough heads out to Roskal's place, we see the council estate in which he lives, a low-rise warren of red-brick buildings in which identical part-glass front doors open onto a shared concrete walkway at the foot of a majestic volcano. As Turlough leaves, Roskal comes around the corner. Roskal bangs on the Turlough's front door, but no one is home. Turlough goes to Roskal's flat, in a gray-beige tower block, but he's not there. So, Turlough goes to Hippo's house. Hippo is just getting up. (How Hippo arrived on Trion is not explained. This detail clashes with the previously broadcast spin-off series 'Good Man Hippo' but there was an attempt to address the inconsistency in the Big Finish audio drama 'Hippo's Destination: The Stars')

Turlough and Hippo bemoan their situation over breakfast - unemployed and all but unemployable, ill-prepared by a substandard education at the hands of an embittered and quick to anger Brigadier for life on Trion.

Roskal arrives at Hippo's house and suggests that they get a move on, and the three go off together to sign on. En route, Turlough and Roskal spar over who should pay for cleaning Turlough's arab cloak type thing.

At the Trion dole office, Turlough has missed his signing-on time, and the dole office worker at the counter steadfastly refuses to open his box to pay out, saying that Turlough must see a supervisor. And, his gyro might be delayed too if the supervisor decides he's entitled to it. Irritated, Turlough loudly requests that the office worker "turn it in" but it is still the eighties and the lady is not for turning.

If you enjoyed this adventure why not try the following (thankfully they're a bit more upper-class in their japery):

Good Man Hippo.

Hippo Does it Again.

Hippo's Holiday Mystery.

Hippo and the Pirates.

Hippo's Quest.

Hippo's Temptation.

Hippo Pays for Love.

The Passion of the Hippo.

Hippo's Big Mistake.

Hippo and the Extremely Powerful Antibiotics.

Hippo's Diagnosis.

Hippo's Fury.

Hippo's Acceptance.

Hippo's Last Hurrah!

Geordie's Grand Anomaly.

Hippo has Risen from the Grave.

Archivist: Garr