Prime Minister's Brain: Part 1

The Prime Minister's Brain: Part 1 is the fourth episode of the first series and the first episode of the series storyline, of 1990's Demon Headmaster Television series, which was first broadcast on January 11, 1996

From this episode till the last episode of series one, the episodes are based on the book"The Prime Minister's Brain".

Synopsis
With the Demon Headmaster gone, SPLAT are planning how to spend their Summer holidays, including visiting the computer club at St Champions, where everybody is obsessed with the new video game Octopus dare, a addictive but difficult game.

Having beaten the Octopus Dare Video game, Dinah Hunter is through to the national final of "Junior Computer Brain Of the Year" competition, but she feel easy and fears that it maybe all just a trap? And where did The Headmaster disappear to and what is he planing?

Full plot
The episode begins with SPLAT holding a meeting in the allotment shed. Lloyd discusses the possibility of disbanding SPLAT, as the main objective was achieved (which was to get rid of the Headmaster), but Harvey immediately objects. Mandy agrees with Harvey, and they have lots of things planned for the summer.

The main thing Lloyd wishes to do however, is go in to school, to the computer club. While Mandy and Ingrid do impressions of the former school prefects, Harvey decides the best and most fair way to plan it, is to toss a coin.

Unfortunately for Harvey and Ingrid, the computer club has won the day, the two of them stand outside looking really bored. Dinah comes along, asking if Harvey and Ingrid can assist her with a game she has programmed herself, but Harvey points out there probably isn't a spare computer. Also, everyone is currently trying to win "Junior Computer Brain Of the Year" competition. Everyone. Including Lloyd, Ian and Mandy!

Ingrid mocks the game that Ian is playing, distracting him and causing him to lose the game. Lloyd suggests Dinah has a go, because the game is brilliant, and she is really clever. Suddenly, everyone in the room cheers Dinah on, while Ingrid calls her a traitor! Mandy shows Dinah how to play "Octopus Dare", while Ian tries to explain it, causing people to "shush" at him. Mandy then wins the first level, getting through to the last level, with the Octopus itself, suddenly Dinah's eyes are hooked on the octopus! Unfortunately, Mandy doesn't win this time, and hands the chair over to Dinah, despite Harvey and Ingrid's protests.

A few days later, in The Hunter's House, Lloyd, Harvey and Dinah prepare a packed lunch, while Mrs Hunter expresses her disbelief that their going to school AGAIN, the fourth day in a row!

Back at school, Dinah continues her quest to win "Octopus Dare", while Harvey sits at the back of the classroom, with his back to the computer, reading a magazine. Dinah progresses to the next level, as people cheer her on. Through intense concentration, Dinah manages to win the game, causing everybody to congratulate her!

A few days later, Harvey runs out to get the post, thinking it could be for Dinah. There is a letter addressed to Miss Dinah Hunter, Lloyd asks Dinah if she thinks its strange seeing her name in print like that.

Dinah stares at the card for a few seconds, as it has octopus patterns on it. Mrs Hunter gets her attention, and tells Dinah to read it. There is a message, written by the computer director, telling Dinah she is invited to the final round of the competition, taking place in "Moore's Island" in London. Lloyd is amazed by the name, he thinks it must be wrong, as there aren't any islands in London. Suddenly, Dinah realises she can't go, as she needs to buy a Salamanda laptop computer, and she has never heard of one. Lloyd has heard of one, his friend's uncle has one, and it costs about £1,000!

Mrs Hunter is stunned by the price, she promptly apologises to Dinah, who suddenly snaps out at her, telling Mrs Hunter she has to buy one! Lloyd and Harvey are speechless, as Dinah suggests to Mrs Hunter that she could sell the car, or mortgage the house! After continuing to shout, Mrs Hunter sends Dinah upstairs to calm down.

Upstairs, Dinah feels really upset about the way she spoke to Mrs Hunter, and begins to wonder why she started to act the way she did. As she wonders about the card, Mrs Hunter knocks on the bedroom door. Dinah apologizes to Mrs Hunter, who apologizes back to her, and says she is really proud of having a clever person, who has got into the final. Mrs Hunter pulls out a priceless antique which belonged to her grandmother, and tells Dinah that she intends to sell it, in order to buy Dinah the salamanda computer. As Mrs Hunter passes the card to Dinah, she suddenly feels rather scared.

A few days later, Dinah calls a SPLAT meeting, to ask for help, but Ingrid protests loudly that she is sick of the competition. Ian points out to Dinah that SPLAT is a secret society, not a play group, but Dinah feels scared about going to the final, as something doesn't feel right. Lloyd suggests Dinah shouldn't go, but Harvey reminds Dinah that Mrs Hunter made a sacrifice to buy the salamanda computer. Dinah wants everyone to come to the final with her, but nobody can see the point. Lloyd however has an idea, he pretends to be the Headmaster, and pretends to hypnotise everyone. As the members of SPLAT play to Lloyd by pretending to fall asleep, Lloyd makes some instructions, saying that tommorow he will plan to take over the world, but for now, he will plan how to help Dinah.

Ingrid is still unhappy, as SPLAT head to the railway station to catch a train to London. As they emerge from the tube station, everyone is shocked to see that Moore's island is actually in the middle of a massive road junction. Dinah reads out the instructions on the card, which tell her to face south, which everyone turns to face south. After Ingrid asks where the island is, Dinah realises that Moore's island is not in a river, it is in the middle of a traffic island! Looming on the horizon...is the Vulcan tower!

Having passed through a subway to reach the tower, Dinah reads out the instructions to the rest of SPLAT- Present yourself at the door, and request admittance. The entrance system is a very strange set up, with a hand shaped button. Lloyd presses the button, as a keyboard appears. A robotic sounding voice chants "If you desire admittance, please punch out your name!"

Lloyd types out his name on the keyboard, but the robotic voice continues to chant "I am not programmed to admit you. Please go away."

Dinah then steps forward, and types out her name on the keyboard. This time the robotic voice chants "Please step forward." She steps forward, but before anyone has a chance to say anything, a rotating door conceals Dinah, and after another rotation, Dinah has gone! Harvey and Ian look on in amazement, and wonder "NOW WHAT?!"

Dinah meanwhile, has entered the vulcan tower, and the robotic voice tells her to "Advance towards the light." She continues walking towards the light, and ends up inside a lift, with an octopus on a TV screen!

Meanwhile, outside, Lloyd has an idea, he decides to type out Dinah's name again, and see if it lets him in. He types it in, but the robotic voice refuses him, as Dinah has already been admitted, and the police may be summoned.

Ian reckons there just has to be another way inside...!

Back in the lift, the Octopus eventually switches itself off, and Dinah suddenly wakes up from a trance-like state, the lift doors open, and behind Dinah is a room full of computers and people in white coats.

A girl named Camilla introduces herself and her brother Robert to Dinah, as does a small girl called Bess. Robert shows Dinah how to connect her Salamanda laptop to the computer.

Literally the second her computer is connected, the robotic voice warns everyone that the computer director is approaching. The lift doors open and a group of people in white coats, distinquished from The Brains by green epaulets step out. As they walk through a rather familiar voice welcomes everybody to the Vulcan Tower, Dinah shudders, its the voice of the Demon Headmaster!

The Headmaster turns around to face everybody "Good morning." The Brains all chant "Good morning Sir" back to the Headmaster.

Outside the building, SPLAT are still trying to find a way inside the building.

The Headmaster begins by introducing Super Salamander, its function, and the function of the salamander laptops that the brains have brought along with them. He then prepares to give instructions to the brains.

Back outside, Mandy discovers the car park below the building. The rest of SPLAT then descend into the car park to see if they can find another way in. Harvey discovers a helicopter sitting on a helipad in the corner of the carpark, so he and Ingrid run over to it. Harvey takes a seat in the cockpit, looking at a screen that shows a map of London. Ingrid wonders if Dinah will fly in the helicopter, then starts playing with the controls. Mandy wonders why theres a helicopter in the car park.

Meanwhile, the Headmaster has finished giving out instructions, telling the brains that in 30 minutes, they will be sent for lunch, but they have to keep revising the notes. A girl stands up and objects to the Headmaster, pleading that its all too much to learn, even trying to get the rest of the brains to deal with her. However, the Headmaster clicks his fingers, and 3 of his staff grab the girl, and violently push her inside the lift. She is kicking and screaming for them to let go, but as soon as the green octopus appears on the screen in the lift, she calms down immediatly.

Downstairs in the basement car park, as SPLAT walk away from the helicopter, Harvey drops something from his rucksack (a walkie talkie I think?), but suddenly they are interrupted by a noise! Lloyd goes over to investigate, he notices three industrial sized wheelie bins, with a chute coming down to them. Its an obvious way out (if you happen to be a potato peeling), but as Lloyd figures, a way in as well! He reckons they can climb up it, with their back against the wall, and their legs walking up the wall!

Meanwhile, the Headmaster's staff return from the lift, Robert commenting its a creepy set up, Bess doesn't like it. The Headmaster points out that the disruptive girl was dealt with, which was a shame as she had a promising IQ. He finishes off by saying that everyone is here to change the world, and with Super Salamander, failures are not going to be tolerated.

The end.

Trivia

 * Whilst the town/village where the Hunter's live isn't given a name in dialogue, the name "Conningham" is used on props such as Dinah's letter in episode 4.
 * The music used for the Octopus Dare computer game is an 8-bit rendition of the shows main theme tune.