Episode 1 Scene
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
Officials come to Alan Bates' post office to shut the branch down.
Officials come to Alan Bates' post office to shut the branch down a day earlier than expected, but Alan refuses to be pushed around.
From
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Support provided by:
Episode 1 Scene
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
Officials come to Alan Bates' post office to shut the branch down a day earlier than expected, but Alan refuses to be pushed around.
From
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
Buy Now
Inside Episode 4
Dig into the details of the miniseries’ finale and learn where the investigation stands.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Alan!
Management.
- Alan Bates.
- Oh, thugs in suits.
- You know why we're here, Alan.
- And you know you're a day early.
- [Customer] Oy, there's a queue here.
- I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this post office is now closed.
- Er, not yet, it isn't.
That's £2.39, Tom, please.
- Alan.
- Cheers, Alan.
- Come on.
Let us in please, yeah?
- If you'd like to make an appointment for after my so-called contract ends, I shall inspect my diary for a window.
- We have a right of entry.
- I'm the sub-postmaster, so I'm locked in, and everyone else is locked out.
So, if you want to see my accounts, (computer clattering) you'll have to come back tomorrow.
- Right.
Come on.
We're gonna need some help?
- Right.
- I'm calling the police.
- Sorry about that, Tom.
- Police, I'm calling from the Post Office.
(police siren) - [Alan] They're not calling me a thief.
They wouldn't dare.
They say money's somehow gone missing from this branch, which it hasn't.
And I have to pay it back, which I won't.
So I say, prove it.
Prove that I'm wrong and you're right.
Show me the figures.
But they can't or won't do that.
- Alan.
- So now they want to close me down to shut me up.
- That's ridiculous.
- Because they don't want everyone knowing what I know.
- Which is?
- That the fancy new computer system, that they've spent an arm and a leg on, is faulty.
- No one else has ever reported any problems with Horizon.
No one.
- I don't believe you.
- So no actual crime has been committed here today?
- Well, Post Office Limited is stealing my livelihood, my shop, my, my, my job, my home, my life savings, my good name.
- Civil matter.
Right I'll be getting back to the day job.
Might wanna come back tomorrow, sir.
- How exactly do you sleep at night?
- Same time tomorrow?
(ominous music)
Support for PBS provided by: