Summary 
A black-and-white episode in a made-for-television production of a cycle of Shakespeare's the War of the Roses history plays. Like previous installments, the third part of the Henry IV plays is a straight-forward and traditional telling, well-spoken and acted with speed and clarity. More a filmed stage play than a cinematic endeavor, but with multiple cameras and musical scoring. Not as interesting and dramatic as other installments in the miniseries, and lacking in visual excitement.
Production
Directed by Michael Hayes. An Age of Kings Episode 5. 0:58. BBC Television. Original Air Date June 23rd, 1960.
Cast
David Andrews (Lord Bardolph), George A. Cooper (Northumberland), Terence Lodge (Travers), Jerome Willis (Morton), Frank Pettingell (Falstaff), Dane Howell (Page), Geoffrey Bayldon (Lord Chief Justice), Edgar Wreford (Archbishop), Angela Baddeley (Mistress Quickly), John Ringham (Fang), Alan Rowe (Snare), Patricia Heneghan (Lady Percy), Robert Hardy (Hal), Brian Smith (Poins), Gordon Gostelow (Bardolph), Hermione Baddeley (Doll Tearsheet)
Analysis
Michael Hayes begins the third part of the Henry IV plays - subtitled The New Conspiracy - with news being brought to Northumberland that Hotspur has been killed ("Coldspur?") and the rebellion put down. George A. Cooper's Northumberland, amid barking dogs, throws down his cane ("steel must glove this hand") and pulls his hood back, but staggers as if ill, and he must be supported by Travers and Lord Bardolph. The fifth episode of the BBC's An Age of Kings features the first half of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part Two, perhaps the weakest section in the entire cycle, missing the characters of Hotspur and Henry IV himself. Hayes segues from Northumberland's "never so few, and never yet more need" to Falstaff and his boy Page ("you giant!") being confronted 1.2 by the stern Lord Chief Justice. Frank Pettingell's Falstaff, admittedly entertaining, is nonetheless an obvious low-life and not much of a friend: he pretends to be deaf, then talks over the Lord Chief Justice's comments, finally lying outright - "the young Prince hath misled me" - before turning to the camera to complain ("a pox on this gout!") but pretend to have a limp from a war wound: "I will turn diseases into commodity."
Hayes juxtaposes the rebels in 1.3, panning down a table from face to face as they take a piece of fruit and speak, then pass the bowl on to the next man, to the motley crew at the Boars' Head in 2.1, with the Hostess hiring the cartoonish Fang, who lacks teeth, and Snare, who makes his first appearance popping out between Fang's legs. Their attempted arrest of Falstaff is a sub-Three Stooges-style fiasco - complete with a pie in the face - that is ultimately broken up by the Lord Chief Justice. Hayes then inverts 2.2 with 2.3, showing a somber Northumberland, his wife and Lady Percy flanking him, as he pats the earth with a shovel over Hotspur's grave. They barrage him with instruction ("go not to these wars"), then guilt over the loss of Hotspur ("him did you leave...unseconded") but he chooses to further the rebellion by meeting with the Archbishop. Hayes next reveals Hardy's Hal as becoming politically practical, telling Poins "it is not meet that I should be sad" over his father's serious illness because he would be seen as "a most princely hypocrite." He nonetheless decides to play another in-disguise prank upon Falstaff, but first rebukes Ned for his plan to have Hal marry his sister - "do you use me thus, Ned?" - before turning to speak directly to the camera and end the scene with, "for in everything the purpose must weigh with the folly."
Hayes concludes the relatively brief episode - always sorely lacking Connery's fiery Hotspur as well as Fleming's dramatic Henry - with a lengthy 2.4 within the tavern. A pair of tavern workers compare withered apples to Sir John, then the Hostess arrives with the drunken whore Doll Tearsheet. Doll swoons and retches, exiting to vomit in graphic sound effects, then returning to sit in Falstaff's lap, before having to rush off again. The Prince and Poins watch from above as Pistol enters, a lamely vaudevillian-style comic character with an absurdly affected voice and grayish white hair protruding wildly from the sides of his bald head. Pistol jumps atop a table and attempts to sing, but Doll tries to strike him with a mop handle and Falstaff ("a rascal to defy me!") draws his sword. When Pettingell's Falstaff insults both Hal and Poins, he spits out his sack when he notices he is served by the two men. The nearly interminable scene comes to its conclusion as Falstaff explains himself - he used dispraise so the lowly people would not adore the Prince - before Peto arrives with news of more rebellion. Hardy's Hal, looking pained and guilty at enjoying inane tavern antics during a national crisis, changes cloaks, is tossed a sword, and rushes off to Westminster. Falstaff embraces Doll and the Hostess - "farewell, sweet wenches" - before following, ending a relatively weak and undramatic episode in the usually quite strong miniseries.