Jimmy Perry recalls that before writing the sitcom, the Home Guard was a largely forgotten aspect of Britain's defence in the Second World War, something which the series rectified. [31] :12 In a 1972 Radio Times interview, Arthur Lowe expressed surprise at the programme's success: Dad's Army (BBC, 1968-77) is one of a handful of TV comedies that fully deserves its 'classic' status. Purely in terms of its sustained popularity the show is without equal - no other UK show dating from the 1960s can still command a primetime repeat - but it's the comedy benchmark it created that sets it apart. The Society, in conjunction with The Bressingham Steam Museum, near Diss in Norfolk, set up the Dad's Army Collection which was officially opened on 14 May 2000 by the shows creators Jimmy Perry & David Croft. Lowe, Le Mesurier and Laurie again made a cameo appearance as their Dad's Army characters in the 1977 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special. As Elton John is following incomprehensible instructions to find the BBC studios, he encounters them in a steam room. On leaving, Mainwaring calls him a "stupid boy". [40] Mr Claude Gordon ( Eric Longworth), the Walmington town clerk often involved when the platoon is taking part in local parades and displays. Although generally civil with Captain Mainwaring and his men, he is an officious and somewhat pompous individual, and Hodges tends to use him to try and interfere with the platoon's activities.

Allfree, Claire (6 January 2018). "Just two actors but Dad's Army Radio Hour is a straightforward pleasure – Brasserie Zedel, London, review". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk. Mainwaring starts the proceedings again. Pike sings his lines “I felt so lonely standing there, and I could only stand and stare, for I had no boy with me...” Despite this, Mainwaring lets him continue. Now all the problems are sorted out and they go right through the song without a hitch. The choir actually sounds really good together, and the grand finale to this episode is simply them all singing the song properly. Mainwaring fires off a stern but, as it turns out, ambiguous telegram to the War Office in Whitehall, then makes representations in person, leading to a beautifully orchestrated scene that owes a debt to Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on first?” routine. There has been a colossally unlikely misunderstanding, of the kind only the best comedy writers are brazen enough to include: the Brigadier who has the power to excuse Walker is looking for volunteers for a competitive long-distance walk, and thinks Mainwaring is offering him “a walker”. Mainwaring’s attempt to inform his superior that the man is J Walker, not “A Walker”, is in vain. Mrs Yeatman ( Olive Mercer), the somewhat tyrannical wife of Maurice Yeatman, the verger. Over the course of the series, her first name is given as either Beryl, Anthea or Tracey. Dad's Army is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran for nine series and 80 episodes in total; a feature film released in 1971, a stage show and a radio version based on the television scripts were also produced. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers and is still shown internationally.

How did the inclusion of studio audience laughter affect your creative decisions?

This episode was simply called Dad’s Army. Only very short, the setting was the Church Hall on Christmas Day, 1940. The men parade in civvies, and five of the platoon, i.e. the stars in the front row, all turn up dressed as Father Christmas. The platoon carry out fitness exercises using a telegraph pole. Croft, David (2004). You Have Been Watching...: The Autobiography of David Croft. BBC Consumer Publishing (Books). ISBN 0-563-48739-9 This he decides to split up. The line is “I thought I could hear the curious tone, of cornet, clarinet and big trombone...” He gives Godfrey the line “Cornet and clarinet.” Frazer gets “Big trombone.” He gives Pike “Fiddle and cello.” Hearing this, Wilson laughs heartily, and asks “Wouldn’t it be better really, if Walker was on the fiddle?” Mainwaring ignores his pun. He gives Walker “Big base drum.” and Jones “Flute and bassoon.” He then finds they are one short for “Euphonium.” Walker suggests “Why don’t we split that up? I mean Jonesie here can be the ‘U’, I’ll be the ‘Pho’, and Pikey can be the ‘Bum’!” Mainwaring is furious and threatens to send Joe home. Hodges volunteers to take the “Euphonium” line, and Mainwaring agrees to his suggestion. Cast revealed for Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes". comedy.co.uk. 16 January 2019 . Retrieved 1 March 2019.

Elizabeth Mainwaring ( unseen character), Mainwaring's reclusive, paranoid and domineering wife who is never seen onscreen. (In the episode " A Soldier's Farewell" her "shape" is seen sleeping in the bunk above the captain while in their Anderson Shelter.) Her marriage with Mainwaring is not a happy one and Mainwaring does his best to avoid her at any opportunity. They have no children. Mrs Mavis Pike ( Janet Davies), Pike's overbearing widowed mother, who is often implied to be in a relationship with Sergeant Wilson. Liz Fraser replaced Janet Davies in the 1971 film version. This ability to effortlessly generate laughs is due to a combination of superb character writing and performances from a universally excellent cast - a pairing that continues to keep Dad's Army's many catch phrases in common currency. "Don't panic!", "Permission to speak", "You stupid boy!", "We're doomed" and "They don't like it up 'em", are as well recognised as Monty Python's parrot sketch.

Dad's Army

Filming took place from 10 August to 25 September 1970 at Shepperton Studios and on location. After shooting the film, the cast returned to working on the fourth television series. Reverend Timothy Farthing ( Frank Williams), the effete, petulant vicar of St Aldhelm's Church. He reluctantly shares his church hall and office with the platoon. In several episodes of the series, it was implied that the character was a non-active closet gay. Clive Dunn made occasional appearances as Lance Corporal Jones at 1940s themed events in the 1980s and 1990s and on television on the BBC Saturday night entertainment show Noel's House Party on 27 November 1993. [42] Croft, David; Perry, Jimmy; Webber, Richard (2003). Dad's Army: The Complete Scripts. Orion. ISBN 0-7528-6024-0 Greatest ... (100 Greatest TV Characters (Part 1))". ITN Source. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015 . Retrieved 13 May 2019.

Private Joe Walker is called up to join the regular Army, but is reluctant to join and the platoon rallies around him in an attempt to persuade authorities not to take him. He is far too important to the platoon - not just because he's about the only fit and able-bodied man in the unit, but he also supplies their essential supplies like whisky, cigarettes and sugar under the table. One example is in The Cornish Floral Dance where there's a huge gap where the audience are absolutely falling about in hysterics for almost a minute. There's no sign in the script of what happened there though. My guess is that it's Arthur Lowe's reaction to the platoon singing. In fact, it pretty much must be. There's nothing else they could have cut to. So, we spent a bit of extra time on that shot, boarding it out, to try and work out some facial reactions that would work in context. The cast appeared in a 1974 public information film, in character but set in the modern day, showing how to cross the road safely at Pelican crossings. The Times Digital Archive - Mr. Robb Wilton". The Times. 2 May 1957. p.15 . Retrieved 3 March 2020. Lowe and Le Mesurier made a final appearance in Dad's Army garb for a 1982 television commercial advertising Wispa chocolate bars.Croft, David; Perry, Jimmy; Webber, Richard (2000). The Complete A-Z of Dad's Army. Orion. ISBN 0-7528-1838-4 Hidden in the Ranks – Walmington-on-Line". Walmington-on-Line. 21 November 2012 . Retrieved 20 August 2017.

Perry wrote the first script and gave it to David Croft while working as a minor actor in the Croft-produced sitcom Hugh and I, originally intending the role of the spiv, later called Walker, to be his own. [8] Croft was impressed and sent the script to Michael Mills, the BBC's Head of Comedy and the series was commissioned. [11]The platoon, aided by some ARP Wardens and other members of the community, form a choir to raise money for wounded servicemen at a Christmas concert. They dress up as Cornish yokels and we see them rehearsing their big number, the Cornish Floral Dance.