"Dad's Army" (1968) TV series 1968-1977

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creators:

David Croft
Jimmy Perry

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

31 July 1968 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Plot:

Popular BBC comedy series set in the fictional south coast seaside town of Walmington-On-Sea during World War 2...

Plot Keywords:

Home Guard | Lance Corporal | Sergeant | Butcher | Bank Manager

Awards:

1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Arthur Lowe	...	Capt. George Mainwaring / ... (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
John Le Mesurier	...	Sgt. Arthur Wilson (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
Clive Dunn	...	LCpl. Jack Jones (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
John Laurie	...	Pte. James Frazer (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
Arnold Ridley	...	Pte. Charles Godfrey (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
Ian Lavender	...	Pte. Frank Pike (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
James Beck	...	Pte. Joe Walker (60 episodes, 1968-1973)
Bill Pertwee	...	A.R.P. Warden Hodges / ... (57 episodes, 1968-1977)
Bud Flanagan	...	The Voice Of / ... (49 episodes, 1968-1975)
Edward Sinclair	...	Verger Henry Yeatman / ... (46 episodes, 1968-1977)
Colin Bean	...	Private Sponge / ... (41 episodes, 1968-1977)
Frank Williams	...	Rev. Timothy Farthing / ... (40 episodes, 1969-1977)

Also Known As:

The Fighting Tigers (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (80 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

All Saints' Church, Honington, Suffolk, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

It only took an hour and a half to tape each episode of Dad's Army, though there was a week's rehearsal prior to the actual recording of each episode. In addition, the cast did six weeks location filming in Norfolk and Suffolk for each series, to record exterior scenes; only the scenes in the studio interior sets were taped at TV Centre in London. Sometimes the episodes would be filmed then transmitted a week later.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Jones: Don't panic! Don't panic!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Morecambe & Wise (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?

'we're all doomed ...'

Still delighting audiences in repeats and videos all those years after the last series ran, 'Dad's Army' was just superb and by far the finest BBC sitcom ever. I think its main strengths were that it never caused offence, it had genuinely funny plots and incidents, and had a leading cast who were without equals (all superb). It is wonderful to think that this series has outlived most of its cast and yet has lost none of its magic over the years. So much so in fact that the discovery of two 'lost episodes' from 1969 drew in respectable TV ratings when they were finally shown.

My favourites of a marvellous run - 'Getting the Bird' (the one with the pigeons), 'Boots, Boots, Boots', 'All is Safely Gathered In', 'The Royal Train', and 'No Spring for Fraser'. But there are many, many more to savour. Great stuff.