Dad's Army

[Katharine]

I know this is an Enid Blyton forum, but as many of us seem to like things with a nostalgic feel, I hope I'll be forgiven for starting this thread.

I was sad to read of passing of Ian Lavender - the last of the original cast of the Dad's Army programmes.

By co-incidence, I've just started a re-watch of my boxed set of the series.

3 of the episodes from series two are missing. A few years ago these were remade and I have the DVD of them. Some of the actors I felt didn't quite capture the original cast members as well as the others, but I felt that on the whole it was a good attempt and it was great to have the opportunity to view them.

I think that somewhere I have audio recordings of the missing episodes, but have a feeling they were the radio versions - I shall have to hunt them out to see if they differ.

A few weeks ago in HMV I spotted a newly released DVD - yet another recreation of the 'missing' episodes. This time, they have taken the audio recordings and added animated recreations of the original actors. I had some birthday money left over, so treated myself to it.

I watched the first TV version the missing episode last night, and hope to view my latest purchase over the next day or so - I'm hoping I won't be disappointed.

[joanne_chan]

I'm saddened to hear of Ian's death, loving this character Pike adding to the rich comic foil of the series which I feel still holds up.

It's unfortunate so many classic recordings of the earlier series were wiped and telecine copies are missing too.

[Bertie]

By (double) coincidence, Katharine, I'd also just started my latest re-watch of my boxset when news of Ian Lavender's death broke (I've got a number of sitcoms of the 70's and 80's on boxset and regularly re-watch them instead of most of the modern shows!)

Very sad to hear the news of the death of the last regular actor. It's inevitably happening with alarming regularity that we're losing so many from all those old shows that I still love and regularly re-watch.

Truthfully, I'd say Pike and Godfrey are probably my least favourite of the main cast. I love Mainwaring (and his double act with Wilson) the most, and of the rest I laugh more at Jones, Walker and Frazer. Pike's soppy kid character is the one I find more hit and miss, but he still adds plenty of humour as they all do.

It's one of those classic comedy shows that is still hilarious no matter how many times you've seen the episodes!

Very sad news that we've now lost all of them.

[Lucky Star]

As a longtime Dad's Army fan I too am very saddened by the news. The classic "Don't tell 'em Pike" episode was shown on one of the BBC channels last night and I laughed heartily. I must get out my own boxset and start a rewatch of the whole series.

RIP Ian Lavender.

[Jack400]

I too greatly enjoyed the Dad's Army comedy. I complained to the BBC as a child that they had changed the viewing times to a bit later -and beyond my bedtime - and received a reply that it wasn't really meant for children. Fast forward and the same programmes are aimed at family/ audiences!; What would the BBC do without them?!

[Anita Bensoussane]

RIP Ian Lavender. The whole of Dad's Army was broadcast again when my son was about 9 or 10, and it became his favourite programme.

[Bertie]

Who are people's favourite recurring character (anyone outside of the Home Guard platoon)?

I think mine is Captain Square. On the one hand I wished they'd used him a lot more, on the other I think they got it about right to just have him pop up every so often. His pompous / blustering delivery, and posh vocabulary, appeal to me a lot - probably because he reminds me of plenty of PG Wodehouse characters.

Chief Warden Hodges has some some very good lines - as good as any given to the regulars. Though his OTT character has always been a bit hit and miss with me. I used to swing more towards the negative, but since getting the box-sets and watching them more, I've come to appreciate the quality of his putdowns to Mainwaring and think he's up there with the funniest of the characters (though also up there with the most annoying at some other times).

[Barnard]

I rather like Edward Sinclair as the Verger, Mr Yeatman.

[Lucky Star]

Yes I think he was very good. And Frank Williams as the Vicar was also very good.

[Barnard]

Yes. Frank was excellent.

[Boatbuilder]

Not 'Dad's Army' but sill to do with the army, I liked Frank Williams as Captain Pocket in the late 50s/early 60s series "The Army Game".

[Barnard]

I have all the existing episodes of The Army Game on dvds one of which was autographed by Frank Williams.

[dsr]

I too greatly enjoyed the Dad's Army comedy. I complained to the BBC as a child that they had changed the viewing times to a bit later -and beyond my bedtime - and received a reply that it wasn't really meant for children. Fast forward and the same programmes are aimed at family/ audiences!; What would the BBC do without them?!

In 1995, Frank Williams was introduced to a little girl (age 3) who preferred Dad's Army to Postman Pat. She even asked the vicar whose desk was it really, his or Captain Mainwaring's, so clearly she was following the plot!

(From Richard Webber's book, "Dad's Army - a Celebration", published 1997.)

[Jack400]

I'm not sure if I would have been allowed to watch it aged 3!

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I like it because it showed how all sections of society were thrown together.

The tactics may seem hare-brained - but none were so bonkers as this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb1JIBK2rT0