Regularly voted as one of the all-time great BBC and British comedy institutions, Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s DAD’S ARMY can always be found somewhere on British TV with its’ umpteen showings of many of its’ episodes which have formed the basis of evening schedules – as well as two big-screen outings from different generations.
Over the years, however, some of those classic episodes disappeared off screen, notably three episodes from Season Two, which were originally broadcast back in 1969. However, thanks to the ingenuity of a brand-new generation of film-makers and actors, DAD’S ARMY: THE LOST EPISODES made it onto the UKTV Gold Channel to audience and critical appreciation – and now onto Blu-Ray – clearly reflecting the spirit and enduring quality that has made the show one of the best loved of all time, as well as being a tribute half a century on.
For the uninitiated and younger generation, DAD’S ARMY is up there with THE OFFICE as one of the supremely funny comedies, with belly laughs galore, reflecting on a time decades ago when the British military was overstretched and under-armed from the imminent threat of Hitler’s Nazi army during World War II. Inevitably, people were recruited into the army in a more voluntary capacity, forming the basis of the Home Guard, a reflection of one of the co-writers’ experiences during the period.
Following in the footsteps of the original cast, led by the likes of the late Arthur Lowe and Clive Dunn, the new ensemble is as follows:
Kevin McNally as Captain Mainwaring, Robert Bathurst as Sergeant Wilson, Kevin Eldon as Lance Corporal Jones, David Hayman as Private Frazer, Mathew Horne as Private Walker, Timothy West as Private Godfrey and Tom Rosenthal as Private Pike.
The three episodes, The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Walker, A Stripe For Frazer and Under Fire, touch on the themes of military phobia, status and the effect of war.
Ultimately, being a sitcom, much complexities and misunderstanding form the basis for the shenanigans that are prevalent in these updated versions of the original episodes.
Die-hard fans might well need to take a step back from these episodes, given that the original cast are so ingrained on people’s appreciative memories. However, that is not to decry the new group of actors, who invest the same consistency of the original performances that continue to delight on many a broadcast screening.
It is also a testament to the quality and strength of the original Perry and Croft scripts that it doesn’t matter who plays the roles, but that they get to the honesty and truth of what the scripts are trying to say.
Part nostalgia-trip and part anniversary celebration, DAD’S ARMY: THE LOST EPISODES reminds us that good comedy endures.
