 If ever there was a contender for the title of best-loved British sitcom it is Dad’s Army. The hilarious antics of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard as they attempt to defend the country against the Nazi threat have delighted audiences of all ages for over forty years.
With brilliant scripts by creators Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and superb acting the series has not only given us memorable catchphrases like ‘Stupid boy!’, ‘Don’t panic!’ and ‘We’re doomed!’, but some of British television’s most iconic characters.
Dad’s Army began in 1968, in black and white, and ran for 9 series and over 80 episodes, finally ending in 1977. Loved by fans and critics alike, the show frequently gained audiences of 18 million viewers. It is still repeated around the world and regularly features in polls to find the best British sitcom. In 2000 it was placed 13th in a BFI poll of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, voted by industry professionals. It is repeated, in peak time every Saturday night by BBC Two and rates extremely well – regularly attracting over 2 million viewers on BBC Two and appearing in Broadcast magazine’s weekly chart of the Top 100 programmes.
 Dad’s Army has spawned a feature film (also written by Croft and Perry), a stage show, a radio series, plus numerous toys, models and games. Barring a few missing episodes, the entire series is now available on DVD.
There have been several script compilations and histories of the show, but The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard Training Manual by Captain George Mainwaring (conceived by Metrostar) is the first original work to be set in the fictional world of Dad’s Army. It has been written by Guy Adams under the tutelage of David Croft and Jimmy Perry.
For more information:
Email: Claire Potter
|
