Dad's Army
A British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War.
Last updated
pam fray · CC BY-SA 2.0
The humour ranges from subtle class-reversed relationships to slapstick, with catchphrases like "You stupid boy!" and "Don't panic!".[1] The fictional Home Guard platoon in the series is based in the seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea, which is situated on England's south coast near Eastbourne, and would be in the path of a potential German invasion.[2] The programme's highest viewership regularly reached 18.5 million people.[3]
Making and release
Originally intended to be called The Fighting Tigers, the series was based partly on co-writer Jimmy Perry's experiences in the Home Guard.[4] Perry wrote the first script and sent it to David Croft while working as a minor actor in a Croft-produced sitcom.[5] The first episode begins in 1968 with Mainwaring addressing his old platoon, a condition imposed after concerns it belittled the Home Guard.[6] Across nine years and nine series, the television show produced 80 episodes, which included three Christmas specials and one hour-long special.[3]
A second feature film, with a cast different from the original series, was released in 2016; Hamish McColl wrote the screenplay and Oliver Parker directed.[7][8]
What the cited sources add
The Dad's Army Appreciation Society's founding president was cast by chance by David Croft, who thought he would be good for the role.[9] Bud Flanagan sang the theme tune, which Jimmy Perry wrote as a pastiche of wartime songs.[9] Arthur Lowe appeared on Blue Peter twice due to Dad's Army's huge popularity amongst young viewers.[9] The van often used by the men was Jones's two-ton Ford BB, which made its screen debut in "The Armoured Might Of Lance Corporal Jones".[9]
The 2016 film cast included Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring, Bill Nighy as Sergeant Wilson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a femme fatale.[10][11] A reviewer noted that the 2016 film's cast pulled off a convincing impression of the originals, but found the revival "inescapably creaky".[12] In the 1995 episode "Don't Get Around Much Any More", the sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart paid homage to Dad's Army.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide, 2003, p. 204–205; Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide, 2003, p. 204–205 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide, 2003, p. 204–205; Thetford tourist website discussing the reasons for shooting in Norfolk. Retrieved 5 June 2006 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Museum of Broadcast History website , URL accessed 4 June 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "'Dad's Army' Press Release", BBC, July 1968; Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide, 2003, p. 204–205 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clark, "Jimmy Perry turns 90: a tribute to the genius behind Dad's Army", The Telegraph}}{{cbignore, 20 September 2013; Dennison, "Life support", The Observer, 16 December 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "10 things you didn't know about Dad's Army Dad's Army Gold", Gold; Clark, Anthony. "Dad's Army" at BFI Screen online. Retrieved 4 June 2006.; "10 things you didn't know about Dad's Army Dad's Army Gold", Gold (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gambon and Courtenay to star in Dad's Army film, BBC News, 8 October 2014; "Dad's Army", Rotten Tomatoes; "Dad's Army", Metacritic; "Dad's Army review: Mainwaring's men are back. And better than ever", The Independent, 26 January 2016; Bradshaw, "Dad's Army review: who don't you think you are kidding?", The Guardian, 26 January 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dad's Army" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: British Film Institute TV100 URL accessed 4 June 2006; "Gambon and Courtenay to star in Dad's Army film", BBC News, 8 October 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Hilliard, "A-Z of Dad's Army", British Comedy Guide, 30 July 2018. facts only, no text reused. comedy.co.uk
- Gambon and Courtenay to star in Dad's Army film, BBC News, 8 October 2014. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
- "Dad's Army review: Mainwaring's men are back. And better than ever", The Independent, 26 January 2016. facts only, no text reused. independent.co.uk
- Bradshaw, "Dad's Army review: who don't you think you are kidding?", The Guardian, 26 January 2016. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Dad's Army (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dad's Army (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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