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

Creator:

Jimmy Perry
(more)

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 | Sergeant | Lance Corporal | 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	...	Chief Warden Hodges / ... (60 episodes, 1968-1977)
Edward Sinclair	...	The Verger / ... (49 episodes, 1968-1977)
Colin Bean	...	Private Sponge (43 episodes, 1968-1977)
Frank Williams	...	The Vicar / ... (40 episodes, 1969-1977)
Bud Flanagan	...	The Voice of (40 episodes, 1968-1977)

Series Directed by
David Croft		(64 episodes, 1968-1977)
Harold Snoad		(5 episodes, 1969-1970)
Bob Spiers		(4 episodes, 1977)

Series Writing credits
David Croft		(80 episodes, 1968-1977)
Jimmy Perry		(80 episodes, 1968-1977)
Harold Snoad		(1 episode, 1970)

Series Produced by
David Croft	....	producer (79 episodes, 1968-1977)

Series Film Editing by
Bob Rymer		(20 episodes, 1969-1973)
Bill Harris		(15 episodes, 1970-1974)
John Stothart		(4 episodes, 1975)
John Dunstan		(4 episodes, 1977)

Series Production Design by
Paul Joel		(48 episodes, 1968-1973)
Robert Berk		(7 episodes, 1975)
Alan Hunter-Craig		(6 episodes, 1968)
Bryan Ellis		(6 episodes, 1974)
Ray London		(4 episodes, 1969)
Richard Hunt		(3 episodes, 1969)
Tim Gleeson		(3 episodes, 1977)
Geoff Powell		(3 episodes, 1977)
Oliver Bayldon		(2 episodes, 1969)

Series Costume Design by
Susan Wheal		(4 episodes, 1972-1973)
Judy Allen		(unknown episodes)
Barbara Kronig		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Sylvia Thornton	....	makeup artist (20 episodes, 1974-1977)
Cynthia Goodwin	....	makeup artist / make up (6 episodes, 1970-1972)
Anna Chesterman	....	make up / makeup artist (2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Penny Bell	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Michael McCarthy	....	sound / sound: studio (44 episodes, 1969-1976)
Les Collins	....	sound recordist (11 episodes, 1970-1972)
James Cole	....	sound (8 episodes, 1968-1969)
John Gatland	....	film sound / sound recordist (8 episodes, 1973-1974)
John Delany	....	sound (6 episodes, 1972)
Alan Machin	....	sound / sound: studio (6 episodes, 1975)
Laurie Taylor	....	sound: studio / sound (6 episodes, 1977)
John Holmes	....	sound (4 episodes, 1969-1970)
Ron Blight	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 1972)
Bill Chesneau	....	film sound (4 episodes, 1975)
Graham Bedwell	....	film sound (4 episodes, 1977)
Keith Bowden	....	grams operator (4 episodes, 1977)
Clive Derbyshire	....	boom operator (3 episodes, 1973)
Mike Roberts	....	grams operator (2 episodes, 1977)

Series Special Effects by
Peter Day	....	special effects (7 episodes, 1969)

Series Visual Effects by
Peter Day	....	visual effects (15 episodes, 1970-1975)
Martin Gutteridge	....	visual effects (4 episodes, 1977)
Tony Harding	....	visual effects (2 episodes, 1972)
Jim Ward	....	visual effects (2 episodes, 1974)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Howard King	....	lighting / studio lighting (59 episodes, 1969-1977)
James Balfour	....	film cameraman (20 episodes, 1969-1973)
George Summers	....	lighting (17 episodes, 1968-1970)
Stewart A. Farnell	....	film cameraman / camera operator / ... (12 episodes, 1970-1972)
Peter Chapman	....	film cameraman (8 episodes, 1975-1977)
Len Newson	....	film cameraman (4 episodes, 1974)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Husband	....	costumes (14 episodes, 1975-1977)
Susan Wheal	....	costumes (7 episodes, 1973-1974)
George W. Ward	....	costumes (3 episodes, 1968-1970)
Michael Burdle	....	costumes (2 episodes, 1969)
Barbara Kronig	....	costumes (2 episodes, 1970)

Series Editorial Department
Angela Beveridge	....	vision mixer (6 episodes, 1977)

Series Music Department
Trevor L. Sharpe	....	conductor: The Band of the Coldstream Guards / conductor (80 episodes, 1968-1977)
Band of H.M. Coldstream Guards	....	musicians: band / musician: band / ... (72 episodes, 1968-1977)

Series Other crew
Charles Garland	....	series editor (31 episodes, 1968-1977)
Jo Austin	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1975-1976)
Bob Spiers	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1974)
Susan Belbin	....	assistant floor manager (6 episodes, 1977)
Gordon Elsbury	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1977)
Judy Littler	....	floor assistant (6 episodes, 1977)
Hilary West	....	producer's assistant (6 episodes, 1977)
Brendan Carr	....	technical manager (5 episodes, 1977)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1968-1977) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 3 and 4)

Also Known As:

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 (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

• On the 19th of June 2010 a life size statue of Captain Mainwaring was erected in Thetford, He can be found seated near the Old Anchor Hotel where the minor cast members stayed during the filming of the series which is today sadly derelict.
• The Bell Inn in Thetford, the hotel where the main cast and crew stayed during the filming of the series, has several pictures of the cast and crew in the hotel. Most of the rooms are named after the characters e.g. Sergeant Wilson's Lounge.
• The Bell Inn is also where the Dads Army tour around the town starts and finishes. The Dads Army Museum is also found near the end of the trail which features a reconstruction of Captain Mainwaring's office.
• The Local Pub called The Red Lion is mentioned a number of times. There was a real pub called The Red Lion in Thetford where the exterior shots were filmed. The Pub is still there today but sadly is now derelict.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Throughout the series LCPL Jones is the only member of the platoon to wear medal ribbons on his uniform. Frazer, Wilson, and Godfrey (and possibly others) all saw service in WWI and would have medals and ribbons, and would most likely have worn them proudly as well.

Quotes:

Godfrey:Sir. I wouldn't want to roam the countryside ravishing maidens.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Avengers: The Interrogators (#7.14)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

It the ha-ha-happy days

'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.