Dad's Army (TV Series) Don't Forget the Diver (1970) User Reviews

Silly but full of laughs.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 10 June 2018]

On the very odd occasion when I watch the great Dad's Army I truly see the underpinnings of Allo Allo, a fine comedy but definitely a lot sillier then the magical Dad's Army. Don't Forget the Diver starts off with some fun moments then transforms into some hilarious slapstick comedy, with funny costines, funny walks, a fun windmill scene and a hilarious moment with Jones and a dog. Favourite moment for me has to be where the vicar nonchelantly picks up a call from a grave intended for The Verger, so unbelievably daft it had me laughing out loud.

Hugely Allo Allo, loaded with slapstick and silly laughs.

Fun 7/10

A silly episode done right

[phantom_tollbooth · 7/10 · 20 June 2023]

The second episode of series 2 is another one that goes big with lots of physical humour and even some silly costumes but fortunately this is an example of Dad's Army doing slapstick well. That's partly because it is based around a strong premise in which the platoon takes part in an exercise against their old adversary Captain Square, in which they must plant a dummy bomb inside a windmill his men are defending. This kind of solid framework usually works well for the broader episodes, preventing them from descending into undisciplined running around in fields and falling over. In fact, Don't Forget the Diver is a bit like a do-over for the series 2 episode Operation Kilt, a silly effort based around a similar structure about an exercise. As well as the physical comedy, Don't Forget the Diver has plenty of other highlights to offer, including a hilariously odd opening scene involving Captain Square and a watch, and an opportunity for Frazer to tell one of his lengthy, doom-laden tales. Croft and Perry's scripts were starting to capitalise on John Laurie's incredible ability as a storyteller, with his atmospheric but perfectly comedically-controlled performance allowing the joke to successfully go on far longer than the average performer could've sustained it, which of course makes Mainwaring's exhausted reaction even funnier.