Dad's Army

To say that I love this show is an understatement. Comedies may come and go and have their moment, such as Royle Family or One Foot in the Grave, but there are precious few thats allure and appeal are timeless. Dad's Army is one such comedy.

A mix of subtle scripting, with gentle humour and a cast that is unsurpassed in sitcom history makes even the odd mediocre episode a pure joy to watch.

The casting is a joy with the characters so broadly defined and so well rounded the episodes almost write themselves around the situation that the individual episode is based on.

Also ponder for a moment the irony of the fact that Dads Army became hugely popular after the death of the majority of the cast.

An all time classic.

Dad's Army is my favourite TV programme of all time. It is just a work of genius. Jimmy Perry & David Croft really knew how to write a good script. Like Perry said the cast was right, the time was right, the script was right, the tunes were right and the whole situation was right which was what made Dad's Army a miracle. All the gags, jokes, tunes and atmosphere's are all hilarious, jolly and wonderful. It's why Dad's Army has always and will be one of the most popular programmes in TV history. Set in World War II of course it shows you the hilarities of pompous kind-hearted bank manager Captain Mainweering (Arthur Lowe), charming upper-class twit cheif bank clerk Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier), kind old fool and long time soldier now butcher Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn) and many other hilarious characters. With these men of course operating the Walmington-On-Sea Home Guard disasters can of course happen even if at the end of the day it turns out the the platoon is needed to pick up the pieces. The men themselves give the war a brighter atmosphere. With the platoon having the most bizarre members like Private Frazer (John Laurie) being an undertakes, Private Walker (James Beck) being a spinster, Private Godfrey (Arnold Ridley) being a retired old aged pensioner and Private Pike (Ian Lavender) being a complete pansy and mummy's boy. Also with the gay and meaning well Rev. Timothy Farthing, the sneaky Verger and the platoons arch enemy Warden & Greencrocer & common git Bill Hodges (Bill Pertwee). Even though situations that the men get into may be a bit bizarre they always come out the other end feeling victorius. And why shouldn't they having proved to the whole town that they are not just a bunch of pomous, twitish, foolish, dirty and some other stuff. My favourite episode of Dads Army has "The Deadly Attachment". Reason is that it has the men coming face to face with the Germans and seeing the hilarities of getting out of it. Also other episodes like "Time On My Hands", "Keep Young And Beautiful" and "No Spring For Frazer" I still find really hilarious and stimulating. The show will undoubtedly go on forever being known as the programme that changed the face of television forever.

Capt. Mainwaring would frequently utter the above phrase, and then immediately do something much more stupid than young Private Pike could ever accomplish. This is one of the reasons why this colorful program is one of my favorites (pardon my American English spelling).

The scripts are good, but what really make this show brilliant are the great characters and the wonderful actors. It must have been very difficult to get elderly actors to do zany slapstick comedy, but the directors managed to do it beautifully.

The contrast of young and old, and middle class and working class people in perpetual conflict is really great fun to watch. More egos are deflated in this series than ever before, and with hilarious results.

Instead of watching the horrible news accounts of the Iraq War, watch a video tape of Dad's Army. This a very funny remembrance of a much better era.

If you can get hold of the series on DVD, do not hesitate. "Dad's Army" is a real gem that will offer you hours of intense pleasure and spark off countless outbursts of hilarious laughter.This is comedy at its best.Although the humor is essentially British with that contained form of polite sarcasm and the use of understatement, it is also so typical of human nature in general that it offers a universal appeal.The characters are all lovable in one way or the other.The pompous captain Mainwaring who's attitude is clearly based on an obvious inherent feeling of insecurity and his suave sergeant Wilson, the over-enthusiastic corporal Jones who panics at the slightest upheaval,the spooky-looking Frazer or private Godfrey who resembles Dopey in the Seven Dwarfs and the mother's-boy Pike, are but just some of the delightful individuals in this fascinating series."Dad's Army"obtained a fourth place in a recent BBC comedy poll and apparently continues to thrill both young and old.Some episodes are less entertaining than most,I admit, but on the whole the series is really worth-while. The capture of a German submarine crew for example, is hilarious!

I was a youngster during WW II living in America but I was made well aware of the courage and resolve of the British people. Dad's Army, in addition to being the best comedy show ever, shows us this courage. Unlike so many sit coms, it is not mean or vicious but is gentle yet over the top funny. Despite their bumbling and odd approach to things, their love of country, their braveness, and their willingness to die for England if they have to, always shows through.

I own over 50 episodes on either VHS or DVD and am constantly searching for the ones I do not have. In addition I have both volumes of the complete scripts. I never get tired of watching or reading them. I can't watch the final episode (Never Too Old wherein Jonesy gets married and they drink a toast to the Home Guard every where)without feeling some tears welling up in my eyes. In fact, I'm starting to choke up a bit right now just thinking about it.

I have acquaintances (notice I don't say friends) who have watched it with me and just don't get it. They prefer the smart Alex stuff which passes for humor today. I do feel sorry for them.