Quote: whatkindoffoolami @ 29th July 2018, 1:42 PM50th Birthday on Tuesday.
How will you be celebrating the greatest ever TV show?
I think I'll recreate Mainwaring, Wilson and Jones's toasted cheese supper, with kidney's and milk stout, while watching some episodes.
I shall try to spend the day not panicking.
And then, in the evening, having turned on the bedroom lamp as it got dark, I shall go to bed and put that light out.
I myself replicated Private Godfrey and spent the majority of the day weeing
Quote: Rood Eye @ 29th July 2018, 3:23 PMDon't tell him!
Do you think that's wise?
A question's that's probably been answered already but why was Series 2 wiped and not Series One as well? If the BBC idiot in charge of this made the order to wipe tapes to reuse on something else then why not the earlier series? Or both? It doesn't make any sense especially as S2 had the unit fully established as the uniformed and weaponed group we came to know, making Series 1 the more obvious choice to burn.
Watched S1 Ep3 Command Decision last night and saw they were still in mufty and waiting for rifles. Great episode though with the colourful Colonel Square showing up. He turned up in far too few eps imo, should've been used more. Featured in one of the best eps in the contest with Eastgate Platoon one. Have always steered clear of the first two series because I don't like B&W TV but found it as well written as any of the later series eps and showing a strong identity just 3 eps in. Just a shame it wasn't in colour.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 21st October 2018, 8:04 PMA question's that's probably been answered already but why was Series 2 wiped and not Series One as well? If the BBC idiot in charge of this made the order to wipe tapes to reuse on something else then why not the earlier series? Or both? It doesn't make any sense especially as S2 had the unit fully established as the uniformed and weaponed group we came to know, making Series 1 the more obvious choice to burn.
...
Have always steered clear of the first two series because I don't like B&W TV ... Just a shame it wasn't in colour.
This is largely why.
Essentially the same situation as with modern series that do not get fully released on DVD. The first series was transferred to film for sales overseas, and the master tapes wiped. Those sales proved poor, so they didn't continue with Series 2, but the film copies ended up being kept. Series 3 onwards were made in colour and already had a profitable international market.
In his introduction to the book "Dad's Army The Lost Episodes", published by Virgin in 1998, David Croft explains the policy behind the wiping of tapes. Firstly they were expensive and therefore a department was set up at the BBC to service and repair tapes for re-use. Secondly an agreement with Equity did not allow the repeating of programmes more than two years after their first transmission (in order to keep actors in employment by working on new shows rather than allowing air time to be crowded with repeats). Therefore there was no point in keeping tapes longer than two years.
He then goes on to say: "One of the factors that helped save my programmes from destruction was the fact that I was on the staff and therefore always present when a piece of paper came round requiring a producer's agreement for a show to be wiped. I always contrived to withhold consent. I can only conclude that when the necessary form appeared for these six programmes, I must have been on holiday".
The series was recorded on 16mm film for transmission in NZ & Australia. Over the years, he says, he has sent letters & telegrams and even paid personal visits to search for copies but none turned up.
The Bullet's Not For Firing on last night, it's one of the lesser known gems that goes under the radar because it's not one of the more memorable outdoor shot eps, but one of the 'quieter' hall based ones. It's not clipped or repeated as much as the classic eps but it is a magnificent piece of pure sitcom execution from script writing to acting.
Jones and Walker in particular shine in this one, Beck shows his great stage acting skills instead of the usual one liners he has and you have to wonder why they didn't give him centre stage more often, he had the spiv character off to a tee and he could act. In my top 20 DA eps without question with the cast at the top of their game and it's very funny. 
Enjoyed tea & rock cake in the "Marigold Tea Rooms", within the Dad's Army Museum in Thetford this morning before coming on to Newmarket races for the afternoon.
A nice anecdote emanating from my visit to the Dad's Army Museum last week (per preceding post): Shortly after it opened in 2007, Frank Williams was being shown around and was told "... and in here is a mock up of Captain Mainwaring's office". Quick as a flash he replied, "I think you'll find it's my office".
As I have posted on the "Army Game" thread, unfortunately Frank Williams is now virtually blind.
Quote: Billy Bunter @ 26th April 2019, 12:39 PMA nice anecdote emanating from my visit to the Dad's Army Museum last week (per preceding post): Shortly after it opened in 2007, Frank Williams was being shown around and was told "... and in here is a mock up of Captain Mainwaring's office". Quick as a flash he replied, "I think you'll find it's my office".
Nice
The Radio 4 Extra episodes, broadcast on Mondays, are now running parallel to the BBC2 episodes broadcast two days earlier, today's radio episode being When did you last see your money, which was also Saturday's tv offering. Bad planning?
Watching Saluting and last night I watched We're Doomed, a drama about the show.
Fascinating apart from the wigs worn by the actors playing Croft and Perry.
Happy 89th birthday today to Frank Williams.
Happy birthday to Frank!
And welcome back to Billy!
It's a double celebration. 
That's a great photo
Was Godfrey in the bog having a slash?
