Clive Dunn: A Tribute

No other character in revered sitcom Dad's Army embodied the bulldog spirit better than Lance Corporal Jones. As played for nine years by Clive Dunn, who died last month at the age of 92, Jones was young at heart, intensely loyal and loved by the British public. Co-writer Jimmy Perry based Jones on an old soldier he'd known in the Home Guard who was often heard to remark, "They don't like it up 'em."

Bewigged and moustached, Dunn was only in his 40s when the show began, which enabled him to perform enthusiastic stunts. And so convincing was Dunn at quavery-voiced dodderers that the BBC brought him back in 1979 for kids' sitcom Grandad - also the title of his sleepy, number-one chart hit.

But if it's Dad's Army you're after, don't panic, the 1977 Christmas special is at 8.20pm.

Clive Dunn led an admirably storied life. He was a staunch socialist and often fell out with Arthur 'Captain Mainwaring' Lowe as a result. His cousin was Gretchen Franklin of EastEnders fame. And he was the only known human to defy the ravages of time, not only managing to remain in his mid-eighties for several decades but also parlaying a successful acting and musical career out of this apparent miracle. So his recent death came not only as a shock, but also a surprise - we'd assumed he'd live forever. Sadly this was not the case, but expect fulsome and richly deserved tributes in this posthumous encomium. And expect to have notorious earworm Grandad bouncing around your brain for several days afterwords.

Tonight BBC Two celebrates the life of Dad's Army actor Clive Dunn who died last month at the age of 92. There are endless repeats to remind us just how popular Dad's Army was but the figures make it abundantly clear: the show ran for nine series, pulled in audiences of 18 million and came fourth in a 2004 BBC poll of Britain's best sitcoms. Like all good comedies, Dad's Army's success lay with its characters, a ramshackle bunch of Home Guard volunteers, with none more pleasing than Dunn's doddery Lance Corporal Jack Jones.

Dunn will be best remembered for that iconic role but he found later success from an unlikely source - a chart-topping single, Grandad. He pursued this theme several years later when he starred in the popular children's sitcom, also called Grandad. The evening kicks off at 7.30pm with a repeat of The Dad's Army Story presented by Victoria Wood, complete with interviews from the (then surviving) cast including Dunn himself. There's a classic episode to follow, which sees the Dad's Army crew take on a rival regiment to prove their mettle. And we end the night with a one-off documentary in which Dunn's friends, family and colleagues share memories of his life and work.