Dad's Army

Dad's Army: picture special

Photo gallery from the sitcom Dad's Army.

Dad's Army butcher van goes on sale

The classic butcher's van ready to foil a Nazi invasion of Britain by Dad's Army is up for sale.

If you've never seen this Dad's Army story (1969 episode 'War Dance'), you might think you're watching a different programme. It's an extraordinary episode: Pike itching to announce his engagement, laid-back Wilson rounding on his superior with "My God, Mainwaring, you can hit pretty low when it suits you!", and the good captain himself getting sloshed. The occasion for all this odd behaviour is the Home Guard dance.

Pike's revelation that he's taking an ATS girl sparks lots of juicy private-life speculation, and some epic snobbery from Mainwaring. It's an unusual outing but a wonderful one. And Arthur Lowe really did play a phenomenally good drunk. Do we give this fine leading man the respect he deserved? Or remember how wide-ranging Dad's Army could be? We certainly should.

Actor Philip Madoc dies aged 77

Welsh actor Philip Madoc has died after a short illness, his agent says. Dad's Army will remember him as the German U-Boat captain in the famous episode "The Deadly Attachment".

A justly lauded 1969 episode, full of well worked gags and delicious confusion. For many years it was missing presumed lost, but returned to the archives in 2001. It follows the platoon's separation when church bells signal an invasion, but what's fun is seeing Godfrey's oft-mentioned sisters Dolly and Cissy, and hearing Wilson deny he's Pike's father (the writers always insisted he was).

The despised Hodges elicits the usual groans, there's a vintage Mainwaring pratfall, and the elderly sisters try to carry on with their tea while gunshots fly all around their cottage. The song There'll Always Be an England sums it all up beautifully.

This episode kicked off the second series in 1969. You'll see that by this stage the cast had their characters down pat: Mainwaring is flummoxed by the 24-hour clock, Jones is a step behind the rest of the platoon, thunder-browed Frazer curses the entire world, and so on.

After some creaky-limbed physical training in the yard, during which Mrs Pike complains that her Frank shouldn't be standing around in a vest, a crashing bore from GHQ drops by with a military challenge for the men. And for some reason that's hard to justify, Frazer and Walker end up in a pantomime cow costume among a real herd. It's a great example of when very silly becomes very funny.

You have been watching... Barbara Windsor! Great fun to see "Babs" guest-starring in this 1968 parade for the Walmington-on-Sea platoon. She plays the exotically named Laura la Plaz, a stage crack-shot whose help is covertly needed in a spot of Home Guard target practice. But first she has to drag up in army fatigues, pebble glasses and moustache.

Look out, too, for a cameo from Dad's Army co-writer Jimmy Perry as an awful, "My wife is so fat" comedian. Six episodes in and the friction between Mainwaring and Wilson - one of the show's comedy keystones - is in full flow. The humour even extends to the unintentionally hilarious end credits.

Dad's Army: behind the lines of a comedy classic

Jimmy Perry, who with the late David Croft formed one of Britain's greatest sitcom-writing teams, recalls their 50-year partnership.

Dad's Army: the show that won't go away

David Croft, who died this week, and his partner Jimmy Perry wrote many classic comedies. But Dad's Army was surely their finest achievement.

Video: Arthur Lowe honoured with blue plaque

A blue plaque dedicated to Dad's Army star Arthur Lowe was unveiled at his Derbyshire birthplace by comedy co-star Ian Lavender.

Lavender, who played Private Pike in the long-running sitcom, was in Hayfield to lead the tribute to the much-loved Captain Mainwaring actor.

The ceremony was organised by Derbyshire County Council following a vote on its website.

Lavender said he thought Lowe would have been "chuffed" with the honour.