Dad's Army

Why Dad's Army has never been beaten in British comedy

They wouldn't get away with it today. No black faces, nor any character remotely ethnic other than John Laurie's tetchy Scotsman. Women only in subsidiary roles. And certainly no suggestion of sexual ambiguity beyond a wet clergyman. The BBC's modern cultural commissars wouldn't give the pilot script a second glance. White. Middle class. Home Counties. Show him the door, Doris.

You can't have your sitcom and eat it

I would argue that a decent mainstream sitcom will last longer than almost any reality show. Most of these reality juggernauts run out of steam after eight years or so, and then limp along for a couple more. A sitcom can last so much longer.

BBC comedy classics go on display

Much-loved British comedians and sitcom stars are being celebrated in a new exhibition. Comedy faces from Frankie Howerd to Ricky Gervais are on display at the Compton Verney art gallery in Warwickshire from 9 July. BBC Faces of Comedy is showing 100 pictures ranging from the 1950s to the present day. Leading comics have curated the exhibition - including Have I Got News For You panellist Paul Merton and the star of Citizen Khan, Adil Ray. Here they talk about some of their favourite comedy moments.

America: where British sitcoms go to die

It is the holy grail for British writers - having your sitcom remade for America. But can Raised By Wolves succeed where Fawlty Towers flopped?

Dad's Army soldiers on - and it's still a sitcom master

It has an antiquated look and Arthur Lowe may occasionally fluff his lines, but the historical setting of Dad's Army has helped it endure, and rank as some of the finest British farce.

The danger of constantly celebrating the past

Nostalgia. Easy promotability. A blend of old and new. Low risk. Lots of press. And a brand new half hour to be written by Clement and Frenais, writers of the near-perfect Porridge. What's not to like? As a consumer of comedy, I'm fine with all of the above obviously. As a writer of comedy, my feelings are slightly more mixed.

David Croft would be 'turning in his grave' at remakes

Sitcom legend Melvyn Hayes has gone to war on the Dad's Army film and Are You Being Served? re-make, saying they would have creator David Croft "turning in his grave".

The star, who played Bombardier "Gloria" Beaumont in It Ain't Half Hot Mum - another of the writer's hits - demanded they "let old TV series lie".

Video: Footage of original Dad's Army cast unearthed

News footage of the original cast of Dad's Army being interviewed has been unearthed.

The real-life wars of Dad's Army actor Arnold Ridley

As the film version of Dad's Army is released at cinemas across the country, BBC News looks at the life of Arnold Ridley, the only actor in the original television series to serve in both World War One and Two.