Dad's Army is a BBC television sitcom about the British Home Guard during the Second World War. Dad's Army is one of the best comedies ever written.
It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television from 1968 to 1977. The sitcom ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio version based on the television scripts, a feature film and a stage show. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers and is still repeated worldwide.
Cast
Capt. Mainwaring - Arthur Lowe (22 sept. 1915 – 15 april 1982)
Sgt. Athur Wilson - John Le Mesurier (5 april 1912 – 15 nov. 1983)
LCpl. Jack Jones - Clive Dunn (9 januari 1920 – 6 november 2012)
Pte James Frazer - John Laurie (25 March 1897 -- 23 June 1980)
Pte Joe Walker - James Beck (21 februari 1929 - 6 augustus 1973)
Pte. Charles Godfrey - Arnold Ridley (7 jan. 1896 — 12 maart 1984)
Pte Frank Pike - Ian Lavender (16 February 1946 - )
Warden Hodges - Bill Pertwee (21 July 1926 – 27 May 2013)
Vicar Reverend Timothy Farthing - Frank Williams (July 2 1931 - )
Verger Mr. Yeatman - Edward Sinclair (3 febr. 1914 – 29 aug. 1977)
Mrs. Fox - Pamela Cundell (15 January 1920 – 14 February 2015)
Mrs. Pike - Janet Davies (14 Sept 1927 – 22 Sept 1986)
Shirley - Wendy Richard (20 juli 1943 – 26 februari 2009)
Mr (Sydney) Bluett - Harold Frank Bennett (17 Nov. 1898 – 11 Sept. 1981)
David Croft (7 september 1922 – 27 september 2011)
Jimmy Perry (20 September 1923 – 23 October 2016)
Authenticity is vital to Perry, who remembers the time he was at Rada, rehearsing with fellow actors, when a secret onlooker turned out to be George Bernard Shaw. “He said, ‘I enjoyed your show tremendously. I laughed a lot. But you’ve got to understand one rule of comedy: you must have reality, otherwise it’s rubbish.’” In any case, thanks to its successful repeats Dad’s Army is guaranteed immortality. But to what does Perry attribute our enduring love of Captain Mainwaring and co? “It’s because we reminded the British people of their finest hour. It had wobbly back projection and cardboard scenery, but also the truth… and great artists that brought it to life.”
Simon Blackwell ‘To create comedy that generations of people genuinely love is rare, and he managed it time and again’. Perry’s work on the show – along with that of the producer, David Croft – created one of the most popular British television programmes of all time’.
Jack Dee ‘Amazing contribution to British telly. Watched Dad's Army only yesterday. Still as funny as when I watched it as a kid.’
Vicki Michelle ‘a brilliant comedy writer & true gentleman. He leaves us such a legacy’
Ian Lavender ‘Jimmy, he has been a part of my life for such a long time. ‘He was half of one amazing partnership, it brings back so many wonderful memories… lots of good times together with much laughter…’
David Schneider ‘Thanks to Jimmy Perry for the sublime Dad’s Army, the perfect sitcom, and for making me laugh for over 40 years.’
Shane Allen, BBC controller of comedy commissioning, said: ‘Jimmy Perry is a Goliath of British comedy writing. His work will be enjoyed and appreciated for many years to come’.
Miranda Hart ‘Thank you Jimmy Perry. You made our world a funnier and brighter place.’
Nigel Farage tweeted: Jimmy Perry created and co-wrote the fantastic Dad's Army, my favourite comedy of all time.'
Tom Watson 'We grew up laughing at Jimmy Perry's hilarious characters. One of our greatest TV writers who will not be forgotten.'
Ruth Madoc ‘Being on set was quite hard work, but great fun. We weren’t allowed to laugh. One particular series we’d been naughty giggling on set. This didn’t go down very well with David and Jimmy, so they made us T-shirts saying, ‘Comedy is a serious business’. We were told in no uncertain terms’.
Frank Williams “Dad’s Army was one of the happiest periods of my life, it was a wonderful role to work on.”
TV comedy producer Jon Plowman said, “The quality of his work was consistently brilliant”, adding that Jimmy and his co-writer David Croft came as a package. He described them as “comedy revolutionaries”, saying, “They made it look easy; we know it is not.”
Jeffrey Holland ‘There is no doubt that he and David created some of the most memorable and iconic characters and moments in television sitcom history and as such, has left us with a wonderful legacy we can look back on for many years to come. I am proud to have been a part of so many of his series’.
Mark Braxton ‘There is a light that never goes out - and its name is Jimmy Perry’
Perry admits to being bowled over by the continuing success of his Home Guard comedy: “Isn’t it amazing? Let me tell you, I’m overwhelmed.”
Appointed an OBE in 1978, Jimmy Perry published his autobiography, A Stupid Boy, in 2002 and received a British Comedy award for lifetime achievement in 2003.
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