Enduring Impact of Dad's Army: A Lasting Impression
Reliving Iconic Laughter: Dad's Army - The Unforgettable British Sitcom
Got a telly problem? Fear not, because there's no better program to put a smile on your face than Dad's Army, perennially waiting in the wings at the BBC. The first episode, The Man and the Hour, adorned with the catchy theme tune Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler, graced our screens on the 31st of July, 1968 [1].
Behind this masterpiece was the inimitable duo of David Croft and Jimmy Perry, responsible for other timeless comedies such as It Ain't Half Hot, Mum and Hi-de-Hi! [2]. Perry, who was once a teenage Home Guard member, molded the bumbling Pte Pike from his own likeness, echoing his father's catchphrase, 'You stupid boy!' [3].
When Perry's acting career faltered, he turned to writing, initially planning to portray the roguish Pte Walker himself. Paired with Croft, a producer, they crafted their genius by weaving subtle in-jokes, such as Sgt Wilson's hidden affinity for Pike's mother, an unseenic Capt Mainwaring's domineering wife, and the ethnic diversity of the quaint town's gentlemanly vicar and brusque warden [2].
What made Dad's Army truly entertaining was not just the buffoonery, but the sense that, beneath the laughs, the characters were ready to lay down their lives for their nation [2]. Their comedic timing and predictable behaviors, from Cpl Jones's simultaneous bravado and terror to Pte Godfrey's timid pleas and Pte Frazer's panicked 'We're doomed!', made each episode a side-splitting joy [3].
Arthur Lowe, who earned numerous awards for embodying the pompous Mainwaring, was a terrible memorizer, so his contract even stipulated that he was never to be filmed without his trousers [3].
Thetford Goes to Walmington-on-Sea
Thetford in Norfolk transformed into Walmington-on-Sea for the filming of Dad's Army. The town commemorates these memorable days with a museum, where you can ogle over props like Jones's butcher's van. In a surreal twist, Thetford boasts a statue of Arthur Lowe as Mainwaring, a sight so bizarre we couldn't resist sharing it with you:
Kate Green
[1] Dad's Army: A Cultural Legacy of the British Sitcom. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20160406-dads-army-the-cultural-legacy-that-sticks[2] Dad's Army: The Making of a Classic Comedy. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8943585/Dads-Army-Making-Classic-Comedy.html[3] Arthur Lowe: Dad's Army star who died in 1982. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15768049[4] The Art of Dad's Army: The Most Outrageous Moments of the British Comedy Classic. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/05/dads-army-outrageous-moments-jimmy-perry-david-croft[5] Dad's Army: Everything You Need to Know About the Classic British Sitcom. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.insider.com/dads-army-british-sitcom-what-to-know-about-classic-series-2019-12
The cultural legacy of the British sitcom, Dad's Army, immortalized by its timeless humor, has been celebrated with a museum in Thetford, Norfolk, where original props, like Jones's butcher's van, can be admired.
The community's appreciation for the show runs deep, evident in the statue of Arthur Lowe as the pompous Mainwaring, a symbol of the lasting entertainment provided by this beloved British comedy.
