This program was watched by millions of regular viewers when aired between 11/09/69 - 11/12/69. Nine series was produced with 80 episodes being shown.
I remember watching this program (on re-runs of course) in my younger years at my grans. They were mad for this program and kept on saying "I remember doing that" or "to think what we didn't get then" used to make me chuckle a little, until you remember what this country must have gone through before the war was won.

Characters

If you have never seen Dad's Army then I'll spend a little bit of time telling you about the characters.
You have the pompous Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) who runs the local Martins Bank as the Bank Manager. Saying "You stupid boy" at Pike and "I think you're going in to the realms of fantasy here Jones" to his Corporal.

Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier) is Captain Mainwaring's Platoon Sergeant as well as his Chief Clerk at the Bank. He is a gentle man and winds Mainwaring up becomes he had a boys school education, and asks his platoon to do something instead of barking his orders at them.

Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn) is the platoons Corporal and the towns Butcher. His usual cry "Don't Panic" and the "They don't like it up 'em" made the program famous. An older soldier who fought in previous campaigns and has a fatherly approach to his privates.....

Private Jock Frazer (John Laurie) is a miserable old Scotsman who is the towns funeral director whose favourite saying is "We're doomed!". He is the eternal thorn in Captain Mainwaring's side, always trying to upset the cart.

Private Frank Pike (Ian Lavender) is the clerk at the Bank and always calls Sgt Wilson as "Uncle" due to the Sergeants long standing relationship with Pike's mother. Mrs Pike (Janet Davies) is overly protective of Frank, always wrapping him up in a scarf to the annoyance of Captain Mainwaring.

Private Charles Godfrey (Arnold Ridley) is the platoons medic and is a gentle man who is always being asked to be excused (to go to the loo).

Then outside the platoon.

The Reverend Timothy Farthing (Frank Williams) whose office is being used by the Captain as his company HQ. Who is always trying to sort out who has the Church hall, between Mainwaring and Hodges, as they usually share the hall through the week, but sometimes they clash.

The Verger Maurice Yeatman (Edward Sinclair) who seems to follow the vicar around all day long and says "His reverence isn't going to like that"

The Air Raid Warden Hodges (Bill Pertwee) who is the towns Greengrocer and constantly battles against "Napoleon" (Captain Mainwaring)

The episodes....

The Armoured Might Of Lance Corporal Jones

Jones agrees to the platoon using his Butchers van as a company armoured vehicle, which he converts to using gas instead of petrol, whilst GHQ have ordered that the Home guard should work more closely with the ARP's. Walker talks Jones into using his van for Black market activities and Hodges holds a practice air raid where the platoon act as stretcher bearers.
This episode was not one of the best of the series and therefore lacked that essence that the program was known for, a pity really.

Battle School

The platoon are sent on an exercise for the weekend. Things do not go well and the Platoon get lost, ending up being late for the exercise and supper. The following morning worn out by the march the night before oversleep and miss out on breakfast.
The main aspect of this course is to instruct the men in the art of guerrilla warfare, and the man to do this, is a Captain Rodriques, who informs them that the object of the exercise is for Mainwaring and his platoon have to capture him and his headquarters.
Things appear bleak, until the discovery of a secret tunnel gives them the edge....
Does Mainwaring get to capture the base? Does Rodriques end up capturing Mainwaring?
A great episode and full of funny bits. Good performance from Mainwaring especially.

The Lion Has Phones

The platoon receive information that a German plane has crashed in the towns water reservoir, by Walker and Fraser who are on patrol in that area. Mainwaring arrives quickly with his men and deploys them around the reservoir, and tells the aircraft crew to surrender. They don't and shoot back at Mainwaring. He sends Jones to telephone GHQ, but gets the number wrong and gets the local cinema. The girl on the desk misunderstands what Jones is saying and believes he is on about the film they are showing "One of our aircraft is missing". Jones mistake's this to mean that the plane is one of ours and thinks that the pilots are "Eric Portman and Googie Withers"
The Army turns up and takes over to find that they cannot force the crewmen out until Walker opens the sluice gates forcing them out.
A great episode and one which is worthy of praise. This depicts the work expected of the Home guard and the shows the courage faced by those "who stayed behind to defend our shores"

The Bullet Is Not For Firing

Jones and his section fire the weapons in an air raid and thereby using valuable bullets. Mainwaring unhappy with this convenes a Court Martial, as he feels that he won't be able to requisition anything further due to this incident, without one. The Army sends two Captains down to investigate and preside at the Court Martial and the whole thing turns into shambles.
Again not one of the most interesting episodes ever written, but still entertaining

Something Nasty In The Vault

During an air raid the Bank is bombed and Sgt Wilson and Mainwaring, being the Banks representatives attend to check the vault and the damage. As they walk in to the office they both fall through the hole in the floor whilst with the Bank Inspector, and end up holding on to an unexploded bomb.
One by one the platoon attends and the situation is studied by each. Eventually the bomb disposal man (Captain Rogers) attends and discovers that he hasn't the tools necessary to deal with this type of bomb and therefore has to go again.
As time is ticking by (no pun intended) the men in the platoon decide to do things themselves, and tie up the bomb, to allow Mainwaring and Wilson out.
Will they escape the grip of the Germans weapon? Will they save the Bank, Money and pride?
A great episode with guest appearance of Norman Mitchell (Rogers) and good performances by Mainwaring and Wilson.

Room At The Bottom

This is a rare episode as the Colour episode was lost/destroyed and so was only available in the working copy, a Black & White version. Therefore was not seen very often on television.
In this episode GHQ discovers that Mainwaring was never given the rank of Captain and therefore should not hold the rank of Captain. He is informed and Mainwaring is forced to remove his Captains pips. As Mainwaring was not happy with the situation and had rang GHQ, they did further checks and discover that he was never commissioned and therefore must be returned to the rank of Private and Sgt Wilson the Temporary commander. Mainwaring decides that even though it is embarrassing, the nations plight is more important than personal ego, and comes to parade regardless of his rank.
The platoon feel sorry for there former leader and proud of his determination to plod on and decide to do something about it. They write in to GHQ explaining there feelings and demand action.
Does Mainwaring get his rank back? Does someone else get appointed?
This episode is very good and it is unfortunate that it is only available in Black & White, but it is well worth a watch. A fantastic script well performed by Mainwaring

Big Guns

The platoon is finally given a heavy artillery gun, but find that it is directly in line with the Victorian band stand. Mainwaring approaches the Town Council and asks for the band stand to be demolished. The council state that the stand is Victorian and therefore in a bid to persuade the Council he organises a demonstration. The whole affair turns in to a hilarious farce......
Another funny classic.

The Day The Balloon Went Up

The Platoon are told of a runaway balloon and try and get it under control, they manage with the help of some willing volunteers they start to walk the balloon to a nearby wood to tie it up to the trees.. Unfortunately the balloon has other ideas and Mainwaring ends up being carried away, literally. The platoon end up chasing after this runaway balloon, across the countryside.
Not as good in my opinion as some of the episodes written but still funny. Good performances from Mainwaring and the Vicar.

War Dance

The platoon organises a Home Guard War Dance, and Private Pike decides to bring his girlfriend an ATS to the dance, Mainwaring discovering this fact, decides to talk to Sgt Wilson as she is "Not Suitable". Mainwaring finds out that not only has Sgt Wilson failed to dissuade him, but he intends to announce his intention to marry her at the dance.
Therefore Mainwaring and Wilson conspire along with a few others to keep Pike busy, to prevent him getting near the microphone. His mother finds out about the proposal and throws a bucket of water of her son in anger, and after all this, Pike decides that marriage isn't really for him.
A good performance by Pike and Mrs Pike and Sgt Wilson in this very funny episode.

Menace From The Deep

On orders from GHQ, Mainwarings platoon are ordered to relieve troops on guard at the end of the pier for the weekend in order for them to take leave. Mainwaring can't believe his luck and jumps at the chance. They row over in small rowing boats, leaving Pike to secure them.
They then decide to unpack the boats and have something to eat. Pike then reveals that he didn't secure the boats to something secure and they have drifted away. He admits to tying them up to a Black wire, which Mainwaring recognises as being the field telephone wire connecting the pier with GHQ.
The Platoon suddenly realise there predicament - alone, with no contact and what's more no food....
Sgt Wilson then has an idea and suggests opening the window blinds opposite the shore to attract help.
His plan works, well almost, he attracts the attention of Hodges who realises that the Platoon are there and are causing an offence by flashing whilst in a blackout. He commandeers a small craft and makes his way over to the pier and nearly drowns as his craft sinks. He reaches the pier and gets in to discover the plight of the platoon. Things cannot get any worse for the lads until someone spots a sea mine......
Will the platoon reach the shore? Will they survive the mine?
Another good episode with a good performance from Hodges, Pike and Fraser.

Branded

Mainwaring whilst talking to Godfrey about his letter to resign from the Home Guard, discovers that he was a conscientious objector in the 1st World War. Mainwaring disgusted at this, sends Godfrey home in disgrace. The next day the rest of the Platoon send him to 'Coventry' as he works his two weeks notice.
Hodges runs an exercise with the Platoon showing them what to do to rescue someone in a smoke filled house. Mainwaring passes out within the shack and Godfrey rescues him.
Godfrey is praised as a hero and questioned on how he could be a 'coward' in the 1st World War but be brave enough to risk his own life saving Mainwaring.
Godfrey explains that he was an orderly in the 1st World War, as he could never kill anyone, but wanted to do his bit, and saved somebody in the 1st World War and was awarded the Military Medal. His Platoon colleagues, ashamed at their behaviour towards him earlier in the week, are overjoyed when Mainwaring suggests that he should be an orderly for the Platoon and therefore he wouldn't feel obliged to leave the Platoon.
A very good episode and good performances from Hodges, Godfrey and Mainwaring.

Man Hunt

When the platoon discover a discarded parachute, Walker can't contain himself and uses the silk to make ladies undies. Mainwaring disgusted by this tries to track the garments down and retrieve them as he cannot report the matter without the chute. In the end Walker gets hold of a tracker dog to track the German parachutist down. They finally corner their man, only to discover that he isn't German but merely a harmless bird watcher.
Not the best of episodes I felt.

No Spring For Fraser

Fraser has been given the platoons only Lewis Gun for him to clean it. Unfortunately he returns it minus the firing spring making the whole gun useless. Having discovered from GHQ that there are no spare parts due to the demand. Mainwaring states that unless the spring is found he will have to report the matter to GHQ, who will probably Court Martial him.
The Platoon decide to help Fraser look for the spring and go to his funeral parlour to help him locate it. They don't find the spring and so Fraser thinks that the only other place it could be, would have been in a casket, which he was making for someone who had died. They go straight to the parlour and are horrified to learn that the casket has been left in the deceased, Brothers house overnight before being buried tomorrow......
Does Fraser find the Spring?
A funny episode and a great performance from Fraser, Mainwaring and Walker

Sons Of The Sea

Mainwaring ends up dealing with a customer who owes the Bank money and who'd recently passed away. He suddenly learns that the customer had a small river boat. He decides that the platoon could use the boat to mount river patrols against a possible invasion fleet.
Everything goes fine until they become lost and due to fog end up in the English Channel. They can hear French singing in the distance and are convinced that they have landed in France...
Have they landed in France? Or have they made a mistake?
A funny episode and worthy of praise. Well thought out, written well and executed perfectly by the gang....

Features
Documentary - We Are The Boys - with Arnold Ridley (Godfrey)
Talking about his memories of the cast and experiences of filming Dad's Army.

Photo Gallery

Running time 403mins
Colour (except episode 6 which is B&W)
Region 2 + 4
Cert U

Price about £4.69 - £9.99