# Dad's Army (1968)

> A pompous bank manager leads a ragtag Home Guard platoon in a fictional seaside town preparing to repel a German invasion during World War II.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/475

## Facts

- Seasons: 9
- Episodes: 77
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, war
- Created by: Jimmy Perry
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley, Ian Lavender, James Beck, Bill Pertwee
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062552/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: gentle, satirical, nostalgic, warm, whimsical

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard Dad's Army as a warm, beautifully written British sitcom whose ensemble comedy about an ageing Home Guard platoon has endured as a classic.

## Synopsis

Dad's Army (1968-1977) is a British BBC One sitcom created by Jimmy Perry, a nine-season run of seventy-seven episodes set on the British home front of the Second World War. Bank manager Captain George Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) commands the Walmington-On-Sea Home Guard, a ragtag platoon of volunteers too old, too frail, or too eccentric for regular service. Sergeant Arthur Wilson (John Le Mesurier) is his quietly competent second, while Lance-Corporal Jack Jones (Clive Dunn) and Private Frank Pike (Ian Lavender) round out the main unit. The engine of each half-hour is simple: Mainwaring wants to run a disciplined defence against an invasion that may never come, and the men's bumbling, bickering, and vanity keep getting in the way. Each episode is a self-contained misadventure of drills, patrols, and petty rivalries rather than a continuing storyline, so the format is episodic and easy to dip into. Its register is warm, gently satirical, and nostalgic, with the comedy resting on class snobbery and the absurdity of civilians preparing for war with broom handles. Fans of Blackadder Goes Forth, Last of the Summer Wine and Hi-de-Hi! will find a similar blend of wartime-tinged absurdity and affectionate character comedy.

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