Just watched the episode 'Fallen Idol' where Mainwaring gets drunk. Arthur Lowe is incredible in this episode. He is brilliant when he is drunk, but when he is introduced to the officers in the officers mess, the officers talk about his name being spelt 'Mainwaring' but pronounced 'Mannering' One officer talks about another man he knew who pronounced his name different to how it was spelt and he says "He was an absolute idiot" Check out Arthur Lowe's facial expression when he says this, absolute genius. WHAT AN ACTOR. Also, very good in the early episodes of Doctor At Large he was in.

There was a good episode on last night, where Jones owes £50 to the bank and it turns out he is owed it by someone else, who is in turned owed it by another and so on... At the end Mainwaring gathers all those involved in the hall to explain. Pike says he thinks it's like a Charlie Chan story and asks Wilson if he thinks Mainwaring will be like Chan. When Mainwaring stands up to begin he gets everyone's attention by saying "Ah; so..." and Pike says "See!"

It was a good one and nearly made me feel a teensy bit sorry for Hodges! (Only nearly, mind).

Yes, last nights was very good. Some excellent writing at work.

I liked it when John Le Mesurier did his poorly choreographed punch to Hodge's face.

Oh god, yes! That was terrible.

Quote: Winterlight @ July 27 2008, 1:48 PM BST

Yes, last nights was very good. Some excellent writing at work.

I liked it when John Le Mesurier did his poorly choreographed punch to Hodge's face.

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That was a strange, wasn't it - Wilson in a futile gesture? I came in just after the start and googled the title which turned out to be "High Finance".

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 27 2008, 12:25 PM BST

Just watched the episode 'Fallen Idol' where Mainwaring gets drunk. Arthur Lowe is incredible in this episode. He is brilliant when he is drunk, but when he is introduced to the officers in the officers mess, the officers talk about his name being spelt 'Mainwaring' but pronounced 'Mannering' One officer talks about another man he knew who pronounced his name different to how it was spelt and he says 'He was an absolute idiot' Check out Arthur Lowe's facial expression when he says this, absolute genius. WHAT AN ACTOR. Also, very good in the early episodes of 'Doctor at Large' he was in.

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Yes, indeed. There is a debate to be had between the 'writing is all' tendency and those who think that it's distinctly sad that really pro actors will rarely touch a sitcom script these days.

There is a message somewhere in there, trying to get out...

The writing in Dad's Army really does put most modern day sitcoms to shame. It's sad.

Agreed. I mean, don't get me wrong, The Office is an excellent sitcom, but it obviously relies on the shock factor. Dad's Army didn't do this, it was the most subtle sitcom ever and in my opinion the best.

Good news: There's going to be plenty of Dad's Army on over the coming weeks what with it being 40 years old. The main events will be Dad's Army Night next Saturday on BBC2, and Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army next Sunday on BBC1.

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 27 2008, 8:57 PM BST

Agreed. I mean, don't get me wrong, 'The Office' is an excellent sitcom, but it obviously relies on the shock factor. Dads Army didn't do this, it was the most subtle sitcom ever and in my opinion the best.

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'The most subtle sitcom ever'...?

Hmm.. shall have to think hard on that one. Certainly a topic deserving of its own thread.

Great piece. Great show. Still my favourite sitcom.

Are the TV Green Cross Code advert and Wispa advert included as extras on any of the DVD releases, does anyone have a link, that green cross code advert looked quite funny??

The Green Cross Code advert is an extra on the Christmas Specials DVD

See Amazon product listing

A brilliant DVD when it comes to extras, an episode commentry, Christmas Night with the Stars episodes, Blue Peter extracts with the Dads Army cast. Worth the price for the extras alone. Also on the DVD is Lowe, Le Mesurier and Dunn's performance on the Coward Revue. This is also on YouTube - brings tears to the eyes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAtt45UDuL0

Quote: Griff @ July 28 2008, 11:22 AM BST

Lovely piece about Dad's Army in the Telegraph today:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/27/bvdads127.xml&page=1

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Private Jim Duck. I never knew that.

I watch the American GI (Hi Buddy) one last night and I am convinced that Arther Lowe was reading his lines from the floor as he was acting during the parade scene, because he would say a line, look down, look up and do a famous 'facial expression', and then look down before the next line, check it out or am I wrong?

Is that when Godfrey hit that American over the head for standing on his sister Dolly's upside down cake.

Now's the Day and Now's the Hour
See the front o'battle lour
See approach proud Hitler's power
Chains and Slavery
Who will be a traitors knave
Who can fill a coward's grave
Who so base as be a slave
Let him turn and flee.