Dad's Army. Image shows from L to R: Private Godfrey (Arnold Ridley), Lance Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn), Private Walker (James Beck), Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe), Private Frazer (John Laurie), Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier), Private Pike (Ian Lavender)
Dad's Army

Dad's Army

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One
  • 1968 - 1977
  • 80 episodes (9 series)

Beloved sitcom about the struggles of a Home Guard platoon during World War II who are fighting incompetence, age and pomposity more than Nazis. Stars Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley and more.

Episode menu

Series 4, Episode 13 - Fallen Idol

The platoon go on a course about the use of explosives. However, Mainwaring is lead astray by his fellow officers, in particular Captain Square.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 18th December 1970
Time
8pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes
Recorded
  • Friday 11th December 1970 at BBC Television Centre

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Saturday 1st September 2012 6:25pm BBC2 Scot
Saturday 1st September 2012 6:55pm BBC2
Saturday 2nd August 2014 7:40pm BBC2
Saturday 6th February 2016 8:25pm BBC2
Sunday 21st February 2016 7:20pm BBC2 Scot
Sunday 22nd April 2018 8:40pm Gold
Monday 23rd April 2018 6:20pm Gold
Monday 23rd July 2018 8:00pm Gold
Tuesday 24th July 2018 7:15pm Gold
Tuesday 23rd October 2018 8:00pm Gold
Wednesday 24th October 2018 7:15pm Gold
Sunday 28th April 2019 8:20pm Gold
Monday 29th April 2019 7:40pm Gold
Saturday 14th September 2019 6:40pm BBC2
Friday 14th February 2020 8:20pm Gold
Monday 17th February 2020 2:30pm Gold
Wednesday 22nd April 2020 8:15pm Gold
Thursday 23rd April 2020 2:55pm Gold
Thursday 23rd April 2020 7:35pm Gold
Thursday 1st October 2020 7:15pm Gold
Friday 2nd October 2020 3:25pm Gold
Friday 2nd October 2020 6:10pm Gold
Thursday 25th February 2021 8:20pm Gold
Friday 26th February 2021 7:40pm Gold
Thursday 10th June 2021 8:35pm Gold
Friday 11th June 2021 3:15pm Gold
Friday 11th June 2021 8:00pm Gold
Tuesday 9th November 2021 11:50am Gold
Tuesday 9th November 2021 7:15pm Gold
Monday 7th February 2022 7:20pm Gold
Tuesday 8th February 2022 11:30am Gold
Tuesday 8th February 2022 6:35pm Gold
Wednesday 11th May 2022 8:15pm Gold
Thursday 12th May 2022 12:25pm Gold
Friday 12th August 2022 2:35pm Gold
Friday 12th August 2022 7:20pm Gold
Wednesday 9th November 2022 7:15pm Gold
Thursday 10th November 2022 12:30pm Gold
Thursday 10th November 2022 3:55pm Gold
Thursday 10th November 2022 6:35pm Gold
Wednesday 8th March 2023 7:20pm Gold
Thursday 9th March 2023 1:15pm Gold
Thursday 9th March 2023 4:35pm Gold
Thursday 9th March 2023 6:35pm Gold
Thursday 6th July 2023 7:15pm Gold
Friday 7th July 2023 6:40pm Gold
Tuesday 12th September 2023 8:15pm Gold
Wednesday 13th September 2023 12:50pm Gold
Wednesday 13th September 2023 7:35pm Gold
Friday 22nd March 2024 7:20pm Gold

Cast & crew

Cast
Arthur Lowe Captain Mainwaring
John Le Mesurier Sergeant Wilson
Clive Dunn Lance Corporal Jones
John Laurie Private Frazer
Arnold Ridley Private Godfrey
Ian Lavender Private Pike
James Beck Private Walker
Guest cast
Robert Raglan Captain Pritchard
Geoffrey Lumsden Colonel / Corporal-Colonel / Captain Square
Rex Garner Captain Ashley-Jones
Michael Knowles Captain Reed
Anthony Sagar Sergeant Major
Tom Mennard Mess Orderly
Writing team
Jimmy Perry Writer
David Croft Writer
Production team
David Croft Director
David Croft Producer
Bob Rymer Editor
Paul Joel Production Designer
Bud Flanagan Theme Tune Vocals

Press

Radio Times review

This nigh-on perfect episode is The Arthur Lowe Show in all but name. A training weekend for the platoon enables Lowe to run through his sublime Mainwarisms: the "throat-clutching choke", the "skewed cap and glasses", and the rare but wonderful "trying desperately not to appear drunk". (Almost as funny is Sergeant Wilson's teddy-bear hiding - an Embarrassment Masterclass from John Le Mesurier.)

It all comes about as a result of Captain "What! What!" Square and a bunch of whisky-swilling officers leading Mainwaring astray, to the scowling disenchantment of Frazer and co. And it takes a genuine crisis to restore him in the eyes of his men...

"Fallen Idol" is delicious to the last drop, when an "Iris Out" homage to the silent era provides the show's best-ever sign-off.

Mark Braxton, Radio Times, 2nd February 2016

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