Posts Tagged ‘dads army’

RIP Bill Cotton

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

billcotton.jpgIt’s a pity to have to relate the passing of Sir Bill Cotton, one of the biggest and most influential figures in BBC history.

I suppose you could say that this chap is one of the reasons that sites like Quintessential Comedy exist.

Without his commitment, show’s like Morecambe & Wise would never have had the massive following that they did during what many call the “Golden Age” of British Television.

It was certainly the golden age of Light Entertainment, and was presided over by Mr Bill Cotton as the BBC’s head of department from 1970-1977.

He was also one of the main supporters of Dad’s Army, a show which we may never have seen thanks to BBC internal politics.

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Dad’s Army Links

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

dadsarmyfire.jpgAnyone tuning in to the BBC’s Dad’s Army tribute on Sunday evening might be interested in a few Dad’s Army web links.

First off, there’s the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society, of which Bill Pertwee MBE (ARP Warden Hodges) is President.

For those of you who know little about WW2, and the relevance of the Home Guard seen in Dad’s Army, there’s an interesting BBC page about their role in civil defence.

DadsArmy.tv is another online tribute, while the Guardian has a fine gallery from across the series nine years.

Finally, don’t forget the Wikipedia entry for the series, lovingly written and full of facts.

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Dad’s Army Anniversary

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Dad's Army castThe 40th anniversary of Dad’s Army is upon us, and this Sunday on BBC Two Jonathan Ross will host a special broadcast at 7pm.

Despite the series’ immense popularity over the years, it is true to say that latterly the advenures of Captain Mainwaring and company haven’t really received the level of regard that perhaps they should.

Dad’s Army is a template for any ensemble drama, nevermind comedy, with a good 90% of the laughs coming from the characters, their traits and motivations.

Nothing is forced with Dad’s Army, and nor should it be. With stars like Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Bill Pertwee and Clive Dunn, and superb scripts from Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the series is a shining beacon of light, and should be the first port of call for any writer wanting to create a lasting, successful and popular comedy series.

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Dad’s Army Special

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

dadsarmy.jpgNot before time, the BBC are running a tribute to the long running classic sitcom Dad’s Army, set during World War Two.

Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad’s Army will be, it seems, hosted by Jonathan Ross, and will include some of the series’ stars, creators and celebrity fans.  The series originally ran from 1968 to 1977, and has been repeated almost constantly since then.  Dad’s Army featured the superb casting of Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring and John Le Mesurier as Sgt Wilson, while Clive Dunn  also starred as Corporal Jones. Creators Jimmy Perry and David Croft wrote It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum.

Interestingly, producers of the one-hour special want to hear from fans of the TV comedy and anyone who met the cast and crew.  Annoyingly the BBC webpage doesn’t indicate how you can contact the producers…

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