Dad's Army

Cultural impact

The characters of Dad's Army and their catchphrases are well known in the UK due to the popularity of the series when originally shown and the frequency of repeats.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The popularity and impact of the series is however mainly down to the lovable and well crafted characters. Sergeant Wilson for example is a masterly exercise in understatement and Captain Mainwaring a clever portrayal of lower middle class pomposity. Each of the main characters are well executed by the proficient cast.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Underlying the comedy is the portrayal of a group of inefective but decent and civilised people who embody British virtues. In its way therefore it is very similar to the war time propaganda effort only more subtle.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On at least two occasions, other productions have included characters resembling members of the Dad's Army platoon for comic effect:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The 1987 movie Hope and Glory includes a scene in which members of the Home Guard, looking like characters from Dad's Army, bring an escaped barrage balloon under control.
• Characters called Mainwaring (Alec Linstead), Wilson (Terence Hardiman) and a clerk similar to Pike appear in a scene set in a 1940s bank in an episode of the 1990s time travel sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. The central character, Gary Sparrow (played by Nicholas Lyndhurst), who is from the 1990s, is astounded to learn that the three are all members of the local Home Guard platoon, and sings some lines of "Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler?" at them.

For three weeks in January 1971 Clive Dunn, dressed not unlike Corporal Jones out of uniform, was top of the UK music charts with the single "Grandad".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jones's catchphrase "Don't panic!" may have inspired Douglas Adams to use the same phrase on the cover of the fictional Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the radio series, book, TV series, computer game and film of the same name.

Related Topics:
Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Recently the British National Party (BNP) have used the show's introduction cartoon ? which traditionally displayed the Nazi's advancing arrows being halted by a British arrow which had just previously retreated across the channel back to the English coast. The BNP's version is a Euro-sceptic one. It displays Britain?s retreat from the advancing European Union (EU) and as in the original the Union Flag is seen defending Britain?s borders from foreign penetration. It concludes with the defeat of the EU and the restoration of national prominence across the continent. It can be viewed here http://www.bnp.org.uk/images/movies/dadsarmy.swf. (double click and wait a while - takes about 20 - 25 seconds)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~