Dad’s Army remake is a valiant effort and full of nostalgia – but the cast can never truly own the characters
Dad’s Army is, in my view, the finest sitcom in British TV history - and even those who may argue for others would largely agree it’s among the greats.
So UKTV’s bold bid to recreate that magic by reproducing three long lost episodes from the show’s early years was always going to be a tough ask. Perhaps even impossible.
To quote the great Sergeant Wilson, “Do you think that’s wise?”
The original trio of storylines fell victim to the BBC’s habit of reusing video tape to save costs, with the black and white instalments now lost for ever and unseen for decades, prompting producers to dig out David Croft and Jimmy Perry’s timeless scripts and pull together a stellar cast of British actors to fill in the gaps - in full colour, too.
And nobody could accuse this of being anything less than a most valiant effort - helped enormously by the genius of the writers and an impressive attention to detail when recreating the now iconic sets.
The first of the episodes, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Walker, saw wheeler-dealer Private Walker, played here by Mathew Horne, called up to the regular army - prompting panic among his Home Guard comrades that his departure will mark an end to his black market whisky and cigarettes, or “essential supplies” as he prefers to label them.
The storyline is slick, sparking typically well-intentioned but ultimately hapless efforts from the Walmington-on-Sea platoon to keep their pal in the fold - before his reprieve arrives though an unexpected twist and pompous Captain Mainwaring claims the credit as his own anyway.
It’s classic stuff.
But there is, sadly, a catch - despite admirable efforts across the board, the cast can never truly own the characters, and have to make do with imitating the original stars as best they can - working competently with Croft and Perry’s brilliant characterisations but at times over-acting in order to make the point clear.
Robert Bathurst comes closest with his knowing half-smiles and gentle ribbing of Mainwaring in his role as Sgt Wilson, and his subtle touching of his face and other physical nuances evoke most of John Le Mesurier’s original brilliance.
MOST READ IN TV & SHOWBIZ
Kevin McNally’s turn as the leading man feels like a top tribute act to a brilliant band - the songs are sensational but you never quite feel you’re watching the real deal, while the supporting cast also put on serviceable if not sensational impersonations of Corporal Jones and Privates Godfrey, Fraser and Pike.
What emerges is an enjoyable exercise in nostalgia, a welcome nod to the timeless genius of the show’s creators and for fans a fascinating insight into the gap in the storyline left blank for so long.
More than anything else, it throws new spotlight on the extraordinary world brought to life by original stars Arthur Lowe, Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn and co - and that can only be a good thing.
Dad's Army
★★★☆☆