Americans React to Dad's Army: British Comedy
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- Felipe and Lillian, Americans living in the UK, watch an excerpt from Dad's Army's "Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages" from Christmas Night with the Stars. Check out what these Americans think of classic British comedy!
VIDEO LINK: • Dad's Army Resisting t...
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The best episode is where Captain Mannering's brother shows up. Arthur Lowe plays both parts. It demonstrates what an underrated actor he was.
Mainwaring
When this aired, it was a homage to the Men of the Home Guard. In the show the men, for the most part, were buffoons and thats where the slapstick happened but it was always done with hand on heart affection and love for those older men who wanted to do 'their bit' again.
You see, the Home guard were veteran soldiers of the Great War. These men were as heroic as human beings can get and yet there was still room for a little ribbing and micky taking. THAT is what makes this a truly British. The ability to mock the sacred and to revere the inane.
No one took offence to this show. If you didnt like it, you didnt watch it.
My Grandfather was a WW1 Veteran and Home Guard in WW2 and he could relate to everything this show offered and loved it.
Yes my grandad experienced this. He was made a corporal because he was a fireman in the pit. His uniform was a black arm band. If they didn’t turn up for parade after a gruelling shift down the mine in the reserved occupation they could be arrested. Fireman was the collier who placed the dynamite charge into the coal seam. Some of the stories would make our hair curl these days. Yes there is humour here that requires respect.
Never take the piss out of dad's army that would be
sacrilege one of the most loved comedy's of all time on British TV
The best ever they were legends
Many of the cast were veterans, Godfrey ( the old fella playing Caesar) was a bona fide war hero from both world wars.
And a member of the Home Guard.
Some times you can catch a huge scar on one of his arms that he got in ww1
72boog Godfrey was fighting with 4 Germans in ww1 hand to hand combat,besides getting bayonet they rifle butted in the head where later on in life he was having complete blackouts for the rest of his life , except pike they all served in ww1 or ww2
I believe Arnold Ridley's war record and post war pacifism inspired the writing of the episode where Godfrey is rumoured to have been a conscientious objector (conchie) in the great war and is initially shunned by Mainwaring and the men, later it is revealed that he had been a stretcher bearer at the Somme and had saved many lives and been decorated for bravery. Another wonderful episode.
What a shame that you chose this episode . There were many that were better . It was a much loved series
Dads Army is one of those things that has great emotional significance to people, which is one of the reasons it is still popular today, people watched it with their elderly relatives and parents, and associate it with family.
Yeah I think Dad's Army and Last of the Summer Wine were aired so often they just became home comforts. Even when they were just on in the background with nobody really watching.
Also it's just really good
It provided a lot of social insight into characters everyone knows in real life, like blustering Mainwaring, effete Wilson, mummys boy Pike, ect., and also British sensibilities like understatement and a certain deference to authority. It makes it transcend the time in which it was made and in which it is set.
@@probablecausetocheckhard-drive And, ALWAYS shows up what utter stripe we are served up today
@Withnail Nothing in that list can come anywhere near the great comedy shows of the 60s and 70s.
Later shows relied on foul language rather than comedy.
"Your name will also go on ze list, what is it?"
"Don't tell him Pike"
"Pike" (writes down name)🤣😂
That has to be the most well known comedy line in history.
Really? Really? You've watched US, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, South African,. New Zealand, Australian comedy sufficiently to make such a bold statement?
I just watched that episode
When Germany wins you shall he prosecuted
Ha germany will never win
Yes they will
No they wont
@@clowncarqingdao What a pathetic comment.
I've seen every episode of DA many times over, but I don't remember ever seeing this one! Many of the actors were veterans not only of the army and the war but the stage also, Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier (Capt Mainwairing and Sergeant Wilson) were masters of their craft and for me the scenes they did together were always the highlight of each show, always funny, but often very touching too. It's timeless comedy, despite being set in one particular era, it will always have a special place in my heart and I'm sure that's true for most of us who grew up with it.
Me neither. If I could only have 1 boxset of a UK sitcom, it’d be Dad’s Army.
Actually, the bbc didnt want to make the show for fear of offending the generation that remembered the war, but those people found it hilarious. It was one of the most popular shows ever in the UK. The cast went on packed out tours doing it in theatres.
Harry Dibbs--- The reason' those people' found it so hilarious was because 'those people,' like me, lived through this period and knew, first hand, how totally laughable and useless the Home Guard was. They had little in the way of uniforms, no weaponry, almost no training and comprised of men unfit for call-up. I was too young but my brother-in-law was in, he was totally blind without his glasses and his feet were as flat as two planks. Had Hitler invaded these islands, which we now know, he had no intention of doing. We would have been sunk, kaput, dead ducks.
Most weeks nowadays, it's the top-rated show on BBC2.
@@dropperknot Well he certainly intended to, he just never built up enough to try and then went on a misguided eastern adventure instead.
I knew an old boy who was a Captain in the Black Watch in WW2 and it was one of his favourites, he had it on dvd.
Dads Army is classic comedy gold
I use to watch Dad's Army when I was a kid back in the 1970's. It was and still is one of my favourite TV shows. My mum and dad were children during the 2nd world war and enjoyed the comedy just as much as I did. The original cast made a cinematic version which came out in the 70's and recently there's been an updated version with a new cast in the cinimas. Great reaction 👏👍
The best of british comedy. well done. some of the best actors we have, under acting, great stuff. My grand dad was in the Home Guard and he said it was just like this.
Felipe it looks like you're finally staring to understand the English sense of humour,We have a dark sense of humour and we like to laugh at ourselves also.
If you cannot make fun of ones self. Then you cannot make fun of anything else. Take your children to a good Pantomime this Christmas holiday.
I advised them to do that, but they said they had trouble getting tickets.
The Home Guard was made up of war veterans, who had been through hell in the 1st world war. They formed to protect Britain and were very efficient. Dad's Army is a hilarious programme, with serious undertones. Many of the ex 1st world war veterans were used to putting their life on the line and were fearless. There are 2 younger exceptions. Private Pike is a young man, who was waiting for his call up papers. When he was called up, they discovered that he had a rare blood group and he was rejected and stayed in the Home Guard. The other is Private Walker, who was a spiv. I suppose in America, they would call him a scrounger. If you wanted it, he would get it for you. Women's stockings, whiskey, food etc. Many of the actors were also war veterans in real life. Corporal Jones, (Clive Dunn), was a prisoner of war in Germany. The old man Godfrey, (Arnold Ridley), had been badly injured on 3 occasions in the trenches; on 2 occasions very badly. He now walks with a limp.The Scottish Private Frazier, (John Laurie), had also experienced some terrible things in the war. Also those 2 characters were not police, they were ARP Wardens. It was their job to make sure that there were no lights showing during the blackout. If a bomb dropped, it was their job to attend to it. They were very brave; often pulling people, dead or alive, from demolished houses, while often having to put the fire out.
Not exactly, some Home Guard members were WW1 veterans but a large number were also 17 year old (and some 16) as conscription in the UK was from the age of 18. Another large group were those involved in reserved occupations or those who had medical conditions that prevented them from serving in the regular forces.
A major driver for the forming of the LDV later known as the Home Guard was to help control Vigilantism that had started to break out. By giving men on the home front an organisation to join it helped focus people rather than have them literally roam the fields and streets looking for Germans, Saboteurs, spies and all the problems that entailed with innocent people getting wrongly attacked.
My grandfather was in Dad's Army and he loved the show and said it was very accurate!
Sadly all passed away except for Ian Lavender (Pike), God bless them all.
And recently, Pike has now fallen in with the other members of his TV home guard.
I don't remember seeing this episode of Dad's Army. That was a treat. Also while the characters were silly at times they weren't just figures of fun in the series. There were episodes were their bravery was shown, although it's handled humourously and ends happily. There was even an episode exploring the issues of conscientious objection, so it was far from a show just taking the mickey out of some old men in the war. An all-time classic!
"Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages" is the second Christmas Night with the Stars sketch from the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on Christmas Day ( 18:45 Thursday, 25 December) 1969.
genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1969-12-25
Iconic comedy series written by the brilliant Perry and Croft who also gave us Allo allo, Hi di Hi....there's so many great moments in the series a timeless classic.
The home guard was made up mostly of men who were too old to fight in WW2, or people who managed to dodge the call up, or were too young. Normally they are dressed in army uniforms, but they only had one rifle for the whole platoon in the very first episode. They had pitchforks and other such weapons. The Home Guard were all over the U.K. My mother who lived through the war said that it was all very accurate and giggled all the way through all the episodes.
I grew up in New Zealand during the 70's and 80's and our TV content was a combination of British and American comedy. British and American comedy is just so different to each other and that's not even considering differences in language or colloquialisms. i've watched a few of your reaction videos to British comedy and i just want to say i love that you're giving these shows ago.
They weren’t police, they were called Air Raid Precaution Wardens. ARP wardens. They used to check people didn’t have lights showing and people had blackout curtains up
just a tip, although probably wont help as, if bbc want to take you out they will, but its "fair dealing law" in UK, not fair use. if you get into trouble with vids from uk producer, say fair dealing.
The veterans actually loved this show. My grandfather who fought in WW2 loved this show.
Great comedy , I laughed as a lad and now as an old fart . The fact that it's still broadcasted , is testimony in itself !
Not the best episode, there are a lot better episodes
BBC stopped it on you tube
Best episode?
I don't vant soggy fish and chips! I vant them krisp unt golden.
OR
Vat's your name?
Don't tell him Pike!
Don't tell him Pike !
Particularly the episode two and a half feathers
Back then, people were not precious, and were not 'offended'.
Really?
Have you seen the human centipede??
What he said about some vets being offended is true, but most people thought it was funny as the characters were stereotypical and over the top, but commonplace and reflected the many crazy schemes dreamed up. The "homeguard" was in fact a suicide squad and ultimately most people knew it wouldn't work.
@@christianbuczko1481 We know now that Germany could not have invaded, the home guard were a part of that.
@@jwadaow Germany didn't invade us because a). Goering failed in his promise to Hitler that he would destroy the RAF, meaning if Operation Sealion had gone ahead the Wermacht troops would have been sitting ducks in the flotilla of barges assembled in Holland for the job and b). following said failure, Hitler turned his attention to invading Russia instead. The Home Guard were of no concern or fear to Hitler. Despite the fact they obviously weren't as stupid or useless as this lot in real life, putting them against the German panzer divisions would have been as much use as a chocolate teapot.
I love Dad's Army. Very Special. I think the writers were sensitive to a possible backlash when it came out , but if you watch episode one it portrays Captain Mainwaring, and co, as comic but respects their bravery and tenacity at the same time. I hope you get to see a few more episodes.
It is interesting too because many of the cast actually served in WWII and some in WWI as well.
In fact, whilst being at type of comedic farce, Dad's Army was and remains a very comedic but beautiful portrayal of men who had fought in earlier wars, but who were now unable to go into battle due to age or other reason.
Perhaps, the most poignant character named Godfrey (Arnold Ridley) is portrayed as an aged man with weak plumbing. He appears as a harmless man, living with his two sisters, who often bake upside down cakes etc. for the platoon. The man himself, Arnold Ridley was a true war hero. He went over the top twice to get wounded men from no man's land during the Battle of the Somme, in WWI. He was severely wounded and sent home only to rejoin for WWII, He was retired in in 1940 and sent home, where he went and joined the Home Guard immediately.
The last episode of Dad's Army is a delight to watch and the way it finishes with the actors' own way to honour the men of the Home Guard is a delight to watch.
I’m sure that most people would agree that by far the best loved British sitcom was Steptoe and Son. This ran from the 60s through to the 70s. It really portrays post war Britain and a time now lost. Plenty on utube. Try watching the clip on bathing in the sink, it will leave you unable to speak with laughter.
Will give it a go!
Also, you need to see the opening sequence of the programme. For me, it’s one of the best opening sequences of all-time.
how about reacting to the 1970s Ronnie Barker sitcom Porridge its a true classic and
there are plenty of you tube clips from it
Good call, I have Porridge on DVD and can always watch it again and again, great writing, great acting, and the poignant moments are not overdone, but subtle. Tragi-comedy and pathos and observation of hum,an weakness and strength at it's finest.
Nostalgia and one of those rarities , a comedy with something for all the family..
Definitely not the best episode to base your judgement on the whole series. The Home Guard in fact was a mish mash ranging from ordinary citizens armed with pitchforks to trained saboteurs/assassins who were put in place to lead the counter-insurgency in the event of invasion. The Walmington On Sea Platoon depicted in this show are a highly stylised version of the Home Guard most of whom in reality didn't have uniforms let alone rifles and ammunition due to the pressures of keeping the front line troops supplied. I find the show to be a celebration of the spirit of the underdog in the face of adversity.
And always remember '' They Don't Like It Up 'Em '' lol :)
The majority was pitchforks, and latter you had the saboteurs etc.. Iir they was called Churchill secret commandos
I think you'll find that the trained assassins and sabotuers were actually the Auxiliary Units who had nothing to do with the Home Guard. They were small secret groups designed to be an underground resistance movement in the event of a successful German invasion. There may have been people who were in both the Auxiliary Units and the Home Guard but they were very different organisations designed for entirely different purposes.
@@GodlessScummer they was, but I was keeping it simple. You are correct.
Spot on, the Aux Units were "Home Guard" as it enabled them to divert any awkward questions as to their real purpose. Lots more info here for those who are interested. www.coleshillhouse.com/
They should have gone straight for the "Don't tell him, Pike!" bit. This experiment has been a bit wasted.
The best episode was the one when they capture a German U-boat crew and order fish and chips.
Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler,
If you think we're on the run?
We are the boys who will stop your little game.
We are the boys who will make you think again.
'Cause who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler,
If you think old England's done?
Mr. Brown goes off to town on the eight twenty-one,
But he comes home each evening and he's ready with his gun.
So who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler,
If you think old England's done?
The show's theme tune, "Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?" was Jimmy Perry's idea, intended as a gentle pastiche of wartime songs. It was the only pastiche in the series, as the other music used was contemporary to the 1940s. Perry wrote the lyrics himself and composed the music with Derek Taverner. Perry persuaded one of his childhood idols, wartime entertainer Bud Flanagan, to sing the theme for 100 guineas. Flanagan died less than a year after the recording. At the time it was widely believed to be a wartime song.
The version played over the opening credits differs slightly from the full version recorded by Flanagan; an edit removes, for timing reasons, two lines of lyric with the "middle eight" tune: "So watch out Mr Hitler, you have met your match in us/If you think you can crush us, we're afraid you've missed the bus." Bud Flanagan's full version appears as an Easter egg on the first series DVD release and on the authorised soundtrack CD issued by CD41. Arthur Lowe also recorded a full version of the theme.
The music over the opening credits was recorded at Riverside Studios, Bud Flanagan being accompanied by the Orchestra of the Band of the Coldstream Guards. The closing credits feature an instrumental march version of the song played by the Band of the Coldstream Guards conducted by Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) Trevor L. Sharpe, ending with the air-raid warning siren sounding all-clear. It is accompanied by a style of credits that became a trademark of David Croft: the caption "You have been watching", followed by vignettes of the main cast.
The series also contains genuine wartime and period songs between scenes, usually brief quotations that have some reference to the theme of the episode or the scene. Many appear on the CD soundtrack being the same versions used in the series.
Just read a book of actual soldiers experiences at Dunkirk and even then the British sense of humour shone through as a captain in the army recalled that on finally getting onto a boat he saw a man who looked like a steward on a passenger ferry. He was dying of thirst and jokingly asked the steward if there was any chance of a beer. "Certainly sir, but you must know the regulations say not until we're three miles out."
You're way off!
1) Allo Allo was made in the 80s, the drama it was a spoof of "Secret Army" was made in 1977 {8 years after this episode of Dad's Army.
2) We've been taking the mick out of our soldiers for much much longer than that - Dad's Army began in 68, The Navy Lark was first shown in 59.
Dad's Army is one of the most beloved shows on British TV of all time - By the mid 80s it was a bit played out with repeats yes and today its humour is certainly dated but in its time I doubt there was a person in the country who thought it was in any way "insulting" or "demeaning" to the Home Guard even though the Home Guard was mostly made up of young men who for one reason or another couldn't go to war {miners were exempt from going to war so were happy to join the Home Guard}.
Those characters may be stereotypes but there's a reason they're stereotypes, Every Brit in the 50s,60s and 70s knew men like them.
The show was clearly always a gentle spoof and not intended to be in any way nasty with its humour - "Nasty vicious" humour didn't really become a thing on British TV until the 90s and shows like The League of Gentlemen and Little Britain.
P.S. Obviously the comedy of this excerpt relies heavily on knowing each of the characters involved - Especially as it throws you straight into the situation without context or backstory. I'm not surprised you had trouble figuring things out BUT I did see you both laugh/crack grins multiple times so I'm guessing you'd definitely enjoy seeing more Dad's Army. {AVOID THE 2016 MOVIE THOUGH AT ALL COSTS!}.
P.P.S. The longest running comedy on British TV is "Last of the Summer Wine" with 31 series {seasons for Americans} between 1973 and 2010 - That should probably be added to your list of shows to react to.
as a longstanding Dad's Army fan I loved the movie, it also added in little bits of the various characters histories, Capt Mannering rather fancied himself as Churchill, Wilson had been a tutor at Oxford, Jones had never actually seen active cmbat, he'd been in the Catering Corps, Pike saw himself as a dashing lover/hero like Ronald Coleman
Fran Ohmsford God yes, avoid the 2016 movie! What a waste of a decent cast! Watch 'Wer'e Doomed!'-The Dad's Army Story' on iplayer.
It started out being humorous..."gentle comedy" if you will, but went on for decades too long. Flogged to death (continuing even after cast members started dying off).
ajivins1 ik
Fran Ohmsford I don’t remember The Navy Lark ever being on TV. I know I used to listen to it on the radio as a teenager, and nowadays it’s one of many radio programmes from those days that get repeated on Radio 4 Extra. Some others that we listen to are Hancock’s Half Hour ( which WAS actually on TV as well), The Goon Show, Beyond Our Ken etc.
Jimmy Perry, one of the writers of Dad's Army, was in the LDV while he waited for his call up papers. Many of the characters he wrote about are based on real people. The idea was not to belittle the Home Guard but pay homage to those who were too old or infirm to be recruited, often WWI veterans. These were men who, when Britain stood alone against fascism, armed themselves with pitchforks and cricket bats ready to defend the home front. As is often the case in times of great peril, humour carried the day, and that's what Perry remembered the most.
Jimmy Perry & David Croft also wrote it "ain`t Half Hot Mum" Jimmy Perry was served in India with a Concert Party and that programme is more reflective of Jimmy`s war.
Jimmy said Pike was based on himself
@@jrgboy yes he did. Stupid boy.
The actor who plays Private Godfrey (Arnold Ridley), was a real life war hero. He fought in World War 1 and World war 2 and also bacame a member of the Home Guard (which the comedy was based on) . He was on the very last ship that left France during the Battle of Boulogne, that took place after the evacuation of Dunkirk. He was then discharged on health grounds but later joined the Home guard. Such a remarkable man.
I know you're amused that people don't understand why you keep picking not very good clips, but they're correct, and you're laughing at them! If you're going to look at famous British comedies that are new to you, you can't do it just off the clips you've picked as they're not going to give you a true picture as to why British people love them. I think this explains why you tend to be a bit confused or lukewarm about these famous programmes. Overall that just makes your vids less watchable.
So, rather than thinking you have to be restricted to short out-of-context YT clips:
1) I'd suggest watching at least one, and ideally a few episodes of a programme, before you can comment on it. You don't have to show these in your video. But you personally watch them in their entirety. Then talk about it on camera afterwards. Under Fair Use you''re perfectly fine to include assorted bits from what you've seen. But we don't need to see the whole episode. A lot of these are well known by Brits anyway, so you talking about it will be enough.
2) If you really want to have the episode playing alongside your reaction, film yourselves for a whole one, and then cut it down to include only the best reactions, or things you think are the most important. Again under Fair Use you're permitted to do this (as you have in this video). After all, I doubt people would really want to watch you react for the whole 30 mins, so a cut down video would be perfect.
Other people have done successful reaction videos before, so I think that's why people are confused by your choice of out-of-context clips. I'm interested by your concept of seeing what you think of well loved British comedies that you have no experience of, but I feel you're letting yourselves down. Each video I've watched I've thought this'll be good, and then come away feeling underwhelmed, as you too seem to be by the shows.
You've got a good idea with your YT series, so don't use the excuse of being restricted by YT clips, and go as far as you can with this.
My name is David James too
Ha ha! There's a few of us around!
David James: Don't panic!!
Allo Allo was ten years later, based on The Secret Army a serious series about Allied soldier, mainly aircrew, escaping after being shot down, it was a parody of the film. Most of the Dad's Army cast were experienced in both WW1 & WW11 in one form or another. One of writers was in the Home Guard. There was an attempt to do a copy on American TV called The Rear Guard.
I remember this from 1969. Our family loved it. My father was called up at the end of the war and he loved it. The British psyche, certainly back then, was to make fun of adversity nd 25 years after the war that was still present. I started in a tiny village primary school in 1966. There was an air raid siren in one of the school out-buildings and we used to occasionally sneak in there and wind it up and then run. 😅
I've somehow never seen this episode despite having binge-watched almost every episode a couple years ago when I cast as Private Walker in a local production of the stage version of Dad's Army. Hadn't really watched the show a lot before then but quickly became a fan. I'mma have to track down this episode cos the footage used here made me laugh. :)
One of the things worth noticing about Dad's Army is the number of the cast who were veterans of one world war or another. Clive Dunn, the actor playing Cpl Jones, was captured with the rest of his regiment in Greece, and spent 4 years as a PoW; Arthur Lowe(Mainwaring) served in the Middle East in WW2; John le Mesurier(Wilson) in India; John Laurie(Frazer) France in WW1; not to mention Arnold Ridley(Godfrey; also as a bonus fact, Daisy Ridley's great-uncle), who was wounded multiple times in WW1, losing much of the function in his left hand and - after being battered on the head by a German rifle butt - was also prone to blackouts. Nevertheless, he re-enlisted in 1939, and had a non-combat role, shepherding journalists around the BEF in France in '39 and '40, before being evacuated on the last ship to leave Boulogne. He was medically discharged, and then joined his local Home Guard unit, although - having worked as both an actor and writer during the interwar period - he spent a lot of time working for ENSA(US equivalent is the USO).
You cannot review British comedy without watching Rising Damp or The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin, two very different but excellent comedy series starring the late great Leonard Rossiter. The latter being quite unique in conception, there has never been a sit com quite like it before or since, well worth a watch.
10:45 The guys with the tin hats were not policeman. Note the "W" on the front of the helmets, standing for "Warden", and the "ARP" armband, standing for "Air Raid Precautions".
tinyurl.com/yc8z5tmd
There was considerable hostility, played for comic effect, between Warden Hodges (with the armband) and Captain Mainwaring (pronounced "Mannering") in the series.
Ian Lavender, the youngster playing Philip of Spain (7:31), is one of only 2 actors from the series still alive. The other, Frank Williams, played the Vicar whose church hall was used by Mainwaring's platoon. In real life he was a member of the Church of England Synod until the turn of the century.
I agree with Lawrence Drew's earlier comment - not a typical episode to evaluate, though I appreciate the real thing isn't available on RUclips. This clip is the most famous of all:
ruclips.net/video/_YMVPXmaKds/видео.html
which is probably why the BBC itself has published it on RUclips.
Some mothers do have em has wholke episodes on you tube
the lead role "Frank Spencer" over a decade later became a lead opera/musical singer in "Phantom of the Opera"
It is a slapstick story of a lovable misfit juxtaposed against an authoritarian and structured society.
So people lie driving instructors, coaches, career guidance officers etc. are eventually driven insane by Spencer. Michael Crawford did all his own stunts for this series and some were quite spectacular such as the rink episode where he is jettisoned out the fire exit over a motorway bypass and grabs onto a passing bus and has to pay the fare!
The Home Guard were a volunteer militia totalling one and a half million men. They were usually men who were either too old or too young for service in the regular armed forces plus those men of military age in reserved occupations i.e. essential war workers such as miners, skilled factory workers , railway grades etc. They started off in 1940 in a very makeshift way without uniforms or guns (apart from what they could source from private sources) but within months they were properly uniformed and armed. The big debate about their use by the army in an invasion scenario was whether they should stand and fight like any other army unit (and possibly be destroyed like their German equivalent - the Volkssturm who did have to fight) or should they be taught and expected to become a guerrilla force if the country had been invaded?
E C I think the Home Guard would actually have been pretty good at fighting since so many of them would have been veterans/survivors of the Great War. In 1940 some would have had substantially more combat experience than many young men in the actual army.
Fraser, William the Conqueror, was really in the Home Guard and Jones, the farmer, was an actual POW. They both had stage careers before the war.
He also served in the Honourable Artillery Company during ww1 and was at the Somme.
My grandfather who was from a village called Bansha just outside Tipperary town was a member of the Homeguard in London during WW2. He came back to Ireland in 52
I don't recall there ever being any objection or offence caused by 'Dad's Army' (which aired many years before 'Allo Allo'). Unlike today, when people get offended if the wind blows in a direction they don't like, people rarely got offended in those days, unless it was something extreme and/or sexual. Anything that did offend would mostly be met with a stern "Tut!" or an exclamation of "This was in poor taste!"
I agree. My mum and dad loved it. My mum spent the whole of the blitz in London and my dad, after Dunkirk, was down on the South Coast with his regiment awaiting the invasion....they only 10 rounds each for their rifles.
They would cry with laughter and say things.like "Oh, do you remember that?"
Pvt. Godfrey (Caesar) played by Arnold Ridley fought in WW1 and was badly injured. He wrote several plays most notably The Ghost Train. The 'Norman' (John Laurie) was a Shakesperian actor.
Dads Army ran on the BBC from 1968-77 for 9 series and 3 Christmas specials,a total of 80 episodes.Series 1 and 2 were made in black and white,from series 3 it was made in colour.All of series 1 exists but of series 2 only 3 of the 6 episodes exist.Still repeated on terrestrial and satellite TV to this day,that's how popular it is.
My grandad was in the home guard, (he worked in an abattoir which was a reserved occupation & was in the sweet spot where he was too young to be called up in ww1 and narrowly too old in ww2.) He had some pretty funny stories from that time, but it was hard for everyone, he told me he was working 20 hours a day. It's hard for later generations to imagine the realities of what it was like to live in that time.
Anyways, I really like your channel. I don't agree with you on a number of topics, but it's impossible not to like your family. You both seem like fantastic parents & your littluns are adorable. Out of nerdy curiosity, what was the tabletop game Felipe was playing with his friends when he went back to the USA (sorry I don't remember which video)? Anyways, stay happy & well all of you!
You should do a video on "One Foot In The Grave"
Yes. Another superb comedy series!
Very gentle comedy, with superb memorable characters- my mum's favourite programme. This episode is one I don't remember seeing and doesn't seem typical. The most famous line may be "Don't tell him, Pike"
There's all kinds of full episodes of Dad's Army available on You Tube, now. WATCH THEM ALL!!!!!!! One of my absolute favorite shows. Another is BLACK ADDER with Rowan Atkinson who is AKA MR. BEAN 🙂
you must watch Mr Bean stuffing the Christmas turkey, also in the dentist's chair, hilarious.
And Godfrey, Caesar, was an actual WW1 veteran. He also wrote the stage production of The Mousetrap.
Took a bayonet through the arm and re-inlisted in ww2.
William Arnold Ridley, OBE (7 January 1896 - 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, earlier in his career known for writing the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Godfrey in the British sitcom Dad's Army (1968-1977). Ridley was a student teacher and had made his theatrical debut in Prunella at the Theatre Royal, Bristol, when he volunteered for British Army service in August 1914, upon the outbreak of the First World War. He was rejected due to a hammer toe, but in 1915 was able to enlist as private No.20481 in the Somerset Light Infantry. He saw active service in the war, sustaining several serious injuries: his left hand was left virtually useless by injuries sustained on the Somme; his legs were riddled with shrapnel; he was bayonetted in the groin; and the legacy of a blow to the head by a German soldier's rifle butt left him prone to blackouts.He was medically discharged from the army with the rank of Lance Corporal.
Ridley rejoined the army in 1939 following the outbreak of the Second World War.He was commissioned into the General List on 7 October 1939 as a second lieutenant and was given the service number 103663.He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France during the "Phoney War", employed as a "Conducting Officer" tasked with supervising journalists who were visiting the front line. In May 1940,Ridley returned to Britain on the grossly overcrowded destroyer HMS Vimera, which was the last British ship to escape from the harbour during the Battle of Boulogne.Shortly afterwards, he was discharged on health grounds.He relinquished his commission as a captain on 1 June 1940.He subsequently joined the Home Guard in his home town of Caterham, and ENSA with which he toured the country.He described his wartime experiences in Desert Island Discs in 1973. After his medical discharge in 1916, Ridley went into acting. In 1918, he joined Birmingham Repertory Theatre, staying for two years and playing 40 parts, before moving on to Plymouth, where he eventually had a break from the stage when his war injuries began to trouble him.
After being stranded for an evening at Mangotsfield railway station, near Bristol, Ridley was inspired to write the play The Ghost Train (1923).It was a tale of passengers stranded at a haunted railway station in Cornwall, with one of the characters being a detective trying to catch Russian agents. The show became a huge success, enjoying 665 performances in London's West End and two revivals. The Ghost Train was first filmed in 1931 and again in 1941 when it starred Arthur Askey. Ridley also wrote more than 30 other plays including The Wrecker (1924), Keepers of Youth (1929), The Flying Fool (1929) and Recipe for Murder (1932).
During his time in military service in the Second World War he adapted the Agatha Christie novel Peril at End House into a West End play that premiered in 1940. Ridley's post-war play, Beggar My Neighbour, was first performed in 1951 and adapted for the Ealing Comedy film Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953).
Ridley worked regularly as an actor, including an appearance in the British comedy Crooks in Cloisters (1964). He also played Doughy Hood, the village baker, in the radio soap opera The Archers and the Rev. Guy Atkins in the ITV soap Crossroads from the programme's inception in 1964 until 1968. However, he became a household name only after he was cast as Private Godfrey, the gentle platoon medic in the popular British comedy Dad's Army (1968-1977). He continued to appear into his eighties, and was appointed an OBE in the 1982 Queen's New Year Honours List, for services to the theatre.
He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London’s Marylebone Station.
@@futtocks23 So pleased you mentioned his time in The Archers.
John Laurie was also a WW1 veteran, John Le Mesurier and Arthur Lowe served in WW2 as did Clive Dunn. Clive Dunn was a POW in Austria for 4 years. A number of other actors were veterans along with the writers Croft and Perry.
It was Ghost Train he wrote not The Mousetrap.
Glad it made you laugh. Imo it's the best British sitcom - but like anything from the past my opinion is mixed in with memories of my grandmother laughing her head off and the conversations we'd have about her wartime experiences.
This was my dear dad's favourite show. He used to ring me and remind me when it was on. It's now my favourite too. By the way there is also a radio adaptation--same cast, same stories, and is always being rerun on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Certainly my favourite programme and probably the greatest comedy ever. Frankly it is too great to be the subject of some “let’s react” RUclips video. They were never going to do Dad’s Army justice in this format.
Britain were very proud of their home guard. This comedy was loved and is loved by generations.
My grandfather was a Dunkirk veteran and he would never talk about the war. Whenever I went to around to visit my grandparents; this always seemed to be on their television.
Im only 17 and ive been watching this show for a long time, you cant get enough of it, 9 seasons, 3 christnas specials and 2 movies
They are re-making three of the lost episodes with Sir David Jason, Hugh Laurie.
That was Hodges - air raid warden (with the captured German Pilot) played by Bill Pertwee who was Jon Pertwee's (Dr Who ) cousin.
You should find an episode called "The Deadly Attachment", it has one of the most famous lines in british comedy history with a u-boat which goes "your name shall also go on the list what is it" manaring responds "don't tell him pike" u-boat captain responds "pike".
The only episode there was an American version of-'Call-up the Guard'.
It was a shame that Ian Lavender (who played Frank Pike) did not get that line when he played a cameo in the film remake a year or two ago.
Not much point now you've spoiled it!!! You stupid boy
"If I tell you to eat soggy chips, you'll eat soggy chips!"
Funny that. The actor Philip Madoc, who played the U-Boat officer appeared in an old war film in which he's an E (or rather) S-Boat commander who ironically gets captured. Every German Kriegsmarine officer he played, ended up being taken prisoner it seems
This was a 'Christmas special' and the jokes were related to establish characterisations from the regular series and their catchphrases.
You did a great job of getting your heads around this, based on just a brief compilation and not being familiar with the characters.
There were a number of running gags which you wouldn't be able to pick up on, such as Corporal Jones (the man in the scarecrow costume) who was a WW1 veteran and slightly batty. His catch-phrases were ' DON'T PANIC!' (while panicking himself) and 'They don't like it up, em!' -referring to how the Germans didn't like being prodded with a bayonet or in this case a pitch-fork (as if anybody does!).
It's a sort of gentle, self-effacing comedy which is better when you get to know the various foibles of the characters. It puts me in mind a bit of that great US comedy 'Cheers' in that regard.
The main basis of why this series is much beloved and held fondly in Britain is because it is gently character based not vicious which can be watched by all the family. Arthur Lowe who plays Cpt.Mannering is rightly a comic genius in his timing.
FYI: The character of Godfrey was played by the late Arnold Ridley, who happens to be Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley's Great Uncle!
You need to watch The Legend that was John Noakes climbing Nelsons Column on Blue Peter.
By the way the 2 that had the German were not policemen they were ARP wardens.
ARPO wardends used to report on bombing incidents, and enforced the Blackout. Heavy curtains and shutters were required on all private residences, commercial premises, and factories to prevent light escaping and so making them a possible target for enemy bombers to locate their targets.
The Home Guard were a unit of generally older Men, mostly veterans of the First World War, who volunteered to be a back-up defence in the event of an invasion. They would assist the regular armed forces in repelling any such attempt by the Germans. Somewhat like a resistance movement, but more formalised.
Some Mothers Do Have Em, Fawlty Towers, Keeping Up Appearances, Father Ted, Are You Being Served, One Foot In The Grave, Only Fools and Horses, etc. are some of the programs I grew up on
They've actually done Keeping up appearances already but some good shouts there.
No police shown the guys in the suits were the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) the volunteer civil defence. The programme was absolutely loved by the WW2 generation.
+The Postmodern Family There are loads of good series in British comedy.
Bottom - with Rik Mayal and Adrian Edmondson
The young ones - with Rik Mayal, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan and Alexei Sayle
Keeping up apearances - with Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Josephine Tewson, Geoffrey Hughes, Judy Cornwell, Shirley Stelfox, Mary Millar, David Griffin
Aboslutely Fabulous - with Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, June Whitfield, Jane Horrocks
French and Saunders - with Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French
Are you being served - with Mollie Sugden, Trevor Bannister, Frank Thornton, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Arthur Brough, Nicholas Smith, Larry Martyn, Harold Bennett, Arthur English, James Hayter, Penny Irving, Vivienne Johnson, Alfie Bass, Mike Berry, Kenneth Waller, Candy Davis
The thin blue line - with Rowan Atkinson, James Dreyfus, Mina Anwar, Serena Evans, Rudolph Walker, David Haig, Kevin Allen, Mark Addy
Yes, Minister - with Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds
Red Dwarf - with Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Norman Lovett, Hattie Hayridge, Chloë Annett
The New Statesman - with Rik Mayall, Michael Troughton, Marsha Fitzalan, Charles Gray, Steve Nallon, John Nettleton, Rowena Cooper, John Nettleton
I probably forgot loads of other good series, but these are all quite good.
The home guard were known to be an ill-equipped outfit composed of the willing, but not necessarily able. There was a dire shortage of weapons and fit manpower that could be spared for the job. And, as I recall, there is a scene in the Battle of Britain movie (made around the same time) that showed a group of them marching with broomsticks, rather than with rifles.
Actually there were plenty of weapons, there were warehouses full of rifles from SMLE through to Long Lee and P14. The issue was distribution and priorities.The rifles in storage had to be sorted and then equipping of regular army units took priority over the LDV/Home Guard.
The main areas of shortage in 1940 was Artillery, Light Machine Guns and Sub Machine Guns. In respect of Artillery many had been left behind by the BEF as were the BREN guns. The British Army didn't even decide to equip with a Sub Machine gun until just before the war started. There were plenty of Heavy Machine Guns in storage but again the priority was the regular army.
It was a massive logistic mess made worse by the wide assortment of equipment that eventually made it to the Home Guard. It wasn't until 1943 that the Home Guard was properly and most importantly consistently equipped.
Oh, I see...Thanks for that info!
You might find it surprising but a large amount of weapons in storage were never even issued and eventually dumped into the sea at the end of the war. For example the British Army had lots of SMLE and P14 in storage all chambered in .303 but by 1941 the Army had standardised on the No.4 rifle and it made more logistical sense to equip units with that then SMLE or P14 let alone Long Lee or Martini rifles in .303.
The No.4 was itself a wartime expediency measure with the intention by 1943 that it would be replaced by a Self Loading rifle and by 1944 the Army General staff had already made the decision that the German 7.92x57 round would be adopted as the new British service round in a new self loading rifle. Some self loading rifles were ordered for combat trials but D-Day, the end of the war and the chance to inspect German STG-44 chambered in an intermediate round changed those plans.
I have a hunch that the reason M1917 in .30-06 were procured especially for the Home Guard from the US was down to logistics. It didn't use ammunition needed for the war effort and rather than wasting personnel trying to sort out suitable rifles from our own stocks it was far easier to pay the Americans to do it. All the rifles used in the Dads Army TV series were M1917 chambered in .30-06 despite Mainwaring calling them .303 Lee Enfields.
You are very well informed on this issue. Fortunately for me, perhaps, I wasn’t around in those days, and that includes the Korean War period. Even the lengthy ‘National Service’ period had ended when I was still in short trousers. All that I ever had to contend with was the repeated threat, rather than reality, of nuclear annihilation.
True
Dads Army is a beloved national institution within the UK, it is important to note that underlying the comedy is a commentary about Class and Social change.
A good way for new viewers to engage with it is to watch the 1971 spin off film that used the same cast and in effect retold the events of the first couple of series.
I don't know where you guys are looking but there are several complete episodes on YT.
You can find full episodes of one foot in the grave on RUclips. That was one of the biggest comedy shows of the 90's.
Jimmy Perry(of the Writers) was in the Home Guard. The stupid boy was based on himself.... Allo Allo was also written by him and David Croft....
The guys bringing in the downed pilot are not police but ARP or Air Raid Precautions officers who's job it was to make sure no lights were shown after dark. They also have a "W" on their helmets showing them to be air raid wardens who would try and get people to shelter as quickly as possible.
You should check out- Steptoe and son, Still game, Extras and Bottom.
Bottom. The best Friday night home from the pub silly anarchic pointless funny and best
The film (movie) "Dads Army" gives more context and is a gem of a film in the way it encapsulates the British mind set at the time and the way we loved to laugh at ourselves.
I honestly don't think anyone would have been offended by Dad's Army. Even those that they represented, because Brits used to be good at laughing at themselves and they respected a joke even if it was about them, as long as it was made in good spirit, which Dad's Army was. There's an element of ridicule, but they are ridiculing the insanity of war itself, not individuals.
Dads Army become one of the top & best loved shows in the 1970s what the with the U boat captain
Utterly bizarre episode but glad you've featured it, I'm not sure I ever saw this one. One Foot In The Grave, Only Fools & Horses (these two in particular) and, in some episodes, Dad's Army and Vicar of Dibley were all excellent at mixing the humorous situations and the characters with catchphrases/recurring themes with some real emotions and moments that make you really think and forget you're watching a comedy - One Foot In The Grave where Margaret loses her job/Victor dies... Dad's Army when Mainwaring falls in love outside of his marriage/the troop finally get their rifles/Fraser tells one of his ghostly stories, Only Fools & Horses when Rodney & Cassandra suffer a miscarriage... others you should check out from more recent times are Gavin & Stacey, Father Ted and The Royle Family.
It's very very sweet watching you try and work out the humour in Dad's Army almost impossible unless you're actually British it's so drenched in subtle coded references and class signifiers that it would be very difficult for you to be laughing in the way we do at it
Allo Allo wasa comedy version of A Secret Army set in a Café in BELGIUM, not France. Bernard Heplow I believe was the star. The Final episode was the most dramatic with the Belgiums trying to lynch Bernard/Rene. Nice to see the USA trying to understand UK comedy. We love it as Brits but is probably because we are eccentric (posh for bonkers).
This series was hilariously popular here in Denmark - a pity that you missed so much fun with the brave men :-)
Can you react to fawlty towers?
Both of you ,grow up
ruclips.net/video/lnio5d8Ya2k/видео.html
To be fair, Fawlty Towers is quite big in America, so they have probably seen it before.
Shall I compare thee to a Summers Day ?
Grew up watching this and still love it today, also ain't half hot mum , my 22year old daughter love all British comedy
'Dad's Army' is a light-hearted bit of whimsy, gently mocking the exploits of the Home Guard.. BUT the programme is much loved even now, decades on.. As is is set during the war, it doesn't date.. I love watching DA, Only Fools and Horses, Hi De Hi, you could try and have a look for snippets of 'You Rang M'Lord' as some of the characters from 'Hi De Hi' and 'It Ain't 'Alf Hot Mum' are in it too.. Cracking bit of telly..
Best wishes to you both from Wales :D
One of the weirdest interviews regarding the show was a chap talking to Ian Lavender around 1985, he asked Ian who was still alive & they went through the cast and the only others at the time were Clive Dunn , Frank Williams & Bill Pertwee along with Ian , then the interviewer asked if they would be making any more episodes, Ian just said 'WHAT !!!', crazy
The Deadly Attachment was the best episode.
I don't know why you can't find full episodes - I live in the US and I've got 'em.
Ahh the Wilson/Mainwaring dynamic, touched upon in this clip but so much better conveyed in other episodes. For those who don't get what that acrimonious dynamic was all about, it stems from Mainwaring, the 'lower middle class' bank manager appointed as Captain of the local Homeguard division effectively feeling rubbed up by his subordinate Wilson (from a higher social class at the time) for not having 'earned' his position in life through 'proper' work.
And a note, those bringing in the German pilot at the end were not police, they were air raid wardens (ARP) and again, there's a class animosity portrayed between the chief ARP (Hodges, the greengrocer by trade) and Mainwaring
theagg: Mainwaring also didn't like the fact that Wilson had been an officer in the army during WW1.
Don't tell him Pike. Best Dad's Army scene.
Dad’s Army is a national institution. It’s everything we hope to be. Stoicism, camaraderie and the ability to not take ourselves too seriously.
The final scene of the final episode will tell you everything you need to know about the British psyche.
The comedy is interwoven with class snobbery. The Captain was a frustrated bank manager, in command of his business neighbours: Lance Corporal Jones (town butcher), Frazier (undertaker), Walker (local black-marketeer). Sgt Wilson was effortlessly superior, yet subordinate: highly decorated in WW1, member of the golf club, adored by the women - all that Capt Mainwaring wasn't. Wilson is my favourite character, he just thinks WW2 is the most terrible bore with too much shouting!
As a Londoner of 30 years, I have enjoyed Felipe & Lillian's posts - keep it going!
Mainwaring served in france 1919
Oh yes (hahaha), for which he wasn't decorated; love the way Wilson casually owns-up to his gallantry award of the Military Cross, when pressed - effortless superiority (and Mainwaring knows it)!
Sergeant Wilson was polite and refused to shout. "Have the men fall in". "Men, if you wouldn't mind, Captain Mainwaring says it's time to fall in."
Something like this if this aired for the first time it would most definitely get cancelled. I absolutely love dad’s army. Been watching it since I was very young