|
Post by WhitehouseFilms on Dec 31, 2015 15:05:29 GMT
I thought I'd give you my opinions on the drama feature relating to the making of Dads Army that was shown during the Christmas period. We're Doomed: The Dad's Army Story looks back at how the idea and making of the comedy went about, how David Croft and Jimmy Perry teamed up and the difficulty of getting the BBC to accept the show to be broadcasted. When I sat down to watch it I was intrigue to see how it would go about. I have heard from interviews on how the casting went about and also how the actors used to be like when on set. The story was well put together and it looks like they got most the details correct. True, it stated at the beginning that parts of the drama was fictionalised but at times it was hard to figure what parts were fiction as from what I heard from Jimmy and David's interviews before, it seems quite close to the real thing. The casting was something I quite liked. Each actor got the look and personality right down to a tee with the original cast. I especially liked Mark Heap portraying Clive Dunn, Ralph Riach as John Laurie, Michael Cochrane as Arnold Ridley and Richard Dormer as David Croft. To me, like Tom Hanks in 'Saving Mr Banks', it looked as if I was actually seeing the real people on screen and they almost sound exactly like them too. I'd say it's worth having a look at and is a nice behind the scenes feature of the making of a well loved Classic Comedy. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06t3m7t/were-doomed-the-dads-army-storyAlso here's something I stumbled across. I think I heard somewhere that this is the last time Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier portrayed characters similar to those of Mainwaring and Wilson.
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Dec 31, 2015 19:20:09 GMT
I rather enjoyed "We're Doomed" as well, although it felt a trifle rushed. The "Eric & Ernie" TV movie of a few years ago was 90 mins, and I think this would have benefited from a similar running time to give the story more room to breathe. Clive Dunn's part in it could have been expanded on considerably, since he was one of the three main players. The bit with Arthur and the Shredded Wheat was an amusing highlight! I definitely remember that being mentioned in an earlier documentary. Casting was pretty good all round, and most of the voices seemed to be spot on, although John Laurie's accent needed to be a little stronger perhaps. Also here's something I stumbled across. I think I heard somewhere that this is the last time Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier portrayed characters similar to those of Mainwaring and Wilson. There's also this, although I'm unsure whether it came before or after the Wispa ad: Roll on February and the new movie!
|
|
|
Post by Culdee Fell on Jan 1, 2016 9:24:44 GMT
I really liked this as well, but agree that at 60 minutes it did seem a little rushed. I appreciate that the idea was to tell the story of "the early years" but it would have been nice to see them cover the whole of the show's nine year run, including James Beck's tragic early death and how the show responded to that.
That said, We're Doomed was a very strong and enjoyable piece of television in it's own right. The central duo of Jimmy Perry and David Croft were great to watch together, and all the rest of the cast were good too. I especially liked the scene where Arnold Ridley talks to Jimmy Perry about his plays and how he had to sell off the rights to them. That was a touching moment.
|
|
|
Post by slornie on Jan 3, 2016 18:54:24 GMT
Yeah, it was definitely an enjoyable watch and left me wanting for more. I think in terms of the show feeling rushed, I wonder how much of that is down to the production itself being rushed. One of the cast said it was shot in just two weeks instead of four: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34831238
|
|
thomasfansince1983
Goods Engine
Hi there,I've been a big fan of Thomas since I was born in 1983,it's great to find such a nice site.
Posts: 266
|
Post by thomasfansince1983 on Feb 3, 2016 18:41:36 GMT
I got the DVD of We're Doomed on Monday from Amazon, great viewing indeed.
|
|
|
Post by Culdee Fell on Feb 5, 2016 0:39:32 GMT
|
|
|
Post by WhitehouseFilms on Feb 6, 2016 16:11:24 GMT
Later this evening I'll be seeing the new Dad's Army Film so afterwards I'll write up a small review of what I thought of the film. I also managed to have a look at the animated episode that Culdee Fell mentioned and I must say it is really good. At first I thought they were going to use the radio version of the episode for the audio but hearing this is something quite remarkable.
|
|
|
Post by Culdee Fell on Feb 6, 2016 21:28:35 GMT
I'll look forward to hearing what you thought of it. In the meantime, for those of you who care about archive television or animation there's a lovely blog on the BBC website talking about the process of making the animated version of A Stripe For Frazer by Charles Norton, the producer, from the initial idea to the final result. www.bbcpersian.com/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/c0bd7edb-5be3-4d4f-b36d-7ab6d91e22ef
|
|
|
Post by WhitehouseFilms on Feb 6, 2016 22:21:53 GMT
Something else that I found that you might like. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35492517Anyways, I've just got back from the cinema and so, with permission to type, is my review of the 2016 film. Dad's Army - The Movie 2016 First impressionsWhen I first heard that they were going to make a new Dad's Army film, myself and some friends who enjoyed the original series were worried that it would bomb, no pun intended. But after seeing the cast that was to appear in the film, our impression changed slightly. The cast, when in costume, do look roughly like the characters from the series but with execptable alterations. Jones being slightly taller being one of these. But after seeing the first 2 trailers, I was definitely looking forward to seeing the film in it's entirely, making sure I avoided some of the preview clips that have been scattered about YouTube with one exception which featured an interview with Jimmy Perry who gave his good views on the project. "When I read the script, i thought it was great. They've got the story, they've got the characters, they've got it right." So with that said let's take a look at the film... The FilmWithout giving too much away, the story focuses on the Home Guard, lead by Captain George Mainwaring. The platoon are informed that a German Spy is located somewhere in Warmington on Sea sending out messages to Berlin and it's up to our boys to stop their plans from carrying out. I thought the story was very well written and certianly feels like a story from the original series. Each character get's their own time in and it plays it out well with humerous moments now and again. The big reveal is easily noticed but it pans out OK throughout the film, but the main people who worked the whole plan out was whom I wouldn't have known would work it out. I shan't give away who it is but you'll be surprised. As said in appearance, the cast look roughly like the characters and some of which play thier roles quite well. Michael Gambon as Godfrey was brilliant. He got the character spot on and looks like he's enjoying every minute of being onscreen. Other characters such as Pike, Walker and Hodges were also quite good, keeping true to the characters bio. Mainwaring and Wilson were good too but I often thought that they may have had a cold during this time. Every now and again, Wilson would give a snort while Mainwaring sounds like he's got a blocked nose. HIs voice is also kind of high in parts but they both play out alright. Jones, one of my fav characters from the show, delivers his lines quite slow, particuallry when drilling the men. But again, he plays out OK. The only one that I feel was off was Frazer. I think the characters needs a more stronger accent, even though the actor is from Scotland I just think a bit more would do it. The big surprise is the unvailing of Elizabeth Mainwaring and belive me, Mainwaring has every right to be afriad of her. But here's something that I noticed when the character was on screen. The way the writers wrote the character ties in with some behind the scenes from the original show on how the character was originally going to be. So merging that with the one we know from the series is quite interesting indeed. And of corse we couldn't forget Ian Lavender and Frank Williams who played their bits in the film. Frank, reprising his role as the vicar, played out very well and kept to his original charcter all the time he was on screen. Ian also did very well in his role and perfromed it really well. The only character whose not in the film is the verger which is a pity as he would have been a charcter to feature. So, to finish I think this movie is quite impressive. Knowing that it was going to be difficult to keep true to the original feel of the series everyone, like the real thing, played thier part and did the best that they could do. So I'd recommend checking out the film for nostalgia purposes and even though it's not the actual cast, they do bring out the characters that they set out to perform as.
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Feb 8, 2016 20:11:49 GMT
Just back from seeing this and really enjoyed it. I feel it struck the right balance between an affectionate homage to original show and doing it's own thing. The tone was a little different to the sitcom and even that of the previous film, with some surprisingly dark, dramatic moments that fit right in among a steady stream of laughs. Some ramblings about the cast, who were mostly wonderful: {Spoiler}- Toby Jones and Michael Gambon stole the show for me personally with their portrayals of Mainwaring and Godfrey respectively. - Cpl. Jones was a lot better than the preview clips I'd seen, but still played a little bit too calmly IMO. Needed more energy. Surprisingly no "They don't like it up 'em" unless I missed that... - I would have liked to have seen much more of Hodges, as the guy they cast didn't do a bad job. - Initially, I was a little concerned by how Mainwaring's wife would be handled, but on the whole she and all the other female characters were written in rather well, especially with the ATS having more involvement in the story. - Been rewatching a lot of One Foot in the Grave recently, so it was a lovely surprise to see Victor's other half (Annette Crosby) turn up playing Godfrey's sister. - Bill Nighy was the only real disappointing note. I wasn't expecting a carbon copy of John Le Mesurier, but he just didn't work for me. Seemed almost a little too vague at times, and there was little chemistry between Mainwaring and Wilson. To be fair, I think John brought a lot of himself to the part, so I imagine the character is very difficult to recapture. On the whole though, a real treat and definitely one of the best British films I've seen in years. Don't listen to the negative reviews in the press.
|
|
thomasfansince1983
Goods Engine
Hi there,I've been a big fan of Thomas since I was born in 1983,it's great to find such a nice site.
Posts: 266
|
Post by thomasfansince1983 on Feb 11, 2016 20:50:09 GMT
I'm seeing the film on Sunday afternoon, can't wait, I'm sure I will not be disappointed.
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Sept 22, 2018 13:15:58 GMT
There's also this, although I'm unsure whether it came before or after the Wispa ad: Just following this up - rather appropriately on what would have been Arthur Lowe's 103rd birthday! I've found a second Barclay's advert featuring Arthur and Ian Lavender as their DA characters. This one is worth watching to hear a familiar catchphrase one last time:
|
|
|
Post by Culdee Fell on Sept 22, 2018 13:20:54 GMT
Just following this up - rather appropriately on what would have been Arthur Lowe's 103rd birthday! I've found a second Barclay's advert featuring Arthur and Ian Lavender as their DA characters. This one is worth watching to hear a familiar catchphrase one last time: They guarantee a mortgage if the couple have been saving with them for at least a year? Wow, the world has changed.
|
|
|
Post by Rusty Red Scrap Iron on Sept 4, 2019 11:37:33 GMT
So I recently watched the remade Lost Episodes of Dad's Army, and I must say that I rather enjoyed them - more so than the one-off special of Are You Being Served in 2016, these episodes didn't feel too PC if at all. I was pretty much picturing the original cast in their perspective roles when watching these remade episodes.
As far as the casting for these remade lost episodes go, got to give my thumbs up to the actor playing Captain Square or rather Corporal Colonel Square as the case was and to Timothy West as Private Godfrey. But as ever with these things - especially with something as treasured and loved as much as Dad's Army is from the generation who viewed it when it initially aired to the generation of today, nothing will ever beat the original cast.
But I'm pretty sure that both David Croft and Jimmy Perry would certainly be giving their thumbs up from above, along with the cast who still entertain us with this classic that'll certainly be treasured for many more years to come. But I'm curious as to what Ian Lavender's thoughts were on them since he's the sole actor of the Home Guard still with us along with the Vicar Frank Williams (obviously not to be confused with Sir Frank Williams founder and manager of the Williams Formula One team).
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 7, 2019 22:35:32 GMT
I did read into this a while back; even though there are three episodes of Dad's Army missing, if we are putting things in perspective, this sitcom actually is pretty lucky considering the other shows of the era.
Some shows are completely missing, others only have a few episodes existing. Doctor Who has a fanbase on the hunt for it's 97 missing episodes.
Apparently the only show from this period that is completely intact is Steptoe and Son... and even then the quality varies.
Back to Dad's Army- I havent seen the show yet but I have heard good things about it. Would you recommend it?
|
|
|
Post by Ian on Sept 8, 2019 6:54:53 GMT
Like all shows, there are some weak moments in Dad's Army, but they are relatively rare. Like many David Croft comedies- Are You Being Served?, It Ain't Half Hot, Hi-de-Hi!- it lingered maybe a series or two too long and was starting to tail off towards the end.
But all these years on its getting repeated in a prime time Saturday night slot, which probably tells you all you need to know. I'd certainly recommend it, though would advocate starting with Series 1 Episode 1 and working through in order. The early episodes show the development of both the LDV and the characters within it.
|
|
|
Post by OldReliableIronNo.2 on Sept 3, 2021 6:54:22 GMT
Ah, Dad's Army. Another one of the British greats.
As for the catchphrases, the one I often like to repeat to myself the most is "You stupid boy".
And how can we ever forget that most iconic moment when Captain Mainwaring unintentionally blurts out Pike's name in front of that German U-boat captain that is taking notes? Absolute genius!
It's shows like this that make you wish you were born earlier, around in the days when comedy was comedy, not like some of the modern malarkey we get nowadays.
In short, an all time classic from the minds of Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and one of my favourite shows altogether.
|
|
Madness
Main Line Engine
Posts: 1,990
|
Post by Madness on Jun 26, 2022 22:07:09 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Rusty Red Scrap Iron on Jul 2, 2022 17:01:55 GMT
Its sad that Frank has now left us, as of the initial main cast and characters, Ian Lavender is the only one left from Dad's Army. But like all the greats, Frank leaves an everlasting legacy for his portrayal of the Vicar in Dad's Army, and that he was able to reprise his role in the 2016 film (regardless what many hardcore fans thought about that Dad's Army film).
|
|
|
Post by OldReliableIronNo.2 on Jan 26, 2023 9:01:20 GMT
|
|