Dads army returns...

cloud493

As a film. Christ.

The classic BBC sitcom is being made into a film featuring Bill Nighy as Sergeant Wilson and Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring

With more than 80 episodes and three stage shows under his belt, it is little wonder Dad's Army creator Jimmy Perry, 90, has agreed to a remake on the condition he doesn’t have to do anything.

But thanks to his blessing, the hugely popular BBC show, which is still repeated almost half a century after it first aired, is to be made into a feature length film for the second time.

Toby Jones, know for his role as Truman Capote in Infamous, will play the Captain Mainwaring, whilst Bill Nighy, of Love Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean fame, will take play Sergeant Wilson.

The roles were originally made famous by Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier.

Perry has sold the rights for a film, which he says has “been in the air for a long time”, on one condition.

“Up to now I haven't taken it too seriously because when I signed the contract to release the film rights, one provision was that I didn't have to write anything, I didn't have to do anything. I believe in letting people get on with it,” he told Radio 5 Live.

"It's been an amazing thing in my life, really. Wherever I go it follows me.”

When asked if he would have a hand in the casting, Perry added: "Not really - I mean you know, there comes a time in your life - don't forget I'm 90 now, a very old person.

"But there comes a time when you say well there you are, you've got it, now you do what you want to do with it. You cannot interfere if you're going to sell a thing like that.”

The black and white sitcom, which aired from 1968 to 1977, attracted an audience of nearly 20 million in its heyday, with almost two million still tuning in for Sunday night repeats.

The show, which ran for nine series and 80 episodes in total, won a Bafta for best comedy in 1971 and led to a film in the same year, meaning this will be the second time the bumbling Home Guard troop march onto the big screen.

While the cast is new, with many of the original actors having passed away, not much else has changed.

The German army is still gathering in France and Captain Mainwaring, the humourless bank manager who commands the makeshift troop of unlikely soldiers, is ready to lead his men against the Nazis and defend his home town.

Set in the fictional town of Walmington-on-Sea, the show spawned a number of catchphrases including "Don't panic", the call by Corporal Jones every time things started to fall apart, and Captain Mainwaring’s put down “you stupid boy”,

Whilst their attempts to fight regularly ended in disaster on screen, many of the actors had first-hand experience of war including Arnold Ridley, who played Godfrey, who was wounded on the Somme, while Clive Dunn, who played the doddery Lance Corporal Jones, spent four years as a prisoner of war.

Damian Jones, the BAFTA award winning British producer famous for The History Boys and The Iron Lady, will produce the film and says the “universal appeal" of the show will make it a hit.

The fact there is to be a film was first revealed by Stuart Wright, the mayor of Thetford, in Norfolk, where the series is filmed, at a charity gala last week.

Mr Wright, who is also chairman of the Dad's Army Museum in the town, said they welcomed anything that would raise awareness of Dad’s Army and its links to the town.

“However we hope they do justice to what is a national institution, and that it will not be like some remakes which have not worked,” he said.

"The shows are being repeated on television and the audience figures are good. We had 10,000 visitors last year and they come from all over the country and as far afield as Australia, Canada and Holland, so the programme is a national treasure."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10790918/Dads-Army-to-march-back-on-to-the-screen.html

One word

Don't get me wrong, I love the show still. But the movie back in the 70s wasn't great, and this can't go well.

ScrubsfanChris

Dad's Army creator Jimmy Perry, 90, has agreed to a remake on the condition he doesn’t have to do anything.

What a contract

pixelburp

Jones and Nighy aren't bad names to get into the project to be fair; both have excellent comic timing in their blood and with the right script could make for an decent double-act. Nighy seems an odd choice mind you, given how twitchy and crotchety he can be; at first blush he seems to lack the gentle, decent deference of LeMesurier's Wilson.


Seems like an odd decision rather than an annoying one: digging old shows out from the grave almost never works (to the jury I submit the Martin Clunes reboot of Reginal Perrin) and one wonders who they think will want to see this. Dad's Army is a product of its time - that type of harmless, inoffensive, tea-time comedy that the BBC used to churn out. It's an utterly old-fashioned show and even back then it couldn't be translated into a feature-film; I've no idea how they think they could do it now.

cloud493

I just don't think you can replicate it. Theres only 2 members of the original cast still alive I think, Pike and the vicar, so I'd be interested to see if they had any input.

D-FENS

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

What a contract

I think David Moyes secured a similar one last year

cloud493

http://metro.co.uk/2014/10/08/dont-panic-theres-a-dads-army-movie-on-the-way-and-the-cast-is-amazing-4897722/


No good can come of this, me thinks.

cloud493

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nig2SQk6jx4

Still not excited.

Harry Palmr

Its a great cast one has to say but they are on a loser so well known is the series as its never off the air.

darkdubh

cloud493 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nig2SQk6jx4

Still not excited.

On the brink of defeat in 1944?Well I can see theyre not striving for historical accuracy straight away.

Zubeneschamali

cloud493 wrote: »

Pike and the vicar

IMDb lists Ian Lavendar (Pike) as "Brigadier Pritchard", and Frank Williams (the Vicar) as "The Reverend Timothy Farthing".

Dirty Dingus McGee

I don't think I'll bother with it.It's such a clasic and no way can the performances in the original show be matches.

My favourite line of the whole show was when Godfrey tried to hand in his notice and leave the Home Guard and Manwairing gave him one of his contemptuos looks and said "This is War not Sainsbury's"

MilesMorales1

Reviews are coming, not all that positive. Couple of 4 and 5 stars though.

Buona Fortuna

Strikes me as more like a humerous sketch for Comic Relief or some ilk.

I'm curious for the first walk-ons but could I sit through 90 minutes - probably not.

Technocentral

Pointless remaking something so outside its original context (when it started in 69 the war was still very much in most peoples memory), plus that original casting was priceless, its like the remakes of Casablanca and Psycho completely pointless.

Strumms

Pointless indeed. Great cast it must be said who maybe able to save it from the mire to an extent somewhat but i certainly won't be paying at the cinema to see this. Maybe throw an eye at it when the BBC inevitably show it on TV next Christmas. The original was fantastic as so many of those old British sitcoms were.

I never see the point of remakes other then to try and make a quick buck. Saves anyone having to use a brain cell or invest in time and people to develop an original idea.

JohnFalstaff

Technocentral wrote: »

Pointless remaking something so outside its original context (when it started in 69 the war was still very much in most peoples memory), plus that original casting was priceless, its like the remakes of Casablanca and Psycho completely pointless.

What??? When did this happen?

Zaph

The original series was as unfunny as they come, so even if this is awful it'll probably still be an improvement. Why re-hash something as outdated as this, surely the money could have been better spent on an original comedy film?

Buona Fortuna

Zaph wrote: »

The original series was as unfunny as they come, so even if this is awful it'll probably still be an improvement. Why re-hash something as outdated as this, surely the money could have been better spent on an original comedy film?

Your name will also go on the list :P

MilesMorales1

Zaph wrote: »

The original series was as unfunny as they come, so even if this is awful it'll probably still be an improvement. Why re-hash something as outdated as this, surely the money could have been better spent on an original comedy film?

Woah woah woah woah, what? Its hysterical!

I'm aware comedy is subjective, but still

Technocentral

JohnFalstaff wrote:

What??? When did this happen?

Remade in 1983 for TV with David Soul, believe it or not, bloody awful, also in the 50s equally bad.

Icaras

JohnFalstaff wrote: »

What??? When did this happen?

Wasnt Barb Wire based on Casablanca?

MilesMorales1

And it was bad. Least my expectations were low.