Dad's Army creator was 93

Dad’s Army co-creator Jimmy Perry has died at the age of 93.

He and producer David Croft were also also responsible for It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Hi-de-Hi and You Rang M’Lord?

Dad's Army first aired on July 31, 1968, with a total of 80 episodes appearing over the following nine years – and reruns remain one of the top-rated comedy shows on TV.

It was based on his own time in the Home Guard, which he joined as he was too young to join the regular army when World War Two broke out in 1939. Private Pike was said to be partly based on his teenage self.

In the sixth episode he made a cameo appearance as the entertainer Charlie Cheeseman. and was an expert in old-time entertainers, and was delighted to persuade Bud Flanagan to sing the Dad's Army theme tune, Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Hitler?, for which he wrote the lyrics>

Born in Barnes, London on 20 September 1923, Perry also had huge successes with It Ain't Half Hot Mum, which ran from 1974 to 1981 and was set in India and Burma, during the last months of the Second World War, and the 1950s holiday camp sitcom Hi-De-Hi, which ran from 1980 to 1988. Even the stately home series You Rang M'Lord?, considered Perry and Croft's least successful outings, ran for four seasons on BBC One. Perry received an OBE in 1978.

Comedians have paid tribute on Twtter:

Jack Dee said: RIP Jimmy Perry. Amazing contribution to British telly. Watched Dad's Army only yesterday. Still as funny as when I watched it as a kid.’

Comedy writer Simon Blackwell added: 'Sad news. To create comedy that generations of people genuinely love is rare, and he managed it time and again.'

Singer Mick Hucknall said: 'Bless you Jimmy Perry. We could do with your warm heart + humour in these troubled times. Thank God for Dad's Army on A Saturday night RIP.'

And Pointless co-host and TV producer Richard Osman tweeted: ‘When St. Peter asks for Jimmy Perry's name he's got a great gag lined up.’

Here is Perry describing why people still love Dad's Army in a 2008 documentary:

Perry's collaborator David Croft died in September 2011.

Published: 23 Oct 2016