Gold seeking new cast members to mark show's 50th anniversary

Three lost episodes of Dad’s Army are to be remade with a new cast to celebrate the sitcom’s 50th birthday.

The programmes have not been seen on TV since  they were first broadcast in 1969, as the BBC wiped or destroyed the tapes at the time.

All of the episodes to be remade come from the second series: The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Walker, A Stripe for Frazer and Under Fire.

Now, with the blessing of the estates of the original writers, Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the shows will be recreated for the Gold channel to air next year.

UKTV executive Pete Thornton said: ‘The Lost Episodes are currently being cast, with an extensive hunt on to find the perfect candidates to take on the daunting task of bringing these much-loved comedy characters to life once more. 

‘We’ve been working on this project for several years and will be respecting the genius of the original series. If ever there was a time to "stick to the script" then this is it.

 ‘We are hugely excited and not a little intimidated by this opportunity but being plucky (and hopefully not too incompetent) Brits we aim to see the task through.’

The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Walker revolves around Walker receiving his call-up papers for the regular Army, while in Under Fire, Frazer spots someone signalling to the enemy, and when captured he has a German-sounding accent.

And in A Stripe For Frazer, Jones and Frazer both try desperately to impress  Mainwaring after he’s told that he can make up another lance corporal. An audio recording taken from the TV broadcast of the show exists, and two years ago the BBC set this to animation.

The Lost Episodes will be made by Mercury Productions. And Gold will also be hosting a special screening for viewers who remember watching the lost episodes on TV when they originally aired.  on  March 15, March  29 and April 5, 1969. 

In 2016, the Dad’s Army movie cast Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring, Bill Nighy as Sergeant Wilson, Tom Courtenay as Lance Corporal Jones, Blake Harrison as Private Pike, Michael Gambon as Private Godfrey, Bill Paterson as Private Frazer and Daniel Mays as Private Walker.

Published: 3 Oct 2018