One of the best television shows the UK has ever produced is without a doubt Dads Army. All those characters we grew to know and love; Capt. Mainwaring, Pike, Sgt. Wilson ( Arthur ), Fraser, Godfrey, Walker and, of course, Jones(y).

Then there was that wonderfully camp Vicar and his hilarious side-kick the Verger. And what about the voluptuous lady, Mrs Fox, who Corp. Jones married in that unforgettable final episode ?

Who was ever capable of really hating Mr Hodges…? he was such a pain in the neck, such a bad sport, such a whinging pest that you had to hold some affection for him…and so many people did.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Dads Army series on television and and this show is still top rating viewing today, even after all these years. I loved it and now my young kids love it. Wonderful actors; great comedians who knew how to deliver real comedy. Old vaudevillians, musical stage veterans, film actors, masters of the stage…they brought magic to this show and this is why it still reigns supreme on our TV screens and will do so for a long time to come.

The BBC is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Dads Army and I hope you will all enjoy what is classic and unforgettable television comedy at it’s best.

But one last thing; it pays to remember that Dads Army represents a time in England, both social and political, that does not exist anymore. I wonder how many young people, how many middle-aged people, would spring to action in defence of ‘the realm’ with the same enthusiasm and dedication that those many men did when the Home Guard was implemented back in 1941 ?

Not enough I am afraid.

Capt. Mainwaring’s words to Fraser in a scene from the Dads Army film (1968) – ” This is a lovely land Fraser…they’re not going to get it you know, we will fight them every inch of the way…”

Those words hold more significance today than they would have back in 1941. The ’today’ where that same generation – those same people who defended England, fought hardship and suffered extreme deprivation over 60 years ago – are too scared to leave their own homes for fear of being attacked and abused; who cannot afford to heat their own homes in the winter; who have been handed an old age filled with fear, poverty and neglect.

There will never be another generation in the UK so stoic, so patriotic….so damn unbeatable than the generation that Dads Army represent.

And what a shame that is.

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