Lost episodes of classic sitcom Dad's Army are to be remade. UKTV has commissioned Mercury Productions, working very closely with the Estates of the original writers, Jimmy Perry and David Croft, to exclusively recreate three episodes of Dad’s Army that haven’t been seen on television since they were first broadcast in 1969.
UKTV plans to air the The Lost Episodes, from the second series of Dad’s Army, in 2019, fifty years after they were first broadcast.
The BBC routinely reused tapes after broadcast from 1967 – 1978 and three episodes from series two of the wartime comedy, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker, A Stripe for Frazer and Under Fire, were all seemingly either destroyed or reused as they have never been found.
UKTV Original series The Lost Episodes have been ordered by Richard Watsham, director of commissioning and Steve North, genre general manager of entertainment and comedy.
Pete Thornton, head of scripted at UKTV, 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.”
Gold has als made Saluting Dad's Army, a four-part tribute to the show fronted by Alexander Armstrong (pictured)
Gerald Casey, Gold’s channel director, added: “As a Dad’s Army devotee, I’m utterly thrilled that we’re exclusively bringing these legendary lost masterpieces from Jimmy Perry and David Croft to life again after fifty years.”
UKTV will host a special screening for viewers who remember watching The Lost Episodes on TV when it originally aired. The episodes were originally broadcast 15 March, 29 March and 5 April 1969, more details on the screening to follow.
Casting is to be announced.
