Dad's Army -
Whilst a few set-ups (and more than a few sets) could be a bit ropey from time to time and you can sometimes hear actors fumbling through their lines, we forgive such trifling matters watching repeats of Dad's Army as almost every episode's a joy in spite of them.
What stands out most is casting that's second-to-none. Arthur Lowe fits into Mainwaring's shoes entirely convincingly. As do Le Mesurier, Dunn (well, when he'd been made up), Laurie, Lavender, Beck, and Ridley into their boots. Once these characters begin interacting with each other, it's guaranteed to raise laughs from adults and children alike; especially the implicit class opposition between short, rotund Mainwaring and dapper, laidback Sergeant Wilson. The vicar, verger, and ARP warden are also expertly cast.
There was the odd hiccup. Private Cheeseman didn't really work as a replacement for Walker, the only funny attribute of make-up-the-numbers Private Sponge is his surname, and the first and (what's left of) the second series don't really match the quality of those transmitted after the transition to colour. But at least fifty of the eighty episodes are an absolute hoot.
Whilst a few set-ups (and more than a few sets) could be a bit ropey from time to time and you can sometimes hear actors fumbling through their lines, we forgive such trifling matters watching repeats of Dad's Army as almost every episode's a joy in spite of them.
What stands out most is casting that's second-to-none. Arthur Lowe fits into Mainwaring's shoes entirely convincingly. As do Le Mesurier, Dunn (well, when he'd been made up), Laurie, Lavender, Beck, and Ridley into their boots. Once these characters begin interacting with each other, it's guaranteed to raise laughs from adults and children alike; especially the implicit class opposition between short, rotund Mainwaring and dapper, laidback Sergeant Wilson. The vicar, verger, and ARP warden are also expertly cast.
There was the odd hiccup. Private Cheeseman didn't really work as a replacement for Walker, the only funny attribute of make-up-the-numbers Private Sponge is his surname, and the first and (what's left of) the second series don't really match the quality of those transmitted after the transition to colour. But at least fifty of the eighty episodes are an absolute hoot.