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The first episode is mostly set in a bunker which has been hit by a bomb in an air raid. Unfortunately, Private Walker (James Beck) and Private Godfrey (Arnold Ridley) have been on duty there, and are trapped in a small room by fallen debris. Godfrey, moreover, is fast asleep and seems to be unwell…
So Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) and his troops hurry to the rescue, along with ARP Hodges (Bill Pertwee), who insists - at first - that it’s his responsibility, not that of the home guard. When they discover what the problem is, and that it will be quite dangerous to move the rubble, he wants to back out… it’s a potentially stressful situation, made worse by a burst water pipe, but as ever there’s plenty of humour.
Once again, Captain Mainwaring shows extra courage and commitment. I never particularly liked him when I saw this show as a child, thinking him rather pompous and bossy. But now, watching two episodes per week over a few months, I realise just how much he cared for his troops, and how he was willing to put himself in danger for their sakes.
The second episode is rather silly, as orders from on high - originating in parliament - suggest that the ARP team has too many younger people, while the home guard has too many older ones. So they should do some swopping around. Clearly not a popular idea in Walmington-on-Sea where there’s an ongoing rivalry. So several of Mainwaring’s troop try to make themselves look younger….
We thoroughly enjoyed the third episode, ‘A soldier’s farewell’, however. Mainwaring and his men are watching a film about Napoleon, and he is shocked when everyone else rushes out during the national anthem at the end. He is shown as a chivalrous, caring person despite his sometimes strict demeanor. And towards the end he has a vivid dream, which we thought was extremely well done. We both laughed aloud more than once during this episode.
The fourth episode, ‘Getting the bird’ starts with Sergeant Wilson (John le Mesurier) apparently vanishing. Pike (Ian Lavender) knows something, but Mainwaring is frustrated with him and the shocked when he finds him after some heavy drinking. Jones (Clive Dunn), meanwhile, is struggling to supply his customers with the meat they would like. Walker says he has a solution… which, as ever, is a little dodgy. We enjoyed this episode, which has a lot of humour, and some poignancy too.
The fifth episode is quite tense. A misunderstanding about coordinates leads to the troop being in a barn that is about to be targeted for shooting practice. Jones has to come to the rescue in a rather dilapidated car. There’s some humour, but it’s mostly rather a serious predicament.
We thoroughly enjoyed the sixth episode, ‘If the cap fits’. Frazer (John Laurie) has been complaining even more than usual, and inciting the rest of the platoon to follow him. So Mainwaring offers to let Frazer take on his role, and be in charge for a couple of days. Frazer turns out to be a very strict captain, promoting his friends… but his methods are not popular with others. When Mainwaring returns to take charge, he discovers that he has to do something he was not expecting… and there’s an excellent, unexpected final scene.
The seventh episode sees a bomb falling on the bank, so the men agree to rescue all the cash that’s stored there - a major undertaking, and one that leads to several mistakes. This episode also features a party which Captain Mainwaring hosts, making the men rather awkward with each other. There’s a build-up to finally meeting Mrs Elizabeth Mainwaring… but, as ever, she doesn’t appear.
We’re very impressed at how the script-writers managed to keep going with this quite lengthy series, offering new ideas and scenarios that involve the men. Their characters strengthen and their bonds grow closer as they work, play and learn together. In the eighth episode, they help a friend of Godfrey’s to gather in the harvest; in the ninth, the story involves Corporal Jones making an unfortunate mistake when he mixes up some sausages with a large amount of money which he had raised for a local charity. They could hardly be more different as far as the plots go, but they manage to include a lot of humour, and feature different men throughout.
The tenth episode sees the men disguising themselves as firemen in a plan to overcome a challenge from officials… but, unsurprisingly, things don’t go to plan. There’s some very cleverly executed slapstick as they attempt to put out a real fire. In the eleventh episode, Hodges - who dislikes the home guard increasingly as they clash - tries to get Captain Mainwaring prosecuted for leaving a light showing after dark. There’s some insight into the court system, and attempts by his friends to commit perjury on his behalf. Once again the bond between the platoon members shines through.
The twelfth episode is quite a stressful one, I thought. It involves a new ‘secret weapon’, a decidedly dangerous and unpredictable large rolling device, a bit like a giant catherine wheel, containing tons of explosive. It’s going to be tested… and, inevitably, things go wrong. Then in the final episode of this series, a German parachutist manages to land on the town hall clock. The platoon - with Hodges in tow - set out to try to rescue (and arrest) him, going up some very rickety stairs, with Jones, as so often, demonstrating his expert comic timing.
There’s one ‘extra’ on this DVD pair, a short documentary about John Laurie, the actor who portrays Frazer. We’ve found all these mini documentaries quite interesting, showing the actors in other situations, with cast members recalling special moments with them.
There are still four more Dad’s Army series available, but we’ve decided to stop there, at least for now, and start watching a different light-hearted DVD series on Friday evenings.
I would definitely recommend Series Five if you like this kind of wartime sitcom. It has a wide variety of situations and stories, and they’re all extremely well done.
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