Iconic sitcom Dad's Army RETURNS with huge stars for BBC's VE Day celebration as fans praise the 'amazing' cast and call for TV reboot

Daily Mail​

09-05-2025

The iconic wartime sitcom Dad's Army was given a surprise reboot on Thursday, as the BBC marked the 80th Anniversary of VE Day with a star-studded concert.
The famous comedy originally aired on BBC from 1968 to 1977, and focused on a group of soldiers from the United Kingdom's Home Guard during World War Two.
A whole new cast of names who played the famous soldiers for a one-off sketch, including Iain Glen, Dylan Llewellyn, Nigel Havers, Jim Howick, Kevin Eldon, Daniel Mays and David Bradley.
The concert, which took place at London's Horseguards Parade, is the last of many events this week to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, which was the day the Second World War finally came to an end in Europe in 1945.
And the specially-written sketch went down a storm with viewers, with one even calling for a permanent TV revival of Dad's Army.
Posts on X included: 'This Dad's Army segment is amazing. If you close your eyes you would think it was the original cast;'
'Absolutely brilliant! Bring back Dad's Army with this cast!'
'Close my eyes and you'd think you were watching the original actors on Dad's Army;'
'Dad's Army is brilliant! Perfectly cast and they should really get them together for a new TV show;'
However, some fans were less impressed, with posts including: 'Good Lord. That Dad's Army skit was dreadful;'
'Be better of putting on a 1972 episode of Dad's Army. Charles isn't impressed #veday80.'
The comedy, which featured the misadventures of a Home Guard platoon in the fictional Walmington-on-Sea on the south coast of England, ran from 1968 to 1977 with 80 episodes produced.
It featured Ian Lavender as hapless Private Pike, Clive Dunn, who played Lance Corporal Jones, and Arthur Lowe as Captain George Mainwaring.
Sadly the last of the surviving Dad's Army stars, Ian, passed away in February this year aged 77.
And the specially-written sketch went down a storm with viewers, with one even calling for a permanent TV revival of Dad's Army
However, some viewers were less impressed, with one suggesting they should have re-aired a scene from a classic Dad's Army episode
The news of the actor's death was announced on the Dad's Army's official social media account as they paid tribute.
Lavender was cast in the classic comedy series at the age of 22 in 1968.
Shortly before his death the actor revealed he would take his cast members' secrets to the grave.
He said how the show's iconic cast were so close they shared secrets with each other that they 'never told their wives'.
Ian admitted that he once promised co-star John Laurie (who played Private James Frazer) that he would never divulge the secrets they shared.
Lavender told the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast: 'I talked with John [Laurie] for so many hours. He said, "There are things I've told you I've never told my wife, or my daughter. You must promise me you must never tell anybody yourself".'
He went on to gush about his fellow co-stars and recalled filming as 'great fun' 10 weeks every year with 'wonderful people who became great friends'.
Lavender also revealed that the cast were shocked with the show's success after the first series originally failed to find an audience.
The post announcing his death read: 'We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of the wonderful, Ian Lavender. In what truly marks the end of an era, Ian was the last surviving member of the Dad's Army main cast.'
Elsewhere, Their Majesties, King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, smiled as they made an appearance for an evening of music, along with Prince Edward, 61, and his wife Sophie, 60.
The mother-of-three stunned in an all-white ensemble, rewearing an effortlessly elegant Cream Tailored Bouclé and Chiffon Midi Dress by Self-Portrait.
The artists included the cast of World War II musical Operation Mincemeat, West End legend Samantha Barks - offering her powerful rendition of We'll Meet Again - Fleur East, Calum Scott, John Newman, Toploader and Tom Walker.
Elsewhere, Brian Cox - celebrated for his role in Succession - delivered a moving re-enactment of Winston Churchill's iconic wartime speech.
On May 8, 1945 the nation celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day with church bells ringing out across the country and people gathering to revel in the end of hostilities, with crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace calling for King George VI.
e until August 15 that year.