Dad's Army podcast

Well here it is. As threatened. For one night only. Yes, this will be offline by tomorrow. No, not really! Oliver and James report for duty after three years to talk about the return of Dad’s Army to the big screen! So put the kettle on, make sure your rations of hundreds and thousands are within reach and listen the boys as they try hard not to talk about Doctor Who. Get in touch with us by tweeting us @ijamesrox and @OliverCrocker.

Just a little teaser for you to show that we were serious about bringing back the show. And to help this old bank clerk remember how to actually get an episode online after three years. Hopefully I won't need the help of that butcher from across the road...... Stand by, Episode 68 is just around the corner....

Welcome to another edition of the podcast and Merry Christmas to all our listeners! This time around we have a special episode to share with you – a commentary with the director of the highly regarded series 3 episode, Branded. Harold Snoad joins Oliver to talk about what might just be the most dramatic Dad’s Army episode ever made. As always, send us your feedback to james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com or follow us on twitter at twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or twitter.com/oliver.crocker. Have a great festive period and we’ll be back with a regular episode in the new year.

Join James and Oliver in this edition of the Dad’s Army podcast as we talk about the classic episode, ‘Keep Young and Beautiful’ which of course Oliver and I do as a matter of course. Ahem. We also have a chat about what Ian Lavender, Bill Pertwee and Frank Williams have been getting up over the last month or so. All that, and of course the usual silliness. As always we’d love to hear from you, and you can get in touch with us by emailing james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com or you can follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker. Enjoy the show.

Its another episode of the Dad’s Army podcast! This time we shine the spotlight on Don’t Forget the Diver, one of eight episodes directed by Mr Harold Snoad. Oliver was able to catch up with Harold recently and talked about the exciting times Harold spent on the show. In addition, Paul makes a welcome return to the show and shares some of his memories with James about David Croft. As always, you can contact us by sending an email to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or twitter.com/olivercrocker. Enjoy the show.

As most of you will know by now, David Croft, co-writer, co-creator and producer of Dad's Army, has died at the age of 89. He died at his holiday home in Portugal on the 27th September. His family called him a "truly great man" in a statement. A statement on Croft's website read: 'The family of comedy legend David Croft OBE are sad to report that David died peacefully in his sleep at his house in Portugal earlier today. He was a truly great man, who will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing and loving him'. This is our brief tribute to David. You can get in touch with us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com.

Welcome to another episode of the Dad’s Army podcast. This time out, we take a look at A Man of Action, an episode broadcast in late 1974. With Mainwaring imposing martial law on Walmington after a bomb severs vital communications, the residents pull together and respond by acquiescing to a string of measures put in place to keep the community going. Looters are threatened with being shot! Join James and Oliver as they look at this episode in the light of the unrest seen across the UK a few weeks ago and compare how communities separated by fifty years respond differently to hardship. And how precisely did Pike get his head out of the park gate?! These, and other burning issue are discussed in this month’s episode! Send your feedback to james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com – follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker Enjoy the show.

Join James and Oliver and they take a nostalgic look back at one of the most highly regarded episodes of Dad’s Army - the season 4 epic, Mum's Army. Was Mrs Grey a warm, kind hearted lady who fell in love with our beloved Captain, or a manipulative harlot who acted in a way responsible for Mainwaring taking his eye off the ball?! Join us as we find out! We also read through a couple of messages you kind listeners have sent us, and review some suggestions made as to what Oliver should entitle his new documentary about our favourite Vicar, Mr Frank Williams. You’ll be surprised by some of the titles pitched to us..... As alsways, enjoy the show and send your feedback to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker.

Welcome to Episode 62 of the Dad’s Army podcast. Join Oliver, James and....Tony as he makes his long-awaited return to the show! Oliver goes through the news and some fantastic emails that we’ve received before handing over to James and Tony for a commentary on the series 3 episode, Menace from the Deep. As always, send your feedback to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker. Enjoy the show.

Welcome to another episode of the Dad’s Army podcast. This time out it’s a commentary on series 3’s Sons of the Sea. We’re joined by the director, Mr Mervyn Cumming who in his time has directed episodes of EastEnders, Coronation Street, Brookside, Byker Grove to name just a few. Mervyn is in the middle of directing a new documentary about Dad’s Army, and he takes time out from his busy schedule to record a commentary with Oliver and I. Mervyn is able to provide an insight into what it’s like to make TV programmes and helps in creating a slightly different commentary podcast to usual. Stay tuned at the end of the commentary to hear a brief interview Oliver recorded during the filming of Dad’s Army and Beyond: The Frank Williams Story about what it’s like to work with Frank. As always, please send your feedback to james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com or follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker. Enjoy the episode and we’ll be back in around a month’s time.

Join Oliver and James as they sift through the bulging mailbag that is full of telegrams about the now infamous, Trial of Lance Corporal Jones! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to send in thoughts and opinions, it’s really very heart-warming to receive message after message from the GPO! We also take some time to discuss the 2011 Dad's Army weekend, and talk about a new version of a Dad's Army documentary in the works, being produced by our very own Oliver Crocker. As always, please let us know what you think by emailing us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. Follow us on twitter - www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker Enjoy the show!

Well, this is it. It's finally here! A thorough (non-medical!) examination of Lance Corporal Jones. This episode is the much anticipated (and very delayed) Trial of Lance Corporal Jones. Yes, Jack Jones is in the dock and charged with extreme silliness. We also have a couple of expert witnesses in the form of a couple of actors who have worked alongside Clive Dunn and are only too keen to make their voices heard on the subject! Tune in and let us know what you think! Pass verdict on our favourite butcher by emailing us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. Hope you enjoy this slightly different episode of the Dad’s Army podcast.

Welcome to episode 58 of the Dad’s Army podcast. For those of you expecting the Jones special – apologies! It’s taking us far longer to plan this episode than we thought it would. So, it its place, we feature a discussion about Command Decision – only the third ever episode of Dad’s Army. We’ll be back towards the end of March with the much overdue trial of Corporal Jones. Keep your feedback coming in – james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com or follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker Enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome to the second Dad’s Army podcast this month – this time it’s a commentary on the series 4 episode ‘The Test’. With England battling away against Australia it seemed like an appropriate episode to select! Just a shame that neither Oliver or I follow cricket....! We’ll be back towards the end of February with our ‘trial of Corporal Jones’ episode – comic genius or a bit of a ninny?! You can help decide the verdict by emailing us – james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. As always, your feedback on all things Dad’s Army is very welcome. Follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker Enjoy the show.

Welcome to Episode 56 of the Dad’s Army podcast, and a very Happy New Year to you! Join James and Oliver as they plough through the mammoth mailbag containing telegrams all you wonderful listeners have sent in over the past few months, as we discuss a svelte Mrs Mainwaring, Captain Mainwaring’s apparent rudeness and listening to the podcast in the Vatican and at 39,000 feet! Not at the same time though. All that and a new competition to kick off the New Year! As always, please send in your feedback to james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com, follow us on twitter at twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or twitter.com/oliver.crocker and feel free your comments on the webpage. Enjoy the show.

Welcome to our second Christmas Special podcast of 2010 – and what a treat Oliver, James and Paul have for you this time around. Recorded not more than four weeks ago, Bill Pertwee MBE, our loveable Air Raid Warden, sat down and spent 40 minutes talking to us about his life, career, and of course, Dad’s Army. Grab a mug of cocoa and pull up a comfy chair in front of the fire and listen to Bill give one of the most frank and comprehensive interviews of his career. Enjoy. Let us know what you think of the interview - james@dadsarmypodcast.com, oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com are the email addresses you need – and we’ll be going through the feedback we receive in our next episode scheduled for the end of January 2011. Have a great Christmas and New Year and a big thank you to all our listeners the world over – we wouldn’t be able to do this without you. James and Oliver

Hello and welcome to the first of our two Christmas podcasts this year. This time, Oliver and I are joined by Paul Carpenter of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society to commentate on The Love of Three Oranges. Whilst this episode is not particularly christmassy in itself, it was the 1976 Christmas Special and marked the return of Dad's Army to BBC1 after almost a year of being off air. Our second Christmas podcast will be out in a couple of weeks and will be a rather special interview episode. There's a teeny-weeny hint as to who we'll be interviewing in Episode 54! Enjoy the podcast and keep the feedback coming in - we'll be going through the mailbag once again in January 2011. The email addresses you need are james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. TTFN!

Hello and welcome to episode 53 of the Dad’s Army podcast. We have a special edition of the show for you this time out - Frank Williams has been in the news again over the last month and we bring you coverage of both his BBC television appearance and the conversation he inspired on Alan Titchmarsh’s radio show. All that, and a commentary of My British Buddy too – what more could you ask for?! Make sure your tune in next month for not one, but two podcasts – one of which is very, very special indeed, and is a rather special early Christmas present for you all! The other will also be very special it its own way – and will be our commentary on The Love of Three Oranges. As per usual, send you feedback into us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker

Hello and welcome to Episode 52 of the Dad’s Army podcast. This time out we begin to go through the bulging mailbag that's full of the feedback you've all been sending in. Yes, you’ve been busy at the keyboard again and Oliver and I had a fantastic time reading your comments, your opinions and observations about all things Dad’s Army. For the first time, we've had to hold over a few emails as we've just been overwhelmed with the volume of feedback - but don't worry if you don't hear your message read out this time, we will get to it in a future show. We also announce the winner of the clip-montage competition! At last! All those of you who have sent in entries over the last six month or so finally get to find out whether or not you’ve won a complete set of Dad’s Army DVDs! Oh, and a rather special guest joins us to make the announcement! Please keep your feedback coming in – james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com are the email addresses you need, and you can follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker. We’ll be back in a few weeks time with a commentary episode of My British Buddy. Thanks for listening and enjoy the show.

Welcome to a very special episode of the Dad’s Army podcast. This episode James and Oliver bring you coverage of the 2010 Dad’s Army weekend held back in June this year. We listen in on the unveiling of the Captain Mainwaring statue and hear from both David Croft and Bill Pertwee at the ceremony. But that’s not all! At the Dad’s Army appreciation society member’s meal, I had the honour of interviewing Jimmy Perry, Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles – live on stage in front of over 200 people! I also spoke to Frank Williams and Pamela Cundell at the event who were both as charming as ever. Last but not least, I spoke to Stuart Wright, the Thetford Town Councillor and driving force behind the statue initiative – and he talks about the next project which is a re-creation of the Marigold Team Rooms! Thetford really is the place to be for all Dad’s Army fans these days! Enjoy the show and as always, send in your feedback to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com. We’ll be back in late September with a feedback episode.

James and Oliver are back with a commentary to the series 3 episode, War Dance. Enjoy this commentary – I don't think we've ever made so many mistakes during a recording! Well, all these commentaries are recorded ‘as live’ with no editing and quite honestly, under the influence of a bottle of rather nice white wine... Episode 51 will be out late August and will feature coverage of this year’s Dad’s Army weekend held in June – and what a weekend that was! I was able to record interviews with Jimmy Perry, Michael Knowles and Harold Snoad along with a few others. It was great to meet so many listeners over the weekend too – thank you all for being so friendly and complimentary about the podcast. We will also announce the winner of the competition on the next show, so keep your ears tuned if you entered! Thanks also to everyone who has sent in feedback – once again we’ve had a load and Oliver and I look forward to going through it all in detail in a future podcast very soon. Send in your feedback to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com and follow us on twitter – www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast and www.twitter.com/olivercrocker.

James and Oliver are back with episode 49 of the Dad's Army podcast. This month is a feedback episode - you've all been so busy writing to us we've had to dedicate an entire podcast to discussing all your thoughts and opinions about all things Dad's Army! Thank you all so much - it's an absolute joy to receive so many emails. We'll be back next month with coverage of the Dad's Army weekend being held in Thetford in June. Let us know if you are planning to go! In the meantime, please keep the feedback coming in - james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com are the e-mail addresses you need. You can follow both of on Twitter - www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast and www.twitter.com/olivercrocker Enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome to episode 48 of the Dad’s Army podcast. Yes, this is the second DAP in under a month! This time around, Oliver and I catch up on the latest Dad’s Army news – of which there has been quite a bit! From restored props to a new DVD, we cover it all here. We also welcome Paul Carpenter from the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society back to the show to preview the upcoming Dad’s Army weekend being held in Thetford and Bressingham over the weekend of the 19th and 20th June 2010 - some really exciting events are planned to celebrate everything Dad's Army. The next podcast will be a review of the new Dad’s Army Marches On stage play – you’ll hear what I think along with the reaction of other audience members fresh out of the theatre. That should be online in the first week of June or thereabouts. As always, keep your feedback coming into either james@dadsarmypodcast.com or oliver@dadsarmypodcast.com, follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker and leave comments about the show by clicking on ‘comments’ on our webpage - www.dadsarmypodcast.com. Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to a special edition of the Dad’s Army podcast. Oliver goes it alone this edition and covers the recent Perry and Croft tribute luncheon organised by the Heritage Foundation. Sit back and enjoy speeches from Frank Williams, Pamela Cundell, Bill Pertwee, Harold Snoad, Jimmy Perry, Su Pollard, Ruth Madoc, Vicki Michelle and Paul Shane. The sound quality in this podcast is varied and some speeches are clearer than others – but I didn’t want to cut anything! We’ll be back towards the end of May with Episode 48, and will bring you a preview of the Dad’s Army weekend at Thetford being held in June this year. All good stuff! As always, please send in your feedback to us as james@dadsarmypodcast.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast and make sure you enter our competition! Your chance to win an entire set of Dad’s Army DVDs. Stay tuned beyond the closing credits for details or take a listen to Episode 46. Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to a rather special edition of the Dad’s Army podcast. Special for two reasons – one, we have an absolute first here; we have a member of the cast join Oliver and I for a commentary podcast - yes, Mr Frank Williams, better known as the Vicar of Walmington on Sea, joins us in commentating on the classic series six episode, The Royal Train. This episode is one of Frank’s favourites and hearing his memories about making the programme is a joy to behold. As I said, this episode is special for two reasons – the second is that this is your opportunity to bag yourself the whole set of Dad’s Army DVDs by entering our new competition. Yes, series one to nine and the three Christmas specials are up for grabs by simply identifying eleven clips from the series. Could it be simpler?! Take a listen and find out! Feedback as always is welcome – send it in to james@dadsarmypodcast.com. You can also follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast or www.twitter.com/olivercrocker.

Hello and welcome to podcast 45! Firstly, the podcast is a little later than usual this month so apologies for that – but hopefully the content makes up for it! This month Oliver and I go through the latest Dad’s Army news, and once again empty the bulging podcast mailbag. Thanks once again to everyone who has sent in feedback – you’ve raised some great points and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting back, eating a toasted cheese supper and sipping some rather fine black-market port whilst reading your emails! We also welcome Tony Gallichan to the show who joins me to discuss the very first episode of Dad’s Army, The Man and the Hour. You can hear Tony over at the Flashing Blade podcast talk about all things Doctor Who at www.flashingblade.org.uk Next month we have a rather special episode for you. Keep your eyes peeled for a commentary episode with a member of the cast in mid-April! Thanks again for listening and please keep your feedback coming in – james@dadsarmypodcast.com. You can follow James on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast and Oliver at www.twitter.com/olivercrocker. Check out David Croft's webpage at http://www.davidcroft.co.uk/ and information about the Heritage Foundation and its events can be found over at http://www.theheritagefoundation.info/ Enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome to Episode 44 of the Dad’s Army podcast. This month Oliver and I discuss the recent Dad’s Army board game/e-bay story, read a review from one of our listeners on Nicolas Ridley’s new book about his father - Godfey’s Ghost, and to a triumphant fanfare, announce the winner of the signed copy of that very book. All that, and a commentary on the superb series six episode, The Honourable Man. What more could you possibly ask for?! In March’s podcast, we’ll be reviewing the very first episode of Dad’s Army, The Man and the Hour, so please send in your thoughts and comments to me at james@dadsarmypodcast.com and we’ll read them out and discuss them during our review. As usual, you can follow the podcast on twitter – www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast and keep an eye on the blog – yes, despite me neglecting it far too much! That’s over at www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com. Enjoy the show.

Happy New Year everyone! And welcome to the first Dad's Army podcast of 2010. This month Oliver and I catch up on the Dad’s Army news and spend pretty much the remainder of the podcast going through the loads of fantastic feedback we’ve received. You really have been very busy sending in your views and its humbling when I consider the amount of time and effort you have all put into airing your opinions via the podcast. I am also pleased to include a superb piece recorded especially for the podcast by Dave Homewood. Dave introduces himself during this episode and has a rich history in Dad’s Army fandom. His website is http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/ and follow the Dad’s Army link. Next month will be a commentary podcast on The Honourable Man – feel free to send in your thoughts about this episode. Please keep your views coming in – james@dadsarmypodcast.com is the email address to get in touch. Our twitter page is www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast. Hope you enjoy the show.

Merry Christmas everyone! Pull up a chair, make a toasted cheese supper and see if Walker has a spare bottle of whiskey handy – this is our 2009 Christmas special! Oliver joins me once again and together we commentate on Turkey Dinner – the unofficial festive edition of Dad’s Army. Why Turkey Dinner gets shown as Christmas is anybody’s guess as it has nothing to do with Christmas and certainly does not appear to be set in winter! If you have any ideas then send them in to me at james@dadsarmypodcast.com! In the meantime, have a great Christmas and we’ll be back with a regular episode in late January. Oh, and keep an ear out for a special Christmas message from a mystery man of the cloth! Enjoy the show.

And welcome to a very special episode of the Dad’s Army podcast. This episode of the show features coverage of the ‘Vicar n Chips’ event held in London on 21 November this year. We bring you Frank’s interview in its entirety – that’s over an hour Frank spent talking to Tony and I, along with brief interviews with the producer and director Frank has been working with recently. We also feature a snippet of Frank’s interview with Radio London and some clips of Frank’s more recent acting work. You can see Frank on his very own YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/frankwilliamstv The event and this podcast is the culmination of an incredible amount of work put into organising the event, and my thanks go to Oliver Crocker and Paul Carpenter for their invaluable help in putting the evening together. Don’t forget to check out a review of the evening over on the podcast’s blog www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com and please send you feedback to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Episode 40 of the Dad’s Army podcast. This time around we interview Nicolas Ridley, Arnold’s son and discuss many aspects of Arnold’s life and career. Of course Nicolas is able to provide a unique insight into the life of his father and talks about Arnold’s involvement in both world wars, his outlook on life and his attitude towards fame. Nicolas has recently written a book about his father called Godfrey’s Ghost: From Father to Son. I really enjoyed the book – for me, it stands out from the other books you may have read about the stars from Dad’s Army, partly because of the way it is told and partly as you know the facts that are given in the texts are indisputable. You can win a signed copy of the book by answering the question Nicolas asks at the end of the interview – email your entries to james@dadsarmypodcast.com and include the words ‘Godfrey’s Ghost’ in the subject line. Alternatively, you can buy Nicolas’ book from Amazon or other on-line retailers, or find out more about it from Mogzilla Life’s webpage http://www.mogzilla.co.uk/godfreysghost. We’ll be back in December for coverage of the Vicar and Chips event with Frank Williams being held on the 21st November 2009 – for more details visit the podcast’s blog – www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com In the meantime, enjoy the show and send your feedback to me at james@dadsarmypodcast.com

This special mini-podcast is to give you a flavour of what is to come at the forthcoming event, 'An Evening with Frank Williams' that is taking place on 21 November 2009 in Kentish Town in London. The event will see the premier of the full, un-cut version of 'Dad's Army and Beyond: The Frank Williams Story'. Frank will be present for a Q&A session after the screening. For full details, including how to book, head on over to www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com The next full podcast will be out mid-November - in the meantime, keep your feedback coming in - james@dadsarmypodcast.com is the way to get your voice heard on the show.

Hello and welcome to podcast number 39. This is an additional episode to normal schedule, and features a commentary on series nine’s Number Engaged. The idea is that you watch the episode with the sound down and subtitles on at the same time you listen to this podcast. As this has been the first commentary for some time, I have recorded a brief intro too which should help you sync the episode on your DVD/Computer with the commentary. Oliver Crocker joins me for this podcast, and I have to say that his knowledge and ability recall facts about Dad’s Army facts is far superior to my own! Ah well, he’s younger than me! Please send your feedback to james@dadsarmypodcast.com – pretty much all feedback is read out on a future show. Enjoy the podcast.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Dad’s Army podcast. This month we continue to sift through the vast swathes of feedback that fills up our mailbag – thank you so much to listeners who have sent in e-mails over the last month – it really is very much appreciated. This month’s feedback includes Morris dancing, Dad’s Army in the United States and Mrs Mainwaring’s bottom – although not in that order! Remember to vote for either Number Engaged or Everybody’s Trucking – podcast 39 will be out in couple of weeks and will form a commentary on whichever these two episodes gets the most votes! Register your vote by sending an e-mail to me at james@dadsarmypodcast.com or by leaving a ‘tweet’ for me on Twitter where my username is dadsarmypodcast. Remember to take a look at Katie’s new James Beck website - http://www.jamesbeckonline.co.uk/ Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Episode 37 of the Dad’s Army podcast. Lots of really interesting news this month – we announce the first event that the Dad’s Army podcast has had a hand in organising (along with the Appreciation Society) and that’s a ‘Vicar and Chips’ evening being held in November 2009 with none other than Frank Williams. Tune in to find out more! We also cover the imminent publication of Nicolas Ridley’s book about his father (Arnold Ridley, Pte Godfrey) and review Ian Lavender’s recent interview on LBC Radio. All that, and loads of feedback! We finally go through the podcast’s mailbag and read the vast swathes of e-mails listeners have sent in. Along with a short review of The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones, what more could you possibly want?! Oh, I made a rather big error when discussing Everybody’s Trucking – I mistook it for Number Engaged! Apologies, and I will address on the September podcast. The urls mentioned in the promos that feature in this episode are: The Box Room: http://theboxroom.mevio.com/ Waffle On podcast: http://waffleon.podbean.com/ The Flashing Blade podcast: http://www.flashingblade.org.uk/ Enjoy the show.

Welcome once again to another edition of the Dad’s Army podcast. This month we bring you an absolutely jammed-packed episode full of features. Frank Williams and Oliver Crocker join me to discuss the vicar-centric episode The Recruit. We also feature the speeches made by Bill Pertwee, David Croft, Jimmy Perry, Harold Snoad, Philip Madoc, John Clegg, Michael Knowles and Frank once again at the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society’s Members Meal. If that wasn’t enough we also go through the most recent Dad’s Army news. Given this podcast runs at just over an hour, the feedback section I mention in the intro will now feature in podcast 37 which is due for an August release. Don’t forget to check out all the news stories we mention on the Dad’s Army podcast’s blog at www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dadsarmypodcast As always, please send your feedback to me at james@dadsarmypodcast.com. Enjoy the show.

Colin Bean, who played Private Sponge, passed away on Saturday 20 June 2009. Sponge featured in 76 of the 80 episodes and was No 2 section’s leader. Colin was a great advocate of everything Dad's Army stands for and his presence at Dad's Army events will be sorely missed. Colin even suggested a story to the writers that centred around the platoon helping harvest a wheat crop as he had seen Home Guard members do when he was young. The result was 1972s All Is Safely Gathered In - a highly regarded episode to this day and remembered for Jones antics with a threshing machine. Rest in peace Colin, and thank you for contributing to what so many perceive as a phenominal piece of comedy gold.

Welcome to Podcast 35 part 2! This ten minutes or should have been on the end of the last podcast – however, as I let Jones and Pike edit that particular edition, there was a technical foul up. Right up. Anyway, here’s part 2 of the 2009 Locations Tour. Frank Williams (the Vicar) joins us as we visit more locations used in the filming of Dad’s Army. Don’t forget to send me your feedback – james@dadsarmypodcast.com. Look forward to speaking to you all once again in podcast 36 next month. Enjoy the podcast.

Hello and welcome to part 1 of Episode 35 - a very special edition of the Dad’s Army podcast. Special, for two reasons – (1) it’s the 2009 Locations Tour podcast and (2) I had a nightmare in editing this edition so it’s much shorter than usual – and this is also the reason why the podcast has been delayed so much this time around. Anyway - the day before Perry and Croft day 2009, a group of intrepid Dad’s Army fans boarded a double decker bus (a routemaster, no less) and ventured over Stanta – the huge Ministry of Defence training ground used by the Dad’s Army production crew for the vast majority of location shooting back in the 1960 and 70s. We were accompanied by a very large soldier who prevented us from getting blown up. This podcast are (the majority) of the recordings I made during the tour. Frank Williams (the Vicar) joined us and regaled us with tales of filming Dad's Army. Tony Pritchard of the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society provides the inside info on a number of locations. So hop on the bus, come with us as we visit locations used in Command Decision, The Test, Come in, Your Time is Up, Room at the Bottom, Battle of the Giants and even the copse of woods used in the end titles! Part 2 of the locations tour will be on-line in a couple of weeks - sorry its not all on one podcast - computer problems! My thanks go to Paul Carpenter, Tony Pritchard and Tony Tarran for inviting me along, and I hope you enjoy the results.

Welcome to another edition of the Dad’s Army podcast. This month, Paul Carpenter from the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society joins me for the whole episode and previews the premier event on the Society’s calendar, the 2009 Perry and Croft Day which is due to be held on Sunday 10 May at Bressingham Steam Museum. The museums's website is http://www.bressingham.co.uk/ Paul announces which of the stars will be appearing (subject to work commitments and good health) and provides an insight into what it takes to put on such an event. We then discuss the first episode of Dad’s Army I ever saw, Don’t forget the Diver – an absolute classic series 4 episode from 1970. Episode 35 of the podcast will feature a number of interviews and chats with the stars of Dad’s Army - I hope to be talking to several of the cast and crew at Bressingham next week. Take a listen to episodes 20 and 21 of the podcast to hear coverage of last years event. As per ususal, we’d love to hear from you, so please send in your feedback to us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com. The Barmy Army film club's website is http://www.barmyarmyfilmclub.com/ Enjoy the show.

Welcome to a very special episode of the Dad’s Army podcast. This month we are joined by none other than Frank Williams – the Reverend Timothy Farthing, to discuss the often controversial film version of Dad’s Army. The whole podcast team were present for this one – and Frank shares his experiences of being part of the production and talks about his many talented co-stars. The film has always divided fan opinion – some believing the series made a seamless transfer from TV to the silver screen whilst others believe it a travesty of the telly series. Why not have your say? E-mail us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com Enjoy the show.

Welcome to Episode 32 of the Dad's Army podcast. This month we go through the latest Dad's Army news, sift through the podcast's mailbag and bring you an exclusive interview with Oliver Crocker - the Producer of Frank Williams new documentary, 'Dad's Army and Beyond, the Frank Williams story'. Oliver talks about filming with Frank and tells some fantastic stories. Episode 33 will feature Frank himself as he joins the entire podcast team talking about the sometimes controversial, Dad's Army movie. As always, please send in your feedback to james@dadsarmypodcast.com and enjoy the show. The cover photo for this podcast was taken by Andrew Ruff - reproduced with his kind permission.

Welcome to another episode of the Dad’s Army podcast and yes, I know it’s a bit late, but Happy New Year! Hope you have a fantastic 2009. Episode 31 of the podcast is a little different from the usual format – Paul Carpenter from the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society brings you a review (featuring several wonderful clips) from the recently recovered audio versions of the 1968 Christmas Night with the Stars sketch and the off-air recording of Series 2’s A Stripe for Frazer. Thanks to Paul for putting together such a fantastic piece of audio and giving our listeners the opportunity to hear what is in effect, brand new Dad’s Army. If that wasn’t enough, Clare returns to the podcast and reviews the classic Christmas Special, My Brother and I. Podcast 32 will be the long promised feedback episode, and I have yet to record it – so if you have any comments about the podcast, a particular episode of Dad’s Army or anything else at all really, send in your e-mails or MP3s to james@dadsarmypodcast.com Enjoy the show.

Merry Christmas to all of our listeners - have a wonderful festive period and don't forget - Dad's Army is on BBC2 on Christmas Day and Boxing Day! This is just a little something from the Warden and the Vicar...enjoy! We'll be back with Episode 31 in January.

Welcome to Episode 30 of the Dad’s Podcast. Normal service is resumed with a return to the tried and tested format of the podcast. We have a wealth of news to talk about this time around – with previously lost Dad’s Army material being found and an old black and white episode being restored to full colour, there’s a lot to discuss!! It's been a truly fantastic last couple of months for Dad's Army fans. Our featured episode this podcast is about season three’s Menace from the Deep – Angela makes a return to podcast and joins me in discussing this highly regarded early episode. Please feel free to get in touch, feedback is always very welcome and usually makes it onto a future podcast – contact me at james@dadsarmypodcast.com. I am particularly interested in hearing from listeners who have seen the colour version of Room at the Bottom - we'll be talking about this news item in more detail in a future episode. Thanks for listening and enjoy the podcast.

Welcome to the much delayed episode 29 of the Dad’s Army podcast. Our little daughter, Natasha was born on the 11th October and has rather inconveniently thrown the podcast’s recording schedule into disarray! This is another commentary this time of series five’s The King was in his Counting House. If you can, pop your Dad’s Army DVD into your computer's CD/DVD drive and start the commentary at the same time. For the first time, my wife Angela joins me in this podcast but by her own admission, is not the biggest Dad’s Army fan. Hopefully the two of us are listenable, but I’m not too sure how interesting or informative we are!! The King... is very much a dialogue based episode so is a little tricky to discuss all the time so we do digress from time to time. The commentary was requested by one of our listener’s, so Ivan, this is for you! Please feel free to get in touch with us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com with your comments and enjoy the podcast.

Hello and welcome to well, an experiment is probably the best way to put it! This edition of the podcast is a commentary to season eight’s Ring Dem Bells. In a nutshell, this is a recording of me, watching the episode and talking about my thoughts in real time. So this podcast is the closest to a ‘live’ podcast we’ve ever been. Hope you enjoy my observations – please let me know if you think if the experiment is a success – let me know at james@dadsarmypodcast.com – and if you do like it then feel free to suggest episodes that you would like to hear me talk about in the future. Enjoy the podcast.

Welcome to the first new episode of the Dad's Army podcast for over a month. In a last minute change to the content, Paul Carpenter and Tony Tarran of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society take over the featured episode segment and provide inside information on Is There Honey Still For Tea? In addition, we review the recent Jonathan Ross and Comedy Connections programmes that formed part of the 40th anniversary celebrations. Enjoy the podcast and remember to let us know what you think - james@dadsarmypodcast.com

Eric Longworth, who played the Town Clerk in Dad's Army, passed away peacefully on Monday 18 August 2008. Eric was 90 years of age. Eric was a fantastic ambassador for the programme, and his loss will be felt throughout the Dad's Army community. It's hard to imagine another actor bringing as much feeling into the single word, 'fleshings' - a line Eric was only too pleased to repeat at Dad's Army events he frequently attended. Rest in peace Eric, and thank you for all the times you have made me laugh - both in the past and whenever I pop a Dad's Army DVD in the future.

Welcome to episode 26 of the Dad’s Army podcast. A slight change in to the podcast we talked about a fortnight ago – this time around we discuss season nine’s A Miser’s Hoard. In addition, Clare talks about her feelings of an absolute classic – Mum’s Army. No news or feedback this time around – that’s because my house is currently upside down and overrun with workmen. We’ll catch up on the news – and there’s been loads of it – and talk about your feedback on the next podcast which should be online at the beginning of September. I’ll attempt to keep the blog up-to-date in the meantime though – www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com As always, we’d love to hear from you – please get in touch with us at james@dadsarmypodcast.com

Hooray! Dad's Army is officially 40 years old today. The first episode entitled 'The Man and the Hour' was first broadcast on the BBC on 31st July 1968. Since then, 80 full length episodes were made and broadcast over the next nine years - not to mention a feature film and a radio series. The affection Dad's Army generates simply has not faded since the programme went of air in 1977. Repeats are regularly shown on the BBC and many other cable channels (now how exactly would you have explain multi-channel telly to Corporal Jones?!) and has always achieved very respectable ratings. Even today, the programme continues to attract young viewers and the recent stage play has helped Dad's Army gain a whole new audience. Sadly, so many of the original cast are no longer with us, but those surviving members champion the programme and what its stands for in today's society. The BBC are celebrating the anniversary this weekend - take a listen to hear what planned, or hop on over to the podcast's blog at www.dadsarmypodcast.blogspot.com to see the listings in print. Or text. Oh you know what I mean...! Podcast 26 will be on-line this weekend.