British sitcom writer Jimmy Perry (Dad's Army) RIP

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by smilin ed, Oct 27, 2016.

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  1. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Durham
    I would have Dad's Army in my top five of UK sitcoms, a gentle, Ealing-like (but the Ealing of Titfield Thunderbolt and Tawny Pipit, rather than that of the The Ladykillers and The Lavender Hill Mob) show blessed with a great cast. The recent film version could have the best script in the world, but it could never match the old series because those actors WERE the characters. He wrote the wrote the show with the late David Croft, with whom he also wrote the popular but now controversial It Ain't Half Hot Mum, set during the war in Indian and based around a concert party. The language would now be construed as homophobic and racist (which it undoubtedly is) and in the first series, there was a white actor in Indian make-up, but the whole point was to show the working class characters putting one over on the upper class; the Indians putting one over on the British; the gay character putting one over on the macho sergeant. They also wrote the rather less subtle Hi-De-Hi and Croft, of course, co-wrote 'Allo, 'Allo! and Are You Being Served (a show whose charms generally pass me by) with the equally late Jeremy Lloyd.

    FRIDAY NIGHT BOYS: Jimmy Perry RIP »
     
  2. skydropco

    skydropco Rock 'n Roll Nurse

    Dad's Army is one of the best UK sitcoms of all time.
    RIP Mr. Perry
     
  3. Andy Lee

    Andy Lee Active Member

    Location:
    North Shields, UK
    Great shame. I saw Dad's Army on Saturday and although it was one of the later, sillier ones, it was stull very funny.
     
  4. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    RIP
    Comedy gold has left the building.
     
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  5. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Durham
    Certainly has.
     
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  6. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
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  7. GeoffC

    GeoffC Forum Resident

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  8. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Durham
    The Graun has become seriously tiresome shoehorning references to Brexit into pretty much anything
     
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  9. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Interesting that they could use Private Pike, as Ian Lavender is still alive. But I guess the stamp celebrates the character and not the actor.
     
  10. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    I expect the BBC will rerun the episode called "Branded" in tribute, as it was Perry's favorite.
     
  11. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    He died 2 years ago.
     
  12. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Never read the date. Thinking about it, the BBC might have shown Branded at the time.
     
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