An episode of the BBC Television sitcom Dad’s Army is back in a new avatar as it takes the animated route. This episode was believed to have been lost for over half a century after it was broadcasted once on BBC in March 1969. After that, there was no trace of the episode at all as the sitcom itself aired from 1968 to 1977.
The recently discovered high-quality audio recording of the episode titled ‘A Stripe For Frazer’ will be used to create the animated version. The story of this animated short focuses on Captain Mainwaring making Frazer a lance corporal – but soon regretting it. The hyper active Frazer gradually competes with Lance Corporal Jones for Mainwaring’s favour. He resorts to issuing a series of increasingly bizarre charge sheets, to the consternation of Mainwaring and other members of the platoon.
The historical sitcom based on the British Home Guard during the Second World War gained audiences of 18 million viewers and was voted fourth in a BBC poll for Britain’s Best Sitcom in 2004. Written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, this lost episode recreated into an animated short will be available on BBC Store from 4 February 2016.
The comedy feature film Dad’s Army starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Toby Jones, Tom Courtenay and many more great personalities is set to release on 5 February 2016. So, the animated episode will help build the anticipation for the film as the original sitcom will be relived through the most creative medium of storytelling.
