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Dad's Army - The Christmas Specials


RRP: £15.99
Our Price: £6.97 (subject to change)

Comedic heights
Review date: 2008-11-29 Rating: 10 out of 10

Along with Fawlty Towers, Dads Army is the finest TV comedy of any type made in the 1970's. But not even Fawlty Towers could not match Dads Army in the way it ridiculed the British class system, with the unsurpassed performances of Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier.

These two are the key to the series greatness. Watching the first of the christmas specials again last night it was the scenes with these two that held my attention and made me laugh a lot the most. Mainwaring is pompous and a deserate social climber, whereas Wilson is laid-back and as is shown in one episode (not on this DVD) has upper-class links. However lets not get carried away. The show is one of the best comedies ever made because of the entire main cast, all of whom add something special to the series.

I recently watched a couple of classic Laurel & Hardy shorts. The comparison with Laurel & Hardy is interesting. Most of the time in both shows you know exactly whats going to happen, because the characters are brilliant creations: Hardy will get hit over the head; Pike will get soaked. Laurel will cry; Mainwaring will look exasperated at one of Jones long stories. You could say everything is very predictable and perhaps that is what makes great film or TV comedy. We seem to love a joke even more when we know its coming!

These three Christmas specials maintain the very high standards the main series set. The extras (as detailed in other reviews) are very good and if you look around you can get this very cheap.

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Reviews


CHRISTMAS FROM WARMINGTON
Review date: 2008-09-22 Rating: 8 out of 10

The trouble with the BBC is its insistance of ripping its fans of by seperating the christmas episodes from each series and creating another DVD.
Good buisness sense but thumbing its nose up at the people that it rips off anyway via the TV licence system.
Anyway glad to be able to complete my dads army collection at last but notice that the bbc did slip up in the fact that the episode called turkey dinner not included in this set was really the only pucker seasonal christmas episode in my opinion.

The bonus this time was and i was surprised to see the extras that i hadnt seen and did enjoy.
But anyway glad i brought it to complete the whole series but a bit mad that the BBC still charge the same as for a whole series.
Not to worry though us suckers still buy so the BBC will still do what they do .

Anyway Had to have the christmas episodes and if you grew up with dads army like i did then not to get the last DVD of the collection would just be a crime.
As i have not seen these episodes for years im hoping im watching them in their original lengths and they have not done what they did to the steptoe and son christmas specials and cut them to peices.
Im sure fans of BBC comedy will agree with me when i say we are totaly fed up with this sort treatment as we buy what we are thinking is the complete episode of our favorite shows to cut them is stealing from us loyal fans.
Anyway rant over.
So merry christmas warmington cos we are the boys.

great comedy classic of all time
Review date: 2008-03-10 Rating: 10 out of 10

i have just watched the Dad's Army Christmas Specials and i have to say that it was one of classic comedy shows in which i enjoyed so much and even i never know to laugh out so much loud one or two epsoides such as The Battle of the Giants were the funniest now i have completed the collection of all the Dad's Army series i just got the last two series at Christmas which was series's 8 9 in which i still have watch those yet but will in the coming week

Loved it.
Review date: 2008-01-28 Rating: 10 out of 10

I remember watching these as a youth. They made me laugh then, they make me laugh now. Humour that transcends the passage of time.
For those who may not be familiar with Dad's army, the plots revolve around the escapades of the Walmington-On-Sea platoon of the Home Guard, commanded by pompous bank manager Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) and their efforts to keep Britain safe from Nazi invasion.
I agree with a previous reviewer that this dvd may not be the best value, but the episodes definitely earn the title 'classics' and are worth watching even if you don't buy.


Completing the Set, At a Price
Review date: 2008-01-17 Rating: 8 out of 10

As with many others I'm sure, I've got all the Dad's Army Series, this concludes my collection (excluding the lost episodes). Mainly with the three Christmas specials (unfortunately this Christmas left me seeing two of these anyway). Great fun, highly enjoyable, but charging the normal price for just three episodes is rather incredible.

Most enjoyable, if you're prepared to pay an overcharged sum

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Clive Dunn
John Le Mesurier
Arthur Lowe
James Beck
John Laurie

Creators:
Arthur Lowe (Primary Contributor)
John Le Mesurier (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503160326
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-11-12
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Language: English (Original Language)

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