History Trivia / DadsArmy

* DawsonCasting: Inverted with Clive Dunn (who was 47 when the series began) playing the septuagenarian Corporal Jones. Played straight with Ian Lavender, who was 22 at the start of the series and playing the 17 to 18-year-old Frank Pike, and 31 when the series ended while [[FrozenInTime Pike had not aged.]]

* PlayingGertrude: Clive Dunn was only 44 when he played the elderly Corporal Jones.

* ActingForTwo: In one episode Arthur Lowe starred as both Mainwaring and Mainwaring's estranged brother.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Fans of ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' may be surprised to know that Jean Gilpin (who voiced Elenwen of the Thalmor) had a role in "The Making of Private Pike" as Pike's abusive GirlOfTheWeek.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jimmy Perry initially wrote the role of Walker for himself, believing that this would be the ideal opportunity to show off his comedy skills and further his acting career. David Croft had to dissuade Perry of this notion, pointing out that having the show's creator and writer in the cast would breed resentment since the other actors would constantly be wondering if Perry was giving himself all the good lines.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Unlike Mr. Hodges, Bill Pertwee was known for being a lovely man in RealLife.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Barbara Windsor appears in a Series One episode as a showgirl who performs a trick shooting act, roped in by the platoon to disguise herself as a Home Guard member and help them win a marksmanship contest.
** In the same episode, show writer Jimmy Perry appeared in a small role as a stage comedian; he had originally wanted to play Walker but decided against it in case it caused friction with the rest of the cast.
** Nigel Hawthorne, best known as Sir Humphrey Appleby on ''Series/YesMinister'' and ''Yes, Prime Minister'', appears in a brief role in the first episode of Series 3, playing a man whose bike gets commandeered by the squad.
** The Season Three episode "This Bullet's Not For Firing" guest stars Michael Knowles, who played Captian Ashwood in Perry & Croft's ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum'', as a visiting captain who attends the court of inquiry.
** Also from ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum'', Don Estelle, who played Lofty, is the man from Pickfords in the season three episode "Big Guns".
** {{Creator/Peter|Butterworth}} [[Film/CarryOn Butterworth]] guest stars in the season 8 episode "The Face On The Poster" as a printing clerk.
** Jeffrey Holland from Perry and Croft's ''Series/HiDeHi'', ''Series/YouRangMLord'', and ''Series/OhDoctorBeeching'' appears in the season 9 episode "Wake Up Walmington" as an army van driver who yells at the Home Guard to get off the road.

* MissingEpisode: Until 2001, "Sgt Wilson's Little Secret" was the only known surviving episode from Series 2. Two episodes ("Operation Kilt" and "The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage") were subsequently recovered and remastered, but three ("The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker", "A Stripe for Frazer",[[note]] The audio for which was recovered in 2008.[[/note]] and "Under Fire") remain lost. One of the colour episodes only survived in black and white; it has since been recolourized, though the colour version has not yet been released on DVD.

* DevelopmentHell: BBC executives were not confident that the public would react well to a comedy about UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and constantly tried to kill the project. Jimmy Perry and David Croft had to fight tooth and nail to even get a pilot approved and had trouble casting the role of Mainwaring (their early choices refused to participate because of issues like the subject matter and the low salary). After the pilot was completed, the executives constantly asked for changes (see below), with Perry and Croft having to walk a very fine line in order to make sure that the show would be transmitted in a reasonable time slot. To add to their woes, the pilot was nearly killed by an early version demographics testing saying that the sample audience didn't like the concept.

* DevelopmentHell: BBC executives were not confident that the public would react well to a comedy about UsefulNotes/WorlWarII and constantly tried to kill the project. Jimmy Perry and David Croft had to fight tooth and nail to even get a pilot approved and had trouble casting the role of Mainwaring (their early choices refused to participate because of issues like the subject matter and the low salary). After the pilot was completed, the executives constantly asked for changes (see below), with Perry and Croft having to walk a very fine line in order to make sure that the show would be transmitted in a reasonable time slot. To add to their woes, the pilot was nearly killed by an early version demographics testing saying that the sample audience didn't like the concept.

** [[Film/CarryOn Peter Butterworth]] guest stars in the season 8 episode "The Face On The Poster" as a printing clerk.

** Nigel Hawthorne appears in a brief role in the first episode of Series 3, playing a man whose bike gets commandeered by the squad.
** The Season Three episode ''This Bullet's Not For Firing'' guest stars Michel Knowles, who played Captian Ashwood in Perry & Croft's ''Series/IItAintHalfHotMum'', as a visiting captain who attends the court of inquiry.
** Also from ''Series/IItAintHalfHotMum'', Don Estelle, who played Lofty, is the man from Pickfords in the season three episode ''Big Guns''.
** [[Film/CarryOn Peter Butterworth]] guest stars in the season 8 episode ''The Face On The Poster'' as a printing clark.
** Jeffrey Holland from Perry and Croft's ''Series/YouRangMLord'' and ''Series/OhDrBeeching'' appears in the season 9 episode ''Wake Up Warmington''.
* MissingEpisode: Most of the second season. Two episodes were subsequently recovered and remastered. One of the colour episodes only survived in black and white; it has since been recolourized, though the colour version has not yet been released on DVD.

** Pike's occasional girlfriend Ivy was played by Ian Lavender's wife in one of her appearances, the episode "My British Buddy"

* WordOfGod: Ian Lavender waited until very late in the show's run to ask Jimmy Perry if Pike really was [[spoiler: Wilson's son. Perry replied that as "of course he was!"]]. David Croft also confirmed it as fact in interviews.

** The Season Three episode ''This Bullet's Not For Firing'' guest stars Michel Knowles, who played Captian Ashwood in Perry & Croft's ''ItAintHalfHotMum'', as a visiting captain who attends the court of inquiry.
** Also from ''ItAintHalfHotMum'', Don Estelle, who played Lofty, is the man from Pickfords in the season three episode ''Big Guns''.

** Jeffrey Holland from Perry and Croft's ''YouRangMLord'' and ''OhDrBeeching'' appears in the season 9 episode ''Wake Up Warmington''.

* RealLifeRelative: Pike's occasional girlfriend Ivy was played by Ian Lavender's wife in one of her appearances, the episode "My British Buddy"

** [[CarryOn Peter Butterworth]] guest stars in the season 8 episode ''The Face On The Poster'' as a printing clark.

** Jeffrey Holland from Perry and Croft's ''YouRangMLord'' and ''OhDoctorBeeching'' appears in the season 9 episode ''Wake Up Warmington''.

** Also from ''ItAintHalfHotMum'', Don Estelle, who played Lofty, is the man from Pickfords in the season three episode ''Big Guns''.

** Also from ''ItAintHalfHotMuM'', Don Estelle, who played Lofty, is the man from Pickfords in the season three episode ''Big Guns''.

** The Season Three episode ''This Bullet's Not For Firing'' guest stars Michel Knowles, who played Captian Ashwood in Perry & Croft's 'ItAintHalfHotMum'', as a visiting captain who attends the court of inquiry.

** The Season Three episode ''This Bullet's Not For Firing'' guest stars Michel Knowles, who played Captian Ashwood in Perry & Croft's other war time sitcome, 'ItAintHalfHotMum''.

* WordOfGod: Ian Lavender waited until very late in the show's run to ask Jimmy Perry if Pike really was [[spoiler: Wilson's son. Perry replied that as "of course he was!"]]