‘NEVER TOO OLD’ (TV)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This is the last episode of the ‘Dad’s Army’ TV series. The series ends on a happy note with Lance Corporal Jones getting married to Mrs. Fox. I first saw this episode on the very first ‘Very Best of ‘Dad’s Army’ DVD before I watched the complete ‘Dad’s Army’ TV series on DVD, which is quite unusual.
It’s rather fitting that the TV series ends with a Jonesy episode, as he’s a well-beloved character. Clive Dunn excels as Jonesy in this episode and he’s lucky to get married to Pamela Cundell as Mrs. Fox, who is equally very good. The comedic and romantic aspects of Jonesy and Mrs. Fox’s relationship work well.
Everyone has been invited to the wedding of Jonesy and Mrs. Fox, including Bill Pertwee as Chief Warden Hodges, who is ‘a friend of the bride’. There’s also Frank Williams as the Vicar and Edward Sinclair as the Verger. The Verger insists that there must be ‘no confetti’ at the wedding. Nobody listens! 😀
It’s funny when the confetti gets thrown about. The Vicar says, “Mr. Yeatman, I thought you said no confetti!” Then the Verger throws it in his face. 😀 The episode also features Joan Cooper, Arthur Lowe’s real-life wife, as Dolly, Godfrey’s sister. There’s also Janet Davies as Mrs. Pike in the episode.
Mrs. Pike gets to be the matron of honour at the wedding for Mrs. Fox whilst Captain Mainwaring gets to give Mrs. Fox away at the ceremony. Jonesy dresses up in his red regimental uniform and Wilson dresses up in his old First World War captain’s uniform to be Jonesy’s best man at the wedding.
After the speeches made by Mainwaring, Jonesy and Wilson, Mainwaring receives a phone call from Robert Raglan as the Colonel, who alerts the Home Guard that there’s an invasion alert on. This abruptly ends the wedding celebrations. Fortunately, it’s revealed to be a false alarm in the episode.
The episode ends with Captain Mainwaring and his men paying tribute to Britain’s Home Guard. It’s a fitting way to end the episode on, especially as the ‘Dad’s Army’ team toast with cups of champagne. They speak to us as an audience, breaking the fourth wall, which is touching and sweet.
‘Never Too Old’ is a great episode to end ‘Dad’s Army’ on a high. It’s sad that the series ends on nine seasons, but ‘Dad’s Army’ is one of the most well-loved and cherished BBC TV sitcoms ever made. Nothing can match to the writing standards and performances of the cast in this war-time, feel-good sitcom.
On Disc 13 of ‘The Complete ‘Dad’s Army’ DVD collection’, there’s ‘We Are The Boys…Ian Lavender’, focusing on the actor who played Pike in the series. There’s also a photo gallery of Series 9.
‘Never Too Old’ (TV) rating – 8/10
‘Dad’s Army’: Series 9 rating – 7/10
‘NEVER TOO OLD’ (AUDIO)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
The last episode of the ‘Dad’s Army: The Radio Show’ audio release by Big Finish is an audio adaptation of the very last ‘Dad’s Army’ episode from Series 9. It’s fitting this audio release concludes with ‘Never Too Old’. The episode wasn’t adapted for the original radio series.
In terms of the cast, Jack Lane once again plays Captain Mainwaring, Lance Corporal Jones and Private Pike. David Benson also plays Sergeant Wilson, Private Frazer and Private Godfrey. The two are able to switch between voices of characters pretty superbly.
Jack Lane also plays Mrs. Pike and Dolly, Godfrey’s sister in the episode. Meanwhile, David Benson plays Private Sponge, Chief Warden Hodges, the Vicar, the Verger, Mrs. Fox and the Colonel. It’s astonishing David Benson does more character voices than Jack Lane. 😀
The audio episode begins with Godfrey sleeping before he’s woken up by Mrs. Fox coming into the church hall. This is different in the TV episode where Godfrey is clearly awake and standing. Some of Mainwaring’s lines are given to Wilson when speaking to Jonesy in the story. 😐
This is when Wilson asks Jones, “Are you sure you’re in love with her?” and Jones answers, “I’m besotted with her!” before Wilson replies, “That’s not quite the same thing.” Wilson’s lines in the audio episode were originally Mainwaring’s for the televised episode.
There’s Wilson picking up the phone to receive Mrs. Fox’s call for Jonesy. In the TV episode, it was Mainwaring who answered the phone Mrs. Fox’s call for Jonesy. I imagine this was to help Jack Lane from not transitioning too quickly between Mainwaring and Jones. 😐
There’s a moment in the audio episode when Jonesy tells Pike to “Shut up” after Pike told Frazer his heart was on ‘the other side’ when taking out his letter from Jessie out of his breast pocket. That wasn’t in the TV episode, as Jonesy simply told Pike to “Ssh!” about it.
In a rare moment on audio, Jack Lane and David Benson fluff their lines during the recording of the episode in the Capitol Theatre in Horsham. They’re also in character as Mainwaring and Wilson whilst making their fluff. I’m very surprised that wasn’t edited out.
The ‘Dad’s Army: The Radio Show’ audio release by Big Finish has been fun to listen to. Jack Lane and David Benson are very good playing the ‘Dad’s Army’ characters in the three episodes adapted for audio. They’re not full-cast productions, but they’re still entertaining.
At the end of the ‘Dad’s Army: The Radio Show’ audio release by Big Finish, there are behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew, including Jack Lane and David Benson as well as Penny Croft, who is the daughter of ‘Dad’s Army’ co-creator David Croft and the director of Worldwide Theatrix Limited, and Big Finish executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery.
‘Never Too Old’ (Audio) rating – 7.5/10
‘Dad’s Army: The Radio Show’ rating – 7.5/10
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