The BBC is to release a lost episode of Dad’s Army as an animation after uncovering an audio recording of the programme.
The episode, A Stripe For Frazer, aired once in 1969 and went missing along with two other episodes as many tapes of programmes from the era were either recorded over or discarded.
A high quality audio recording was recently discovered, and the BBC has now created an animated version of the story.
It will make the new episode available on its digital service, BBC Store, from 4 February.
“As the UK renews its love affair with Dad’s Army we’re delighted to be bringing fans an exclusive chance to buy this brilliant lost episode which has been missing from the Dad’s Army portfolio for nearly half a century,” said Jonathan Green, the director of BBC Store.
In the 30-minute episode, Captain Mainwaring makes Frazer a lance corporal but soon regrets it.
Frazer vies with Lance Corporal Jones for Mainwaring’s favour and resorts to issuing a series of increasingly bizarre charge sheets to the consternation of Mainwaring and other members of the platoon.
In the run-up to Christmas, BBC2 aired We’re Doomed! The Dad’s Army Story, a comedy drama about the trials and tribulations of getting the series onto TV in the 1960s, which drew 2.7 million viewers.
A Dad’s Army feature film is due for release next month.
