Dad’s Army star Ian Lavender has told how the show’s cast grew so close they would share secrets.
The 76-year-old actor, the last living cast member – who played Private Frank Pike, said they would meet for dinner and were shocked when the Home Guard sitcom became a hit.
The show ran from 1968 to 1977 and repeats remain popular today.
Ian said: “It was great fun. It was 10 weeks a year with wonderful people, all of whom became great friends.
“John Laurie (who played Private James Frazer) became a sort of grandfather figure. I adored him.
“I talked with John for so many hours. He said, ‘There are things I’ve told you I’ve never told my wife, or my daughter. You must promise me you must never tell anybody yourself’.”
Ian said many of the cast had been struggling actors and the show “didn’t get very good press” at first, although a second series was commissioned.
He explained: “It was supposed to go out on BBC Two, but they decided to put it on BBC One. But none of us thought there was 10 years in it.
“When we were away filming, [co-writer] David Croft had a house and in the middle weekend there would be a dinner for what he called The Magnificent Seven, or the 10, as we became with vicar, verger, and air-raid warden.
“One night, John Laurie had the room. We were talking about how this [Dad’s Army] shouldn’t have been a success, nobody liked it. John said, ‘It is quite amazing that this should’ve been a success. Just look at us.’”
Ian said Arthur Lowe’s character Captain Mainwaring “carried” the show, with the pair famous for Mainwaring’s “don’t tell him, Pike” scene.
Ian said Arthur, who died aged 66 in 1982, once advised him to get a “funny costume” to get noticed.
Ian told the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast: “Dad’s Army was Captain Mainwaring. He (Arthur) came to me in rehearsal and said, ‘Look, don’t worry if there’s not a lot of lines. They’ll come, don’t worry. In the meantime, get yourself a funny costume and stand near me.’
“I got a colourful scarf, wore my hat funny and stood near Arthur. I was only taught these things by them.”
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