Creator of TV's Dad's Army dies aged 93

Jimmy Perry, the creator of one of TV's most popular comedy series, Dad's Army, has died aged 93.
File photo dated 10/12/2003 of comedy writers Jimmy Perry (left) and David Croft with their lifetime achievement award during for the annual British Comedy Awards. Croft, who wrote hit sitcoms including Dad's Army and Are You Being Served?  died today aged 89, his agent said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday September 27, 2011. See PA story DEATH Croft. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA WireFile photo dated 10/12/2003 of comedy writers Jimmy Perry (left) and David Croft with their lifetime achievement award during for the annual British Comedy Awards. Croft, who wrote hit sitcoms including Dad's Army and Are You Being Served?  died today aged 89, his agent said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday September 27, 2011. See PA story DEATH Croft. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
File photo dated 10/12/2003 of comedy writers Jimmy Perry (left) and David Croft with their lifetime achievement award during for the annual British Comedy Awards. Croft, who wrote hit sitcoms including Dad's Army and Are You Being Served? died today aged 89, his agent said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday September 27, 2011. See PA story DEATH Croft. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire

Working with producer David Croft, he was also responsible for It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Hi-de-Hi and You Rang M’Lord?

He drew on his life experiences for his writing, particularly as a young member of the Home Guard during World War Two and as a Butlin’s holiday camp Redcoat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dad’s Army ran from 1968 for 80 episodes over nine years while Hi-de-Hi ran for eight years.

Perry was born on 20 Sep 1923 in Barnes, south-west London.

He was too young to join the army when World War Two broke out in 1939, so instead he joined his local home guard.

He later based many of the characters for the sitcom on the soldiers he met at that time.

After the war, he trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and spent time entertaining holiday-makers at Butlin’s camps.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He ran the Palace Theatre at Watford, putting on a different show each week and played bit parts in TV sitcoms before he began to write them himself.

He showed his ideas for Dad’s Army - initially called The Fighting Tigers - to David Croft, who took it to the BBC.

The character Private Pike was based on Perry himself.

Related topics: