Doctor Who Vs. Dad's Army: The Animated Lost Episodes

Digital TV channel Gold recreated three lost episodes of the BBC's beloved wartime sitcom for their UKTV Originals strand. Dad's Army endured for eighty instalments over nine series (from 1968 to 1977), but a trio of stories remain lost from the archives. Originally shown in late 1969, The Lonliness of the Long Distance Walker, A Stripe for Frazer and Under Fire were remade by Mercury Productions (makers of Gold's 50th anniversary documentary Saluting Dad's Army). Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson are now portrayed by Kevin McNally and Robert Bathurst, roles made famous by Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, whilst Corporal Jones, Privates Frazer, Walker, Godfrey, and Pike were played by Kevin Eldon, David Hayman, Matthew Horne, Timothy West (who replaced Bernard Cribbins), and Tom Rosenthal.

The original instalments (and two Christmas specials) were given another lease of life when animated by BBC Studios, and began screening on Gold last night. The reconstructed versions (first shown in 2019) featured a total of eleven Doctor Who cast connections:

• McNally was Lieutenant Hugo Lang in The Twin Dilemma, and Professor Eustacius Jericho in Flux - he also voiced Henry for Spider's Shadow (2008), Vakrass for The End of the Beginning, and Merrick Kingdom for Dalek Universe (both 2021)
• Bathurst (also depicted Le Mesurier in Hattie) voiced Cardinal Padrac for Doom Coalition (2015-17), then was General Farquhar in Survivors of the Flux
• Eldon voiced Antimony for Death Comes to Time, and was Ribbons in It Takes You Away
• West voiced Kai Tobias for Phobos (2007), Ronald Turvey for Cuddlesome (2008), and Dr. Magnus Soames for House of Blue Fire (2011)
• Simon Ludders (Hodges [Bill Pertwee]) was Patient in New Earth, and Overseer in Thin Ice, then voiced Luke Palmer for Outbreak (2016), Policeman for Instant Karma, Magister Feris for The Angel of History, Elliot King for The War Master 2 (all 2018), Monty/Ogron for The Uncertain Shore (2020), Control for Rogue State, Dr. Andrews for Time Flies, and Colin Carter for Dark Side of the Moon (all 2022)
• Tracy Ann Oberman (Mavis [Janet Davies]) was Yvonne Hartman in Army of Ghosts and Doomsday - a role reprised for Big Finish's Torchwood - and also voiced Temperance Finch/Mrs. Grenville for Deimos and The Resurrection of Mars (both 2010), and the titular Tartarus (2019)
• Christopher Villiers (Brigadier) was Hugh Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons, Professor Moorhouse in Mummy on the Orient Express, and voiced Cacothis for Absolution (2007)
• Julia [Margaret] Deakin (Chairwoman) voiced Harriet Griffin for Terror Firma (2005), and Old Anita for Burrowed Time (2019)
• Andrew Havill (Brigadier here; Meeks in Dad's Army, 2016) was the Chief Steward in Voyage of the Damned, and voiced Aleister Portillon /Squire Claude for The Witch From the Well (2011), and Colonel Wildman for The Enchantress of Numbers (2019)
• Philip Pope (Murphy) voiced Father Harpin for The Foe from the Future (2011), Jovians for The Jupiter Conjunction, Pendolin for The Time Museum, John White/George Chapman for Voyage to the New World (all 2012), Templeton for Counter Measures (2013-15), Baker for The Monstrous Menagerie, Dr. Reginald Peacock for Murder at Moorsey Manor, John Rippon for The Wax Princess (all 2014), Boss/William/Baron Worthing for Treason and Plot (2020), and Speaker/Boss for Run (2023)
• Tamzin Griffin (Mrs. Keen) voiced Negotiator Vresha for Dreamtime (2005)
• Howard Burden was also costume designer on thirty adventures (from Asylum of the Daleks to Last Christmas)