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Timothy West replaces Bernard Cribbins in new 'Dad's Army' episodes

Timothy West (Credit: PA)
Timothy West (Credit: PA)

Timothy West is to replace Bernard Cribbins in the planned new episodes of classic wartime comedy series Dad’s Army.

Cribbins was set to play the doddering Private Godfrey in the reboots, originally played by actor Arnold Ridley.

But the Wombles legend has had to pull out of the production for personal reasons, with 84-year-old West now stepping in.

“It is a special pleasure for me to be taking over Godfrey from Arnold Ridley who, coincidentally, wrote The Ghost Train, the play in which my parents met,” West said.

Three classic episodes are being made by UKTV channel Gold from scripts by the show’s writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft.

(Credit: Gold)
(Credit: Gold)

The original recordings of the episodes were wiped in the late 1960s, with the new versions to be aired to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show’s first transmission.

Pirates of the Caribbean star Kevin McNally will play Captain Mainwaring in the new episodes, with Cold Feet’s Robert Bathurst as Sergeant Wilson, Kevin Eldon as Corporal Jones, Mathew Horne as Private Walker, David Hayman as Private Frazer and Tom Rosenthal as Private Pike.

Speaking about taking on the role of Mainwaring, McNally said: “I accept the responsibility and look forward to leading the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard in three last pushes against the Jerries. I hope you’ll join us and enjoy the ride.”

The episodes, titled The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Walker, A Stripe For Frazer and Under Fire, will air on Gold later this year.

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