This week marks the 40th anniversary of Dad’s Army. It is testimony to the enduring appeal of the show that BBC2 has given over its entire evening schedule this Saturday to Dad’s Army-related programming, and that BBC1 will broadcast a special celebration on Sunday evening. And it’s not just those who saw it first time round who are fans – my 9-year-old son has been beside himself with laughter whenever he’s caught one of the recent run of repeats.

What is significant about its continuing appeal is that, in an age when comedy is generally dominated by ‘brash young things’, Dad’s Army is essentially a comedy about the elderly. This reflects historical reality – the lack of strict enforcement of the upper age limit of 65 meant that many an old soldier was able to join the ranks of the Home Guard. Portraying that reality, Dad’s Army challenges contemporary assumptions about the elderly and what they’re capable of. Certainly, much of the comedy centres round the ineptitude of Mainwaring and his men, but that’s firmly bound up with their characters, not with their age.

The show is constructed in such a way as to make us love a bunch of old men, out to do their bit for king and country. As the entry on the BBC Comedy website says, ‘For all their flaws, these men, we could rest assured, would give their lives to defend Great Britain.’ Dad’s Army embodies a high view of old people, emphasising their dedication, their willingness to learn and to try new things, and their sense of fun. It is, in this respect, rather closer to a biblical worldview of the elderly than some more recent TV comedy commissions, which go out of their way to portray the elderly as grumpy folk who do little else but complain.

The Bible isn’t sentimental about old age – it recognises that with advancing years come the real and painful challenges of physical and mental decline (Ecclesiastes 11:8). Nevertheless, neither is the Bible dismissive of the elderly. Indeed, it celebrates their wisdom (Proverbs 9:10-11), and regards them as worthy of honour and care (Leviticus 19:32; Matthew 15:1-6). If we will make this a living reality for the elderly folk known to us, then we too will be serving the King, and playing our part in defending the freedom he wants us all to enjoy.

Nigel Hopper