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The Worst Episodes of Dad's Army

Every episode of Dad's Army ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Dad's Army!

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Introducing the Walmington-On-Sea home guard. During WW2, in a fictional British seaside town, a ragtag group of Home Guard local defense volunteers prepare for an imminent German invasion.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Dad's Army Season 6 Episode 7 - The Recruit
    7.0/10(151 votes)

    #1 - The Recruit

    S6:E7

    Capt. Mainwaring has gone into hospital for an operation on ingrowing toenails. Meanwhile Wilson as acting CO has asked the vicar and the verger to join the platoon to make up the numbers. Note: This is the first episode not to feature James Beck as Pte. Joe Walker, although Beck is still included in the closing credits.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Dad's Army Season 1 Episode 2 - Museum Piece
    7.1/10(226 votes)

    #2 - Museum Piece

    S1:E2

    With the shortage of weapons, Capt. Mainwaring goes to the local museum to see if any of the guns on display can be used by the platoon.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Dad's Army Season 1 Episode 3 - Command Decision
    7.2/10(194 votes)

    #3 - Command Decision

    S1:E3

    Capt. Mainwaring, worried about the lack of weapons, gets a visit from Col. Square, an old soldier who offers to donate some guns from his collection, providing he can take command of the platoon. Mainwaring agrees until he sees the state of the guns.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Dad's Army Season 7 Episode 2 - A Man of Action
    7.2/10(129 votes)

    #4 - A Man of Action

    S7:E2

    Pike gets his head caught in the park railings and the platoon is summoned to help. Meanwhile a large bomb has exploded near the town and has put out the gas and water supplies. When Mainwaring returns to hear what has happened he puts the town under martial law.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Dad's Army Season 7 Episode 3 - Gorilla Warfare
    7.2/10(140 votes)

    #5 - Gorilla Warfare

    S7:E3

    On a field exercise acting as commandos meeting a secret agent, represented by Mainwaring, the platoon must trust no-one for GHQ has sent out counter agents to catch them. The appearance of a gorilla compounds their problem.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Dad's Army Season 3 Episode 7 - Big Guns
    7.3/10(153 votes)

    #6 - Big Guns

    S3:E7

    The platoon is given a heavy naval artillery piece but the town's bandstand, a rare example of Victorian ironwork, stands in its field of fire. The town council insists it must be preserved but Mainwaring reasons that a demonstration of the gun's capabilities will quiet any protests.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Dad's Army Season 5 Episode 12 - Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel
    7.3/10(144 votes)

    #7 - Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel

    S5:E12

    The platoon is asked to provide guard duty at a testing ground for secret weapons, but when one of the devices gets out of control the platoon has to give chase.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Dad's Army Season 9 Episode 3 - Knights of Madness
    7.3/10(123 votes)

    #8 - Knights of Madness

    S9:E3

    During a Wings For Victory fundraising event the platoon decides to stage a re-enactment of the battle between St. George and the Dragon, but friction starts when Hodges and the wardens plan the same thing.

    Director:Bob Spiers
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Dad's Army Season 1 Episode 6 - Shooting Pains
    7.4/10(176 votes)

    #9 - Shooting Pains

    S1:E6

    When news that the Prime Minister is to pay a visit to the area a shooting contest is held to see which of the local platoons will form the Guard of Honour. Walker gets a crack shot from the theatre touring show (Barbara Windsor) to take part as a member of the platoon but a surprise is in store for everybody.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Dad's Army Season 3 Episode 9 - War Dance
    7.4/10(159 votes)

    #10 - War Dance

    S3:E9

    The platoon holds a dance where Pike is going to announce his engagement to a local girl. Sgt. Wilson tries to get him to change his mind but Pike will not be put off.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Dad's Army Season 4 Episode 4 - Sgt - Save My Boy !
    7.4/10(141 votes)

    #11 - Sgt - Save My Boy !

    S4:E4

    The platoon has moved to a new HQ's position on the beach. When Pike fails to turn up they find him caught up in the barbed wire at the waters edge. With the tide coming in, Mainwaring and Wilson mount a rescue mission, but someone else gets there first.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Dad's Army Season 4 Episode 5 - Don't Fence Me In
    7.4/10(148 votes)

    #12 - Don't Fence Me In

    S4:E5

    The platoon guards some Italian POW then suspicion falls on Walker that he may be helping them to escape. Mainwaring then sets a trap with a surprising outcome.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Dad's Army Season 7 Episode 4 - The Godiva Affair
    7.4/10(140 votes)

    #13 - The Godiva Affair

    S7:E4

    The platoon dresses up as Morris Dancers as part of a carnival to raise money for the town's Spitfire fund, which is still £2,000 short. A Lady Godiva figure will lead the parade but there is confusion over who this will be.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Dad's Army Season 7 Episode 6 - Turkey Dinner
    7.4/10(147 votes)

    #14 - Turkey Dinner

    S7:E6

    After the platoon accidentally shoots a turkey, attempts are made to return it to the local farmer, but he will not accept it so the men come up with the idea of providing a dinner for the local OAPs.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Dad's Army Season 9 Episode 1 - Wake Up Walmington
    7.4/10(139 votes)

    #15 - Wake Up Walmington

    S9:E1

    The people of Walmington-on-Sea are becoming apathetic about the war effort. When practicing on a firing range, Mainwaring is told to keep the noise down and Hodges is verbally assaulted for his efforts as chief warden. Mainwaring decides to scare his townfolk by getting the platoon to dress up as fifth columnists and marching through the countryside 'asking ze questions!' Will their plan work? Or will Mainwaring just end up looking rather silly in front of Capt. Square and the Eastgate platoon?

    Director:Bob Spiers
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Dad's Army Season 9 Episode 2 - The Making of Private Pike
    7.4/10(137 votes)

    #16 - The Making of Private Pike

    S9:E2

    Capt. Mainwaring is to be an umpire in a war game exercise so he gets the use of a car. Pike meets a girl and uses the car to take her out, but they stay out all night and the whole town is shocked.

    Director:Bob Spiers
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Dad's Army Season 9 Episode 4 - The Miser's Hoard
    7.4/10(126 votes)

    #17 - The Miser's Hoard

    S9:E4

    Frazer is busy counting up his earnings when his doctor visits and accidentally knocks over a money box revealing that Frazer is far from poor. Concerned, the doctor alerts Mainwaring, who alerts Jones and very soon Frazer's fortune is the subject of town gossip. Eventually the platoon, Hodges, the vicar and the verger are spying on Frazer to see what he does with his money. Will they get their hands on it, or does Frazer have a sneaky trick up his sleeve?

    Director:Bob Spiers
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Dad's Army Season 1 Episode 1 - The Man and the Hour
    7.5/10(250 votes)

    #18 - The Man and the Hour

    S1:E1

    After listening to a radio broadcast asking for men to form what has been named Local Defence Volunteers (later to be renamed the Home Guard), George Mainwaring, a local bank manager, decides to act and form the platoon of his own accord. He appoints himself as Captain and recruits his chief bank clerk Arthur Wilson as the platoon sergeant as well as enlisting the bank's office boy Frank Pike. Several of the local tradesmen - including James Frazer, a philatelist shopkeeper; retired shop worker Charles Godfrey; Jack Jones the butcher and black market businessman Joe Walker - also volunteer their service for 'King and Country.' And so, The Walmington-on-Sea LDV is born.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Dad's Army Season 2 Episode 1 - Operation Kilt
    7.5/10(168 votes)

    #19 - Operation Kilt

    S2:E1

    When six members of the Highland Regiment attack the Warmington-on-Sea's HQ, the platoon has to come up with a scheme to capture the attackers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Dad's Army Season 2 Episode 4 - Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret
    7.5/10(158 votes)

    #20 - Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret

    S2:E4

    Sgt. Wilson overhears Mrs. Pike telling Frank that she is expecting a child. Wilson assumes that she is pregnant and that he is the father, but it turns out that she is looking after an evacuee. Mainwaring advises that Wilson marry her, until she clears up the misunderstanding.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Dad's Army Season 3 Episode 1 - The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones
    7.5/10(181 votes)

    #21 - The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones

    S3:E1

    Mainwaring is under orders to be more co-operative with the ARP wardens; a task that's made very difficult by their newly appointed chief. Walker strikes a deal with Jones to make it easier for him to carry rationed goods without being stopped by the police - he is to let the platoon use his butcher's van as a troop carrier and ambulance by day and let Walker use it by night. He bribes Jones with the promise that Jones will receive petrol coupons for it. Unfortunately things don't go entirely to plan...

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Dad's Army Season 3 Episode 12 - Man Hunt
    7.5/10(150 votes)

    #22 - Man Hunt

    S3:E12

    The platoon is told to be on the lookout for any abandoned parachutes so Walker tells Mainwaring that he has found one. They also take on a dog which they use to track an escaped German pilot but accidentally arrest a bird watcher.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Dad's Army Season 7 Episode 1 - Everybody's Trucking
    7.5/10(137 votes)

    #23 - Everybody's Trucking

    S7:E1

    As all the road signs have been removed from the area, the platoon is ordered to put up temporary ones to help a large convoy on manoeuvres that is due to drive through the area, but due to the condition of the ground Jones's van gets stuck in the mud.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Dad's Army Season 8 Episode 2 - When You've Got To Go
    7.5/10(137 votes)

    #24 - When You've Got To Go

    S8:E2

    Pike finally gets his call up papers and is to join the RAF, but when his blood donation to the Red Cross is checked it is found to be from a rare group and he is designated exempt from military service. Then he has to find a way to break the news to the platoon.

    Director:Harold Snoad
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Dad's Army Season 9 Episode 5 - Number Engaged
    7.5/10(124 votes)

    #25 - Number Engaged

    S9:E5

    The platoon takes over from the regular army in guarding some vital telephone wires. During an air raid a bomb lands in the wires and a way has to be found to get it down before it explodes.

    Director:Bob Spiers
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Recruit" is the worst rated episode of "Dad's Army". It scored 7/10 based on 151 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/12/1973. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Museum Piece".