If there was a point at which this wonderful and fondly-remembered TV comedy began to show its age, it was in this first episode of the seventh series. Tragically, James Beck (Private Walker) had passed away during the previous series and it proved impossible to replace him.
But something else happened that was barely noticeable at first - Arthur Lowe seemed to lose some of his enthusiasm for Captain Mainwaring. Strangely, the warmth left his character and he became more of a martinet than a leader of men. Some of his best catch-phrases lost their punch and his inimitable "slow burn" responses to frustrating situations were nowhere near as funny as they used to be. Whether or not Lowe thought that perhaps Dad's Army was in danger of going on too long, there was a clear decline in the quality of the show, and the storylines began to struggle for laughs.
Fans will stay loyal to the series to the end - but perhaps the end should have come just a little sooner before all the older actors began to show their real age.