Timothy West replaces Bernard Cribbins in Dad's Army remake as cast assemble for first read-through

But it appears there’s been a last-minute change in the line-up, with Brass and Toast of London star Timothy West CBE stepping into Bernard Cribbins' boots as the beloved Private Godfrey.

West is taking over from original cast member Cribbins, 90, after the actor stepped down from the role.

“Due to personal reasons I regret that I no longer can take part,” Cribbins explained. “Production found out I had two wooden legs and didn’t pass the medical!”

Speaking about his new role, West, 84, said, “It is a special pleasure for me to be taking over Godfrey from Arnold Ridley who, coincidently, wrote The Ghost Train, the play in which my parents met.”

West will be joining an ensemble cast of veteran actors for the Dad’s Army remake, including Kevin R. McNally as Captain Mainwaring, Robert Bathurst as Sergeant Wilson, Kevin Eldon as Lance Corporal Jones, Mathew Horne as Private Walker and David Hayman as Private Frazer.

Plebs star Tom Rosenthal also joins the cast as Pike.

The remake will see the recreation of three lost episodes from the sitcom’s original series; The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Walker, A Stripe for Frazer and Under Fire were originally aired in the 1960s, but disappeared from the BBC’s archives.

The episodes will be remade but stay true to Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s original scripts and will be aired on Gold later this year to tie in with the 50th anniversary since they were last seen on screen.

Speaking about starring as Sergeant Wilson, Bathurst explained, “I’ve played soldiers before, but find I handle guns with all the bloodcurdling authority of Sergeant Wilson. I’m looking forward to playing him.

“I hope we can honour Croft and Perry’s lost episodes. It’s a celebration of their writing, with understudies.”

Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes will air on Gold later this year

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