Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes will recreate three episodes of the classic sitcom Dad’s Army that were lost from the archive.

The series will celebrate 50 years since the first broadcast of the original episodes, written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry, who devised the idea for Dad’s Army back in the 1960s.

In the original series, which ran from 1968 until 1977, Arthur Lowe played Captain Mainwaring, the pompous bank manager-turned-leader of the local group of Home Guards during the Second World War.

Kevin R. McNally will command the new Local Defence Volunteers as Captain Mainwaring, alongside Sergeant Wilson (Robert Bathurst) and the gentleman of the squad, Private Godfrey (Bernard Cribbins).

Kevin Eldon (Damned) will also be reporting for duty playing the anxious Lance Corporal Jones, with Mathew Horne (Gavin & Stacey) as Private Walker, David Hayman (Taboo) taking arms as Private Frazer and Friday Night Dinner’s Tom Rosenthal playing the young Pike.

Kevin R. McNally commented: “Now look here men, HQ tells me that three episodes of Dad’s Army have gone missing. And it has fallen to us to step in and replace them.”

“I’ve played soldiers before,” added Robert Bathurst. “I hope we can honour Croft and Perry’s lost episodes. It’s a celebration of their writing, with understudies.”

“What a way to start the New Year. Back in khaki again – just like I was in 1947,” said Bernard Cribbins, who volunteered for the Parachute Regiment after being called up for his National Service.

The three-part series joins the line-up of the UKTV Originals that will be landing on Gold in 2019, including Morecambe and Wise in America, David Jason: Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Death on the Tyne.

Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes is expected to air on Gold later in 2019.