One of the biggest hits of the 1970s was Dad's Army, and the show has become embedded in the national psyche and is regularly named as one of Britain's best-ever sitcoms.
The show was led by Arthur Lowe, who played Captain George Mainwaring, an officer in the Replica Luxury Handbag Guard, a regiment of volunteers otherwise ineligible to serve in the British Army. The character's catchphrase, "You stupid boy!", remains one of the show's most-quoted lines.
Arthur loved his TV work, continuing to pursue roles even as his health declined. Alongside Dad's Army, the star was known for his roles in Coronation Street, Bless Me, Father and Potter.
The star, who died at the age of 66 in 1982, found love in the 1940s, marrying fellow thespian Joan Cooper in 1948. The couple had one son, Stephen, in 1953.
© Getty ImagesScroll down for all you need to know about Arthur's wife…
Joan Cooper
Before meeting Arthur, Joan was a successful actress. The star was cast in the likes of Rookery Nook, The Ruling Class and The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones. She also made the occasional appearance in Dad's Army alongside her husband, and her final credit came in 1980 when she starred in Sweet William as Aunt Bee.
Before meeting Arthur, Joan was married to actor Richard Gatehouse between 1941 and 1947, and the couple welcomed two children, Jane and David. Joan first met Arthur at the Manchester Repertory Theatre in 1946, and the couple married in 1948.
© Getty ImagesThey remained together until Arthur's death in 1982. Following her husband's passing, Joan moved to her late mother's cottage in Derbyshire and remained there until she passed away from stomach cancer on 1 July 1989, seven years after Arthur.
When Arthur died in 1982, Joan was absent from her late husband's funeral. According to Graham Lord, who wrote a biography on the late Dad's Army star, the couple had both made a pact not to attend one another's funeral when the time came.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the pair's son, Stephen, said: "It was the adage, 'The Show Must Go On'. I think it was her coping mechanism. Neither Joan nor Arthur were sentimental. I think that comes from being a civilian in wartime.
"When I remember my mother's stories about the war, the horrendous scenes that generation witnessed, I think it hardened them and even made them irreligious – my mother included. She was strongly vocal about her atheism, so I don't think the funeral meant anything to her."
© Alamy Stock PhotoHowever, despite missing the funeral, Joan was present at a memorial service for her late husband, which was held a month later.
