His transformation and performance is pretty damn impressive! In fact the performances and casting for this are excellent, I personally think it's better than the Dad's Army film that's coming out
shareJohn Sessions did look incredibly like Arthur Lowe. I really enjoyed it. As for the new Dad's Army film, it's an homage. They're not trying to remake it; that would be appalling!
I'm really looking forward to that too and as far as I'm concerned, the casting is superb.
I was extremely impressed by his turn as Arthur Lowe too, it was a genius bit of casting.
We're on Gallifrey. Death is Time Lord for man flu!
He did so well as Arthur Lowe it took me ages to recognise him.
There's only two things I hate in this world, intolerance to other peoples cultures and the French.
I guess it helps that Sessions is an impressionist as well. He used to the voices on Spitting Image.
It's that man again!!
Time for a nay-sayer. For such an accomplished voice artist and impressionist I really wasn't impressed with John Sessions evocation of Arthur Lowe's voice, and physically he seemed rather too substantial. He was prematurely grey, whereas the real Arthur Lowe retained the gingerness of his hair into later middle age. Also he was balding, but not the comprehensive chrome-dome portrayed by Sessions. I'm afraid he just didn't seem to me to be like Arthur Lowe at all.
shareNo, granted, he wasn't perfect, and I take your point about the hair, I thought that too. But he seems to have passed muster with most viewers so I still say he did a sterling job with his portrayal.
I think the only thing I take issue with in this dramatisation was the needlessness of bringing up the whole bowel movements stuff. I do feel it's rather disrespectful to a real-life person who existed, to work in this undignified plot point. I understand they wanted to have him late for the bus every day but they could have done that without emphasising why. If he'd been alive today I bet he'd have been mortified by that being onscreen.
We're on Gallifrey. Death is Time Lord for man flu!
I thought it was a pretty spot on impression, but I agree he was probably a bit fatter than Lowe was at that time.
shareArthur Lowe in real life was greyer than in the show- though granted, this clip is 1971, three years after the drama was set :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO9k8X6b-7A
At least by the time of the colour episodes from '69 onwards, they were 'gingering' the remainder of his hair and moustache (the latter of which he mostly didn't keep between series).
I agree (and as the clip shows), he wasn't as rotund. He seemed a bit chubbier in the show, so maybe padding was involved.
Though, I actually think Sessions himself got the 'mainwarisms' spot on.
I think John Sessions nailed it...he captured the vulnerable pomposity of Arthur Lowe. I loved his interrogation of the waitress about the devilled kidneys.
"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."