The Rear Guard(1976)

The Rear Guard is a 1976 pilot episode for an American adaptation of the British sitcom Dad's Army. Set during World War II, it follows a Civil Defense platoon tasked with protecting the American home front as an auxiliary force against potential invasion. When a German U-boat crew is captured and placed under the platoon's watch, the mismatched soldiers must manage both their prisoners and their own incompetence. The episode aired on ABC in August 1976 but failed to find an audience, never developing beyond the pilot. The original broadcast tapes were subsequently wiped, though copies survive with the show's director and producers. Despite its brief existence, The Rear Guard remains a curious footnote in television history as a transatlantic comedy experiment that didn't take root.