The Rear Guard (1976): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1976, The Rear Guard is a comedy series.

What it’s about. The Rear Guard was a 1976 pilot episode for an American adaptation of the British situation comedy Dad's Army. Set in World War II, The Rear Guard followed a band of men in the American Civil Defense who were part of an auxiliary force in the event of an invasion of the USA. The episode was an adaptation of "The Deadly Attachment", in which a German U-Boat crew are placed under the supervision of the platoon. The pilot was aired on Tuesday the 10 August 1976, broadcast simultaneously on American Broadcasting Company channel 7 and 8. However it was not popular and never made it past its pilot to become a series. As it was a failure, the original tapes the show was recorded on were wiped. However copies of the show are in the possession of the show's director Hal Cooper and other producers that were associated with the show.

Who’s in it. The Rear Guard stars Lou Jacobi as Sergeant Max Raskin, Cliff Norton as Captain Nick Rosatti, Eddie Foy Jr. as Bert Wagner and John McCook as Don Crawford, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, The Rear Guard sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Rear Guard page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Rear Guard tend to enjoy Rick and Morty, My Hero Academia, One Piece and The Umbrella Academy.