British Comedy has featured some giant names over the years; Names that have come to define what British Comedy is. You have the comedians themselves, Will Hay, George Formby, Arthur Askey, Alastair Sim, Norman Wisdom, Peter Sellars to name but a few.
You also have the brand names or the studio names famous for their comedies, for instance ATP/Ealing studios and the wonderful 'Carry On' brand that between them churned out classic British Comedy from the 30's through to the late 1970's
However when it came to British TV sitcoms one name stands above all others and that is the late, great David Croft.
For over 30 years starting in the late 1960's, David Croft (a prolific writer and producer) along with frequent collaborator Jimmy Perry brought us many of our most beloved sitcoms including 'Dads Army' (1968-1977) 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' (1974-1981) and this one 'Hi-de-Hi' (1980-1988)
If you are of a certain age, you will remember with fondness (or not) they heyday of the British holiday camp. It's basic accommodation with uncomfortable mattresses, the camp shop, the bar, the ballroom or nightclub, the awful Cabaret acts, the endless competitions, like the glamorous granny or the knobbly knees, the beauty contests, the talent competitions, the children's entertainers and the entertainment staff always ready to pull the most sedate of us onto the dance floor to ensure we have a good time.
I used to go to one every year myself down in Weymouth from the early to late 1980's and have many fond teenage memories, so if you remember them as I do, then you will relate to and enjoy the Hijinks featured in Hi-De Hi.
Set in a fictitious Holiday Camp at a fictitious English seaside resort over the 1959 and 1960 holiday seasons, it features a wonderful array of delightful comic characters that form up the entertainment staff, charged with making sure the 'campers' have a fun filled week.
Firstly we have Jeffrey Fairbrother (Simon Cadell) a Cambridge archeology professor who's self realisation that he is bland and boring, leads him to radically change his lifestyle by gaining employment as the camps entertainments manager, the big joke here being he's an entertainments manager that knows nothing about entertaining and often fails abysmally when he tries with hilarious results. His mild manner and good nature means he is never fully in control of the mayhem around him and the more nefarious of his staff use this to their advantage.
We have Ted Bovis (Paul Shane) the stereotypical fat northern beer swigging (sometimes blue) comedian who is the Camp Host. He compères most of the events in the camp (mainly to get his hands on the kitty and cream a bit off the top for himself) He often ends up at loggerheads with Jeffrey because a) Ted wanted the entertainments managers job himself and b) Jefferey (most of the time) stops Ted working his money making scams on the campers.
Then there's Spike Dixon (Jefferey Holland) camp comedian and Ted's protege. His running gag is that he is seldom very funny and often has to resort to wearing funny costumes every week in his attempts to raise a smile from the campers. Yet with all he is a kind and extremely honest man who often falls out with Ted over his attempts to dishonestly cheat the campers out of their money.
Gladys Pugh (Ruth Madoc) is the entertainment managers assistant, sports organiser, radio announcer and Chief Yellowcoat (Yellowcoat being the name given to the entertainments staff derived from the golden blue trimmed blazers they are required to wear) Her exaggerated thick Welsh accent over the radio gives the series its main catchphrase of 'Hello Campers' she is also madly in love with Jeff and practically (although not literally) throws herself at him in each episode but to no avail.
Rounding off the leading cast we have Su Pollard as Peggy Ollerenshaw, a much put upon, slightly 'potty' chalet maid who yearns to be a Yellowcoat. It's her attempts to be in on all the fun and the hash she makes if it when she is, that gives the show many of its laughs.
Supporting we have Barry Howard and Diane Holland as Barry and Yvonne Stewart-Hargreaves, 'champion' ballroom dancers who have seen better days and whose routines are hilariously terrible. Their snobby superior attitude towards the camp, the campers and their fellow staff lends itself to some great comedy especially when they are forced to degrade themselves in some of the more vulgar competitions likes 'That's your Bum!' The two often quarrel and make cutting (although extremely amusing) jibes at each other.
Nikki Kelly plays Sylvia Garnsey, a blonde, busty long legged Yellowcoat who is overly flirty with campers and with Jeff, making her a potential threat to Gladys, which is why they are often very bitchy and catty to each other.
Felix Bowness plays Fred Quilley a disgraced jockey, now forced to give 'horsey rides' for the kids along the sands.
Finally we have Leslie Dwyer as Mr Partridge, the drunken children's entertainer and Punch and Judy Man, who dislikes children intensely...what can go wrong there...right?
Although Hi-de-HI' enjoyed an impressive 8 year run and spanned 58 episodes, and despite numerous cast changes throughout the years, it never lost its initial charm, it remained very funny right to the very last episode.
This accomplishment I lay at the feet of David Croft himself, an accomplishment made all the more impressive by the fact that whilst working on Hi-De Hi he was also simultaneously writing and producing the equally funny 'Are You Being Served?" (1972-1985) and 'Allo' Allo!' (1982-1992) with his other frequent collaborator Jeremy Lloyd,
Just Imagine how many episodes all of these sitcoms ran to combined and just think of how many original jokes, gags, quips, one liners, double entendres and scenarios he was able to cook up for each one.
There was more to come from Croft of course with 'You Rang M'Lord' (1988-1993) and 'Oh Doctor Beeching!' (1995-1997) which both happily reused many of the talented performers from Hi-de-Hi and all his other renowned sitcoms.
Now that's what I call a productive and fertile comedy brain and why David Croft will always be remembered as one of Britain's comedy greats.
You also have the brand names or the studio names famous for their comedies, for instance ATP/Ealing studios and the wonderful 'Carry On' brand that between them churned out classic British Comedy from the 30's through to the late 1970's
However when it came to British TV sitcoms one name stands above all others and that is the late, great David Croft.
For over 30 years starting in the late 1960's, David Croft (a prolific writer and producer) along with frequent collaborator Jimmy Perry brought us many of our most beloved sitcoms including 'Dads Army' (1968-1977) 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' (1974-1981) and this one 'Hi-de-Hi' (1980-1988)
If you are of a certain age, you will remember with fondness (or not) they heyday of the British holiday camp. It's basic accommodation with uncomfortable mattresses, the camp shop, the bar, the ballroom or nightclub, the awful Cabaret acts, the endless competitions, like the glamorous granny or the knobbly knees, the beauty contests, the talent competitions, the children's entertainers and the entertainment staff always ready to pull the most sedate of us onto the dance floor to ensure we have a good time.
I used to go to one every year myself down in Weymouth from the early to late 1980's and have many fond teenage memories, so if you remember them as I do, then you will relate to and enjoy the Hijinks featured in Hi-De Hi.
Set in a fictitious Holiday Camp at a fictitious English seaside resort over the 1959 and 1960 holiday seasons, it features a wonderful array of delightful comic characters that form up the entertainment staff, charged with making sure the 'campers' have a fun filled week.
Firstly we have Jeffrey Fairbrother (Simon Cadell) a Cambridge archeology professor who's self realisation that he is bland and boring, leads him to radically change his lifestyle by gaining employment as the camps entertainments manager, the big joke here being he's an entertainments manager that knows nothing about entertaining and often fails abysmally when he tries with hilarious results. His mild manner and good nature means he is never fully in control of the mayhem around him and the more nefarious of his staff use this to their advantage.
We have Ted Bovis (Paul Shane) the stereotypical fat northern beer swigging (sometimes blue) comedian who is the Camp Host. He compères most of the events in the camp (mainly to get his hands on the kitty and cream a bit off the top for himself) He often ends up at loggerheads with Jeffrey because a) Ted wanted the entertainments managers job himself and b) Jefferey (most of the time) stops Ted working his money making scams on the campers.
Then there's Spike Dixon (Jefferey Holland) camp comedian and Ted's protege. His running gag is that he is seldom very funny and often has to resort to wearing funny costumes every week in his attempts to raise a smile from the campers. Yet with all he is a kind and extremely honest man who often falls out with Ted over his attempts to dishonestly cheat the campers out of their money.
Gladys Pugh (Ruth Madoc) is the entertainment managers assistant, sports organiser, radio announcer and Chief Yellowcoat (Yellowcoat being the name given to the entertainments staff derived from the golden blue trimmed blazers they are required to wear) Her exaggerated thick Welsh accent over the radio gives the series its main catchphrase of 'Hello Campers' she is also madly in love with Jeff and practically (although not literally) throws herself at him in each episode but to no avail.
Rounding off the leading cast we have Su Pollard as Peggy Ollerenshaw, a much put upon, slightly 'potty' chalet maid who yearns to be a Yellowcoat. It's her attempts to be in on all the fun and the hash she makes if it when she is, that gives the show many of its laughs.
Supporting we have Barry Howard and Diane Holland as Barry and Yvonne Stewart-Hargreaves, 'champion' ballroom dancers who have seen better days and whose routines are hilariously terrible. Their snobby superior attitude towards the camp, the campers and their fellow staff lends itself to some great comedy especially when they are forced to degrade themselves in some of the more vulgar competitions likes 'That's your Bum!' The two often quarrel and make cutting (although extremely amusing) jibes at each other.
Nikki Kelly plays Sylvia Garnsey, a blonde, busty long legged Yellowcoat who is overly flirty with campers and with Jeff, making her a potential threat to Gladys, which is why they are often very bitchy and catty to each other.
Felix Bowness plays Fred Quilley a disgraced jockey, now forced to give 'horsey rides' for the kids along the sands.
Finally we have Leslie Dwyer as Mr Partridge, the drunken children's entertainer and Punch and Judy Man, who dislikes children intensely...what can go wrong there...right?
Although Hi-de-HI' enjoyed an impressive 8 year run and spanned 58 episodes, and despite numerous cast changes throughout the years, it never lost its initial charm, it remained very funny right to the very last episode.
This accomplishment I lay at the feet of David Croft himself, an accomplishment made all the more impressive by the fact that whilst working on Hi-De Hi he was also simultaneously writing and producing the equally funny 'Are You Being Served?" (1972-1985) and 'Allo' Allo!' (1982-1992) with his other frequent collaborator Jeremy Lloyd,
Just Imagine how many episodes all of these sitcoms ran to combined and just think of how many original jokes, gags, quips, one liners, double entendres and scenarios he was able to cook up for each one.
There was more to come from Croft of course with 'You Rang M'Lord' (1988-1993) and 'Oh Doctor Beeching!' (1995-1997) which both happily reused many of the talented performers from Hi-de-Hi and all his other renowned sitcoms.
Now that's what I call a productive and fertile comedy brain and why David Croft will always be remembered as one of Britain's comedy greats.