Hi-de-Hi! is a British sitcom set in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, during 1959 and 1960, and was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote Dad's Army and It Ain't Half Hot Mum amongst others. It aired on the BBC from 1980 to 1988. The series revolved around the lives of the camp's management and entertainers, most of them struggling actors or has-beens. The inspiration was the experience of writers Perry and Croft: after being demobilised from the army, Perry was a Redcoat at Butlin's, Pwllheli during the holiday season. The series gained large audiences and won a BAFTA as Best Comedy Series in 1984. In 2004, it came 40th in Britain's Best Sitcom and in a 2008 poll on Channel 4, 'Hi-de-Hi!" was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase.
Where to Watch
Streaming, rent and purchase options
Episodes
1. Hey Diddle Diddle (Pilot)
It is 1959. Tired of academia, Cambridge University archaeology professor Jeffrey Fairbrother goes to Maplin's Holiday Camp as the new Entertainments Manager, a job he looks forward to with idealised optimism. Camp host, Ted Bovis, instructs his new recruit, camp comic Spike Dixon, in how to succeed at Maplin's. The pilot would subsequently be shown consecutively with the first series, although repeated broadcasts on television were edited to reduce the runtime down to a more standard half-hour format.
2. Desire in the Mickey Mouse Grotto
Jeffrey is implicated when Ted is spotted entering a chalet with a girl camper.
3. The Beauty Queen Affair
Jeffrey is called upon to judge the Holiday Princess Competition. Meanwhile, Ted teaches Spike how to make the most of the campers' generosity.
4. The Partridge Season
Mr. Partridge's drinking is getting worse, and Jeffrey's untimely decision to give him an advance on his wages doesn't help matters.
5. The Day of Reckoning
Fred's past comes back to haunt him, causing the staff - Peggy and Spike in particular - several difficulties.
6. Charity Begins at Home
Joe Maplin ordains that each Thursday should be Sunshine Smile Day, encouraging Ted to indulge in a money-making scheme.
7. No Dogs Allowed
Jeffrey's marital problems start to interfere with his work, and scandalous rumours are soon circulating around the camp.
Cast & Crew
Ruth Madoc
Gladys Pugh
Paul Shane
Ted Bovis
Su Pollard
Peggy Ollerenshaw
Jeffrey Holland
Spike Dixon
Felix Bowness
Fred Quilley
Nikki Kelly
Sylvia Garnsey
Diane Holland
Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves
David Griffin
Clive Dempster
Ben Aris
Julian Dalrymple-Sykes
Chris Andrews
Gary
Linda Regan
April
David Webb
Stanley Matthews
Tony Webb
Bruce Matthews
Kenneth Connor
Sammy
Ken Barrie
Singing Narrator (uncredited)
Story & Production Details
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