Hi-de-Hi!
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.
Episodes
1Hey Diddle Diddle (Pilot)
40 minJan 1, 1980
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.
2Desire in the Mickey Mouse Grotto
30 minFeb 26, 1981
Jeffrey is implicated when Ted is spotted entering a chalet with a girl camper.
3The Beauty Queen Affair
30 minMar 5, 1981
Jeffrey is called upon to judge the Holiday Princess Competition. Meanwhile, Ted teaches Spike how to make the most of the campers' generosity.
4The Partridge Season
30 minMar 12, 1981
Mr. Partridge's drinking is getting worse, and Jeffrey's untimely decision to give him an advance on his wages doesn't help matters.
5The Day of Reckoning
30 minMar 19, 1981
Fred's past comes back to haunt him, causing the staff - Peggy and Spike in particular - several difficulties.
6Charity Begins at Home
30 minMar 26, 1981
Joe Maplin ordains that each Thursday should be Sunshine Smile Day, encouraging Ted to indulge in a money-making scheme.
7No Dogs Allowed
30 minApr 2, 1981
Jeffrey's marital problems start to interfere with his work, and scandalous rumours are soon circulating around the camp.
Where to watch Hi-de-Hi!
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Series cast
