FlixWorld
Hi-de-Hi! backdrop
Comedy

Hi-de-Hi!

7.1(19)
First Aired:January 1, 1980
Seasons:9 seasons
Episodes:58
Status:Ended

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.

Cast

Ruth Madoc

Ruth Madoc

Gladys Pugh

Paul Shane

Paul Shane

Ted Bovis

Su Pollard

Su Pollard

Peggy Ollerenshaw

Jeffrey Holland

Jeffrey Holland

Spike Dixon

Felix Bowness

Felix Bowness

Fred Quilley

Nikki Kelly

Nikki Kelly

Sylvia Garnsey

Diane Holland

Diane Holland

Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves

David Griffin

Clive Dempster

Ben Aris

Julian Dalrymple-Sykes

Chris Andrews

Gary

Linda Regan

Linda Regan

April

David Webb

Stanley Matthews

Tony Webb

Bruce Matthews

Kenneth Connor

Kenneth Connor

Sammy

Ken Barrie

Singing Narrator (uncredited)

Seasons

Hey Diddle Diddle (Pilot)

E1Hey Diddle Diddle (Pilot)

40m6.8

Jan 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.

E2Desire in the Mickey Mouse Grotto

30m7.0

Feb 26, 1981

Jeffrey is implicated when Ted is spotted entering a chalet with a girl camper.

E3The Beauty Queen Affair

30m7.0

Mar 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.

E4The Partridge Season

30m10.0

Mar 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.

E5The Day of Reckoning

30m10.0

Mar 19, 1981

Fred's past comes back to haunt him, causing the staff - Peggy and Spike in particular - several difficulties.

E6Charity Begins at Home

30m6.0

Mar 26, 1981

Joe Maplin ordains that each Thursday should be Sunshine Smile Day, encouraging Ted to indulge in a money-making scheme.

E7No Dogs Allowed

30m7.0

Apr 2, 1981

Jeffrey's marital problems start to interfere with his work, and scandalous rumours are soon circulating around the camp.

E1If Wet - In the Ballroom

30m8.0

Nov 29, 1981

The alarming amount of rainfall is disrupting the Maplin's schedule endlessly.

E2Peggy's Big Chance

30m8.0

Dec 6, 1981

Peggy's burning ambition to be a Yellowcoat may be realised when she is asked to take part in the latest pool wheeze.

E3Lift up Your Minds

30m7.0

Dec 13, 1981

Jeffrey feels the 'Who's Got The Wrong Trousers On?' competition is not catering for the cultural needs of the campers, and resolves to do something about it.

E4On With the Motley

30m6.0

Dec 20, 1981

Ted feels his big chance has come when he is asked to perform some dates at the local golf club dinners.

E5A Night Not to Remember

30m7.0

Dec 27, 1981

Jeffrey gets lead astray by some campers, and ends up a little worse for wear. Naturally, Gladys is eager to take advantage of the situation.

E6Sausages or Limelight

30m6.0

Jan 3, 1982

Spike is forced to make an impossible decision when his girlfriend's father issues an ultimatum.

E1Nice People With Nice Manners

30m7.0

Oct 31, 1982

Yvonne and Barry decide to hold a party in their chalet for the more distinguished among the staff.

E2Carnival Time

30m7.0

Nov 7, 1982

It is time for the annual town carnival, and Jeff is looking to Ted for ideas for the Maplin's float.

E3A Matter of Conscience

30m8.0

Nov 14, 1982

When Joe Maplin realises that the council's idea for a new hospital threatens his plans for the camp, he advises the staff of what action they must take.

E4The Pay-Off

30m7.0

Nov 21, 1982

In spite of the staff's efforts, the local council remains unfazed by the prospect of having Joe Maplin as a neighbour for the proposed hospital, so Joe takes drastic action.

E5Trouble and Strife

30m7.0

Nov 28, 1982

Ted's ex-wife is causing him grief by demanding her maintenance money. When she arrives at the camp in person, Ted is forced to act quickly.

E6Stripes

30m7.0

Dec 5, 1982

Joe Maplin decides that Gladys should hold the newly-created title of Head Yellowcoat. However, someone who looks likely to threaten her new position arrives at the camp.

E1Co-Respondent's Course

30m7.0

Dec 12, 1982

Jeffrey's wife is anxious to acquire a divorce. Unfortunately, he is not very co-operative when it comes to giving grounds.

E2It's a Blue World

30m

Dec 19, 1982

Ted arranges a special late-night showing of a blue movie for the male campers.

E3Eruptions

30m

Dec 26, 1982

Ted is fed up with his act being constantly interrupted, distracting his audience, and decides it's time Jeffrey did something about it.

E4The Society Entertainer

30m

Jan 2, 1983

A female camper captures Spike's heart, making him eager to impress her - even if his act suffers as a result!

E5Sing You Sinners

30m

Jan 9, 1983

The chaplain retires from his camp duties, leaving the Sunday Half-Hour in need of a replacement.

E6Maplin Intercontinental

30m

Jan 16, 1983

Joe Maplin is opening a new camp in the Bahamas, and decrees that the winner of the 'Most Popular Girl Yellowcoat of the Season Competition' will fulfil a post there.

E7All Change

30m

Jan 23, 1983

With the camp filled to capacity, Jeffrey is less than delighted to learn that he has to re-accommodate the entire entertainments staff to make way for the new Yellowcoat Supervisor.

E1Concessions

30m

Nov 27, 1983

Ted deceives Jeffrey in order to keep a private booking at a local function.

E2Save Our Heritage

30m

Dec 4, 1983

Joe Maplin commands Jeffrey to assist with the demolition of a nearby cottage, which stands in the way of the camp's new extension.

E3Empty Saddles

30m

Dec 11, 1983

Fred is in for a devastating blow when Joe Maplin makes a decision concerning the camp's horses.

E4The Marriage Settlement

30m

Dec 18, 1983

Jeffrey finally agrees to divorce his wife, but in order to do so, he will require the help of a highly improbable source.

E5The Graven Image

30m

Jan 8, 1984

The camp is all prepared for the unveiling of the new Joe Maplin statue. Alas, several factors, including Spike's uncharacteristic drunkenness, ensure that the ceremony does not run smoothly.

E6Peggy's Pen Friend

30m

Jan 15, 1984

Peggy raises a few eyebrows among the staff when she informs them she has a new boyfriend.

E7The Epidemic

30m

Jan 22, 1984

The staff are expecting a visit from Joe Maplin, when there is an outbreak of 'chads' - a form of graffiti. As an indirect result, Barry injures his back.

E1Together Again

30m

Nov 3, 1984

The Maplin's staff assembles at the start of the new season to find a few surprises awaiting them.

E2Ted at the Helm

30m

Nov 10, 1984

Ted is excited at the prospect of becoming the new entertainments manager, especially when he is summoned to Maplin's Head Office.

E3Opening Day

30m

Nov 17, 1984

The opening day of the season has arrived and the staff prepare to greet the first batch of campers at the station.

E4Off With the Motley

30m

Nov 24, 1984

When the post of Stores Supervisor becomes vacant, Peggy is promoted.

E5Hey Diddle Diddle, Who's on the Fiddle?

30m

Dec 1, 1984

Peggy and Spike uncover evidence that suggests Joe Maplin gave Clive a job in order to spy on the staff.

E6Raffles

30m

Dec 25, 1984

When Ted remembers that he has an old car "identical to Clive's" gathering dust, he comes up with a devious scheme to make some money.

E1The Great Cat Robbery

60m

Dec 25, 1985

When Peggy recognizes a picture of a recently-deceased cat burglar in the newspaper to be a former camper, Ted lets his imagination run wild.

E2It's Murder

30m

Jan 5, 1986

It seems the campers are no longer prepared to put up with Mr. Partridge's behaviour towards their children. So the staff are faced with a predicament when he goes missing.

E3Who Killed Mr. Partridge?

30m

Jan 12, 1986

Ted and Spike have discovered Partridge's dead body floating in the pool. They, and the rest of the staff, have to conceal his apparent murder from the campers.

E4Spaghetti Galore

30m7.0

Jan 19, 1986

Gladys finds herself very much in demand on the night of her birthday, with two offers of dinner... that she knows about!

E5A Lack of Punch

30m6.5

Jan 26, 1986

Head Office decides not to replace Mr. Partridge until the end of the season, and tells the staff that they are to stand in for him in the meantime.

E6Ivory Castles in the Air

30m

Feb 9, 1986

Gladys gets the wrong idea when Clive takes her to visit his family estate.

E7Man Trap

30m

Feb 16, 1986

Joe Maplin's press release angers its subjects, Gladys and Spike, whose relationships with Clive and April, respectively, look set to suffer.

E1Pigs Might Fly

30m

Nov 8, 1986

The shock departure of Barry turns his partner Yvonne into a recluse in her chalet, and leaves the entertainments programme one act short.

E2The New Broom

30m7.0

Nov 15, 1986

The unexpected arrival of the new camp controller catches everyone off guard, and Alec Foster does not pull any punches...

E3Orphan of the Storm

30m

Nov 22, 1986

The staff rallies round when Alec Foster sacks Peggy. But it seems as though nothing can be done to save her job.

E4God Bless Our Family

30m

Dec 6, 1986

Fed up with Clive's irresponsible behaviour, his entire family turns up at the camp to try and talk some sense into him.

E5Only the Brave

30m

Dec 13, 1986

Spike thinks the staff should do something special for April's birthday. But with Ted organising the occasion, things are unlikely to go as intended.

E6September Song

30m7.0

Dec 27, 1986

Ted has a new love interest: a young pianist whom he plans to marry. Elsewhere, Julian is hoping romance will blossom for himself and Yvonne, and takes her to visit his farm.

E1Tell It to the Marines

30m7.0

Dec 26, 1987

A Royal Marines sergeant antagonises Ted, causing him to make a rash statement he may have cause to regret.

E2Marry Go Round

30m7.0

Jan 2, 1988

The campers are complaining about how unfunny the camp comic is. Spike believes it's because his engagement to April is preying on his mind and attempts to find a cure.

E3The Perils of Peggy

30m7.0

Jan 9, 1988

In spite of her coldness towards him, Clive is desperate to win Gladys back - but he requires the help of Ted and Peggy.

E4Let Them Eat Cake

30m7.0

Jan 16, 1988

Alec Foster pays the camp another visit and Ted takes the opportunity to ask for a rise.

E5Wedding Bells

30m8.0

Jan 23, 1988

As Gladys and Clive prepare to take the plunge, there is a sudden panic when Clive's family finds out about the impending marriage and attempts to put a stop to it.

E6The Wind of Change

30m9.0

Jan 30, 1988

It's nearly the end of the season, and there are plenty of events scheduled. But when Dawn falls ill, the timetable is thrown into chaos and a replacement is needed.

Videos

Storyline

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.

Recommended

More Like This

Comments

Sign in to join the discussion.
Hi-de-Hi! — FlixWorld