Hi-De-Hi!'s 30th Anniversary

Apparently, there's going to be a get together for the cast members and fans at the place where they filmed the series, to celebrate its 30th birthday next year.

The pilot was shown on the first day of the 1980s.

This is another one of those sitcoms I could never really appreciate. It felt like an ITV sitcom.

Ho-De-Ho!

Quite liked it as a sitcom, generally speaking, though I certainly couldn't sit through every episode in what became a long and repetitive series. I do remember some early/mid episodes being absolutely cracking though, maybe not high on the laughter stakes but very good on the story, some episodes I know were very good. I wouldn't actually know which ones these were by title alone, but I have definitely sat through more than one episode of Hidehi and been engrossed. The 50s period feel they created was truly excellent. Simon Cadell magnificent too.

Have only watched the first two series myself. It's good, but it is Perry & Croft's weakest effort, with Dad's Army, It Aint Half Hot Mum and You Rang M'Lord better.

Series 4 episode 2 looks like an interesting episode- https://www.comedy.co.uk/hi_de_hi/series4.shtml

I found this interesting.....

Stage Play (comedy) - broadcast as part of the series "Seven Deadly Sins" The "Erpingham Camp" (1966)

The Erpingham Camp (1967) Comedy by Joe Orton
Directed by Ellie Jones, Erpingham runs his camp with the fervour of a leader of Empire. When the Entertainments Organiser suddenly dies in suspicious circumstances, Erpingham is forced to give a chance to the ambitious Chief Redcoat Riley to take over the camp entertainments. Riley's inexperience unleashes Bacchanalian forces among the holidaymakers which prove hard to contain and a battleground ensues between the forces of order and liberation.

TV Series:
Joe Orton (writer)
"Seven Deadly Sins" (1966)
"The Erpingham Camp"
Original Air Date:
27 June 1966 (Season 1, Episode 7)

Hi-de-Hi! (BBC1 from 1980 to 1988) is set in Maplins, a holiday camp owned by entrepreneur, Joe Maplin, in the fictional seaside town of Crimpton-on-Sea, Essex. It is loosely based on Butlins , the holiday camp empire of Billy Butlin, his Redcoats replaced with Yellowcoats. At the end of the 1958 season, the camp entertainments manager Mr Baverstock, a conman and womaniser, had been sacked for stealing charity money from the camp wishing well.

Trust me, The Erpingham Camp, a play by Joe Orton, is markedly different to Hi-De-Hi and I don't think Croft & Perry would have used it for inspiration. :D

Quote: Morrace @ October 10 2009, 1:51 PM BST

I found this interesting.....

Quote: Tim Walker @ October 10 2009, 1:54 PM BST

Trust me, The Erpingham Camp, a play by Joe Orton, is markedly different to Hi-De-Hi and I don't think Croft & Perry would have used it for inspiration. :D

I agree. Also; even IF they used it as inspiration, it would be no bad thing - because, as you say, it is markedly different. :)

Quote: Jack Massey @ October 10 2009, 12:52 PM BST

Have only watched the first two series myself. It's good, but it is Perry & Croft's weakest effort, with Dad's Army, It Aint Half Hot Mum and You Rang M'Lord better.

It's all subjective isn't it but personally I thought it was second to Dad's Army in their corpus, a long way behind Dad's Army though, obviously.

Well obviously.

Anyway, I've actually been to see an amateur dramatics production of Hi-De-Hi. I wasn't too impressed. Probably because the woman sat behind me had an irritating laugh and there was too much singing in it.

Apparently it was filmed at the Warners camp at Dovercourt.

Having been to Holiday Camps as a child in the 1960's I can appreciate the humour of Hi-De-Hi more than most people. I loved the series and it brought back so many good memories of those times. Coincidentally I am currently working my way through the box set at the moment!

Holiday camps in those days were brlliant places with the entertainment going on all day and night whatever the weather. Fantastic for all ages especially for young families.

There's a great website about a real life small holiday camp in the 1960's which captures the era perfectly at www.gorlestonholidaycamp.co.uk. Sadly, just as the camp where Hi-De-Hi was filmed, it has now closed and is a housing estate.