Hi-de-Hi!

this series is still the most popular comedy series in English television history. it takes place at a holiday camp in england in the 60's. which was only twenty years past when this series was on TV. The late talented simon cadell (1950-96) was particularly good in the lead role and his replacement did pretty well considering who he was replacing. the show is well worth watching and is not only funny, it is nostalgic as well. actually the eighties themselves are now nostalgia! which only adds to the whole feeling of comedic affection that the show was aiming at in portraying a bygone era that of the old holiday camps of the fifties through mid -sixties. so watch it and enjoy a classic comedy from those wonderful brits. I asked my library system in coloardo springs to order episodes of this and they did and they are checked out a lot. so hi de hi , hi de ho! lets go watch a great TV show!.

When this series first started, I freely admit I was not a fan. On first view, it was not up to their shining glory that is Dads Army. On the other hand, nothing is. I first started to 'got it' with the horse on a horse scene. I laughed and laughed. Since then, it has appeared on repeats and channels like UK Gold. The performance of Simon Cadell is outstanding. Every cast member fits their role like a glove. It grows on one and all I can say is, Well Done Jimmy Perry and David Croft.

I get really fed up with sitcoms; you feel you always know what is coming so it ceases to be funny. On the other hand, Hi De Hi, you rarely know what is coming and it's laugh out loud funny. I have just purchased the second set of the series, (series 3 -4)and I am surprised at just how much I am enjoying it all - again. I have nothing but praise for the writers or the actors (or the many unseen crew members) because the entertainment they provide is well worth the wait. The gems that have come from this series and the respect that the actors achieved through it speak for themselves. Croft and Perry created some pure gold some of which shines through Hi De Hi.

Why this doesn't seem to be as highly regarded as other Perry and Croft sitcoms is something I'll never understand, for me it's superb. I never tire of Peggy and her antics, and desire to be a yellowcoat. Like all great comedies it makes you roar with laughter, but also tugs at the heartstrings. A superb ensemble piece, it did lose a bit when Simon Cadell left, although his replacement David Griffin did put in a valiant effort. My favourite characters were always Barry and Yvonne (Come away Barry..), Peggy, Gladys and Ted. I love it. If there were any justice, some clever scriptwriter would write a sitcom for all the remaining Perry and Croft regulars, and bring them back one more time.

This series (at least any episode featuring the late, great Simon Cadell ) was brilliant. As a barman in one of "Billy's Brothels" at the end of the 60s, I experienced many of the antics first hand. What a trip down memory lane! Like all of Perry / Croft sitcoms, all the characters are strong and all have a share of the funny lines. Great acting, great comedy and an accurate representation of what post war Britain was all about before the advent of cheap packaged holidays to the Costa Somethings. Along with "It ain't half hot Mum" and "Dad's Army", this is classic comedy. Brilliantly observed and the larger than life episodes (for example the horse on horse incident) hilariously acted and produced.