Product Details

• Directors: John Kilby, David Croft
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 3
• Studio: Bfs Entertainment
• VHS Release Date: January 30, 2001
• Run Time: 190 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000056T59
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,666 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cute, Light-Hearted, Zany British Comedy, May 8, 2002

By 

Tiggah "the Anglophile" (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hi-De-Hi! - Hey Diddle Diddle (Box Set) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Hi-De-Hi is a 1981 British comedy written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry (writers of Dad's Army; David Croft also co-wrote Are You Being Served? and `Allo `Allo). The series is set in Mapplin's Holiday Camp in the 1950s and centres around the entertainment staff. I was unfamiliar with holiday camps prior to seeing these videos, and although the first episode does a wonderful job of introducing the camp and characters, it did take me a couple of episodes to really get used to the setting. A holiday camp appears to be in essence a holiday resort with a full itinerary of activities and entertainment in which holiday-makers can partake--a bit like what one finds on a cruise ship, but set on land instead. Families book for one-week stays, and activities include horseback riding, Punch & Judy shows for the kids, beauty and singing contests, knobbly knees competitions, theme nights in the ballroom, and so on.

The entertainment staff at Mapplin's is headed by Jeffrey Fairbrother, the Entertainments' Manager. Fairbrother, a Cambridge archaeology professor who has just quit his job in order to take up this new position at Mapplin's, is shy, nervous, extremely serious and, well, about as unlikely a candidate for an Entertainments' Manager as one could imagine. The awkward, uncomfortable, and uptight Fairbrother is assisted by Gladys, a Welsh man-eater who has her sights firmly set on Fairbrother from day one. Needless to say, this does nothing to assist in putting him at ease!

Another force to be reckoned with is Ted, the loud and overbearing Camp Host, who is a minor comedian and all-around entertainer. Ted resents Fairbrother, as he had been hoping to be made Entertainments' Manager himself. The main problem with Ted, however, is that he always seems to have some little scam on the go to raise extra cash from the holiday-makers. Ted is assisted by his side-kick (another newcomer to the camp), the amiable and very honest Spike, whose main duty is add to the enjoyment of the campers by dressing in an assortment of goofy costumes and, as often as not, end up being chucked into the pool.

One mustn't forget curmudgeonly Mr. Partridge, the often-inebriated Children's Entertainer. Partridge's problem, apart from his drinking, is that he hates children! Then there are Barry and Yvonne, the stuck-up, snooty ballroom dancers. I assume they are a married couple; nevertheless, Barry is decidedly a "Mr. Humphries"-type character. I would have enjoyed seeing more use made of these two, for their roles are not large ones unfortunately. Lastly but not leastly is the exuberant Peggy, chambermaid and show-stealer. Determined one day to break free from her menial existence and become a member of the entertainment staff, she'll do anything and jump at any opportunity to assist the entertainment staff in the hope of being promoted.

Subtitled "Hey Diddle Diddle", this is the first of two boxed sets. The second set is subtitled "No Dogs Allowed," and each boxed set contains six 30-minute episodes. The series is very light-hearted and occasionally quite zany, with the humour being typical of David Croft's style. I must confess to a preference for Are You Being Served?; nevertheless, I found this show to be amusing and well worth seeing. I have both boxed sets, and as with most British comedies, the show seems to improve as it progresses, in large part (no doubt) because one becomes accustomed to the characters and their peculiarities or flaws, as well as to the setting. It's definitely a show that grows on a person, and I for one was disappointed to have come to the end of the video series. If you are a fan of British comedy who enjoys David Croft's distinctive, zany brand of humour, I think you'll enjoy this cute series.