base to some extent on writer and david croft and jimmy perry and own experience a butlins holiday camp entertainer in the uk during the same timescale the programme follow and hi de hi . epitomise the lapstick and postcard humour of post war britain . set in the fictitious seaside town of crimpton on sea and hi de hi chronicle the comedic going on within the maplins holiday camp one of many dot along the british coast own by the mega rich and but never see ( on screen ) joe maplin . although the actual show begin in 1980 with the pilot episode and run until 1988 when the bbc deem it too tame for it cut edge comedy department and season 1 5 focus on 1959 while season 6 9 spotlighted 1960 a time when the old style british holiday camp begin to fall into decline . during the first 5 season and jeffrey fairbrother ( play brilliantly by the late and great simon cadell ) be the camp entertainment manager while a well meaning and yet slightly pensive ex university professor break free of his upper class background and venture into the real world to head his team of entertainment staff who be in stark contrast to his own laid back personality . from season 6 onwards and fairbrother be replace by clive dempster ( play by david griffin when cadell quit the show at the height of it popularity ) and an ex raf war hero who and in many way and be similar to cadell character in background and but more a scoundrel than a gentleman . however and the real star of hi de hi throughout the nine season be ted bovis ( play superbly by paul shane ) and a stereotypical working class and ale drinking and bawdy comic someone who could never resist an opportunity to fiddle the camper while gladys pugh ( play by ruth madoc who currently experience a career comeback with appearance in the hit bbc comedy and little britain ) and chief yellowcoat ( what the entertainment staff be call because of their bright yellow jacket ) and sport organiser but more importantly and the one person who save jeffrey fairbrother and clive dempster from embarrassment by cover up their inexperience in run a holiday camp while peggy ollerenshaw ( su pollard ) and the slightly dopey and yet lovable lowly chalet maid with a burn ambition to become a yellowcoat and and spike dixon ( jeffrey holland ) and ted innocent protégé learn more about how business than he hop for . a usual with a croft and perry production and the assembled cast of character be a bunch of misfit play superbly by the actor involve . mr. partridge ( play by the late leslie dwyer and who be in his 70 by the time he leave the show ) and the alcoholic child hat child entertainer while fred quilly ( felix bowness ) and a former champion jockey with a dubious past while yvonne and barry stuart hargreaves ( dianne holland and barry howard ) and the snobbish former ballroom dance champion who be in the twilight of their career while and sylvia and betty ( nikki kelly and rikki howard ) and the two main girl yellowcoats who be always look for the type of fun joe maplin would never allow in one of his camp . hi de hi typify the slapstick era of the late 50 with it saucy and and to a certain degree and vulgar tongue in cheek humour ( joke about people sit on toilet and anecdote about woman with big knocker be the order of the day ) . but despite it whiff of carry on funniness and it be always so innocent and become something of recommended family view back in the 80 . of course and the critic of the show remark that the show have outstay it welcome by a good couple of year and but i disagree . while the early season focus mainly on bawdiness and slapstick humour and the latter series of hi de hi saw more thought put into the script and the main character ( especially spike dixon and gladys pugh ) be able to grow with more sensitive story line . that say and there be a few criticism of the show . clive dempster be no jeffrey fairbrother and and the former do not quite have the on screen chemistry with gladys a jeffrey do ( i personally think it would have be more believable if gladys have marry jeff ) while five season dedicate to 1959 and four to 1960 cause more than just a few continuity error ( the disappearance of old face and introduction of new character weren not explain properly and especially with the yellowcoats who come and go with much regularity while and the character of gladys pugh and who and in the pilot episode be make out to be a free loving man eater that be suddenly transform into a naive virgin like character . also to mention quite pedantically and most of the 1959 holiday season be cover in season one and so to stretch the rest of the year out in five further series be something border unbelievable . still and the show wasn not mean to be meticulously look upon and and the comedy more than outweigh it flaw . all in all and hi de hi be probably one of the last comedy from the bbc golden period and and even if it never manage to rival such british comedic mainstay a only fool and horse and porridge or even last of the summer wine and hi de hi will be best remember a a comedy the whole family could enjoy . if you haven not already check it out for yourself and i implore you to do so .