TV SERIES · 1980– · UK
Hi-de-Hi!
26 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (26)
- #001
Harry Secombe was originally considered for the role of Ted Bovis.
- #002
Although the series ran for eight years, its story universe covers only the summer seasons of 1959 and 1960.
- #003
Most of Hi-de-Hi!'s location scenes were filmed at a real holiday camp run by Warners (unrelated to Warner Bros) in the town of Dovercourt, near Harwich, Essex, apart from the studio-based interior sets of the entertainments staff's chalets, office and milk bar. Possibly mirroring the fictional Maplins Holiday Camp's eventual fate, the real Warners Holiday Camp was later demolished and housing was built on the site.
- #004
Barry Howard ("Barry Stuart-Hargreaves") grew increasingly unhappy with his character as the series progressed and he began drinking heavily. By 1986 these problems (along with some 'inappropriate' behaviour on set) led to his being written out and replaced by Ben Aris, who played "Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves"'s former lover.
- #005
The theme song "Hi-De-Hi (Holiday Rock)", credited to Paul Shane and The Yellowcoats, reached number 36 in the British charts in May 1981.
- #006
The Endeavor (2012) episode Trove (2014) contains references to the holiday camp. There is a clear shot of a promotional postcard showing a woman in a yellow apron pointing to a row of chalets. The implied brand name is "(unknown letter)aplins", an openly playful nod to "Hi De Hi", which is set in the same period. Apparently this now places "Endeavour", "Morse" and "Lewis" in the same fictional universe.
- #007
The Endeavor (2012) episode Colours (2018) featured a ballroom dancing competition named "Stuart Hargreaves", an openly playful nod to Yvonne and Barry Stuart-Hargreaves, the much-loved, dysfunctional ballroom dancing instructors from "Hi De Hi".
- #008
Ruth Madoc stated that she based her characterization of Gladys Pugh on young women she remembered from her childhood, who after the war competed for the attention of the few eligible men around.
- #009
The series is set from 1959 to 1960.
- #010
David Griffin did not have a happy time on set. Although his fellow actors did not treat him badly, they constantly talked about Simon Cadell, which made it hard for Griffin to fit in with the other cast members.
- #011
Although Gladys was a mediocre singer, Ruth Madoc was a professional and had previously appeared in Fiddler on the Roof in 1971.
- #012
In the 1980s, when the series was made, the two big "holiday camp" companies were Pontins and Butlins. To shake off the extremely regimented "Hi De Hi" cliché associated with its business, Butlins aired a famous UK commercial in 1987, directed by the renowned director Martin Campbell, in which they literally blew up the old sections of a holiday camp, similar in design to the Maplins buildings, and announced that they had modernized into a more self-contained holiday resort called "Butlins Holiday Worlds", which resembled Center Parcs more closely. By 2020 this holiday marketing strategy would be most commonly known as "Stay-cationing".
- #013
There was also a novelization written by Paul Ableman and published by BBC Books on 26 October 1983, which retold the stories of the earlier series as a third-person fictional work from the perspective of a long-term camper. It should not be confused with the later factual "Series Companion" book series.
- #014
Peggy Ollerenshaw, played by Su Pollard, was originally a minor character and earned the respect of the whole entertainment world. However, Peggy became so popular with viewers that she rose to fifth place in the opening title sequence and appeared in it from the sixth series onward.
- #015
David Croft was unhappy with Uncle Sammy, who became a main character in the eighth season, finding him too disgusting to be likeable. This led to Sammy being written out for the ninth season.
- #016
Leslie Dwyer fell seriously ill during filming of the sixth series and was often absent at short notice. An unnamed plumber played by Ronnie Brody was brought in to deliver Dwyer's dialogue in certain scenes, with small adjustments made to conceal the plumber's presence.
- #017
Penny Irving left the series after the first season because she hated it and did not find it funny at all.
- #018
Linda Regan loved collecting teddy bears, which was written into the script as a personality trait of April.
- #019
As of 2026, Jeffery Holland (Spike), Nikki Kelly (Sylvia) and Su Pollard (Peggy) are the only surviving actors who appeared in all 58 episodes.
- #020
Simon Cadell left the role of Jeffrey Fairbrother after five years to pursue other career opportunities. He was replaced by David Griffin as the new character Sq. Ldr. Clive Dempster.
- #021
The 40-minute pilot episode aired on New Year's Day 1980. However, the first series did not air until 14 months later, in February 1981.
- #022
Although the camp appears to be near the coast, its actual location is never revealed. In one episode, however, a delivery driver says he was late because he had to make a delivery to another camp at Camber Sands, suggesting that Maplins is somewhere on the South Coast.
- #023
Linda Regan later married sound recordist Spencer Michael.
- #024
Paul Shane was cast as Ted Bovis after Jimmy Perry saw him in an episode of Coronation Street (1960) in 1979.
- #025
Diane Holland took the role of Yvonne because she was Jimmy Perry's sister-in-law.
- #026
Maplins appears to be an unusually small holiday camp, with only ten yellowcoats at any one time and a total of 50-60 guests.
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