MovieChat Forums > Hi-de-Hi! (1980) Discussion > Best + Worst Characters

Best + Worst Characters

posted 18 years ago by SetzersGretsch
22 replies | jump to latest

Just for a little fun, who were your best and worst characters?

My favourite characters had to be Ted Bovis and Peggy Ollerenshaw.

Each character played their part in making the show a success, but I don’t think Hi De Hi would’ve been anything like a hit if it didn’t have a strong character like Ted at the centre of it all.

The character of Peggy was someone most viewers could relate to with her, “never-let-adversity-get-you-down” philosophy. My only wish was that Peggy finally became a full-time Yellowcoat and not someone given that coveted jacket for a short time before Joe Maplin decided all Yellowcoats would be replaced for the 1961 summer season. However, what a great (and poignant) way to end the last ever episode than to see Peggy back in her chalet maid’s attire and shouting “Hi De Hi!!” in a deserted camp proving that she still had her dreams.

My least favourite characters were Stanley and Bruce (The Twins) and “Uncle” Sammy.

I have no idea why Croft and Perry even wrote parts for the male Yellowcoats because all the twins seemed to do during the entire duration of the nine series’ was to either agree with what the other characters had to say, or laugh when the other characters laughed! And when they did have “lines” to say, it made me wonder if they were bona fide actors (they never acted in anything else – or nothing worth mentioning – so that kind of proves my point!). And the other male Yellowcoat “Gary” was just as bad.

“Uncle Sammy” was just too unconvincing, and I found his character to be quite tiresome.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] LuisaGallo 18 years ago

I guess the other Yellowcoats were really just to make up numbers!

They couldn't go into everyone's personality as in-depth as they did the main ones, so they just padded it out with more yellowcoats - but I think it worked really well!

I love Spike and Gladys best, followed by Mr Fairbrother

[–] SetzersGretsch 18 years ago

Possibly, lovebug53. But it does seem strange that three characters (Stanley, Bruce and Gary) would appear in 9 series, yet they never really had a role within the story – especially since the girl Yellowcoats did have prominent roles to a certain degree. It seemed Alec Foster (area manager?) had a bigger role in the handful of episodes he appeared in than the boy YC’s.

Also, did you ever wonder why a camp – as Ted often said held 500 or so campers – would only have six or seven Yellowcoats (not including those who had specific jobs such as Fred, Barry and Yvonne)? They sure earned their money looking after all those campers!!!!

[–] LuisaGallo 18 years ago

Yes, I know what you mean - in some episodes Peggy talks about asking Miss Cathcart to put her on another part of the camp, yet it seemed as though their team was running the whole place by themselves!!
I wonder how many "other parts of the camp" were meant to exist? lol

I guess the girl YCs were meant to be there as eye-candy for the men!!!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] SetzersGretsch 18 years ago

Okay, I’m reading too much into this (LOL!), but there were never any more than 50 or so campers in the ballroom during the nightly cabaret act! I guess the Laughing Cow coffee bar and the ‘pub’ were the place to be at nights at Maplins!

[–] richard.fuller1 18 years ago

SetzersGretsch: "But it does seem strange that three characters (Stanley, Bruce and Gary) would appear in 9 series, yet they never really had a role within the story – especially since the girl Yellowcoats did have prominent roles to a certain degree."
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I don't think that is too odd. I've not seen the entire series, but I'm familiar with background characters appearing in both English and American shows.

Doctor Who - Sgt. John Benton from UNIT began as a background figure and simply stood out for his looks

Brittas Empire - The earliest episode I've seen is about the fifth one (don't ask) but it seems obvious Tim, Gavin and Linda are merely crowd characters who evolved, but there are some who were there as well and they never really developed out the same. They did have another male character, Patrick, I believe, who never fleshed out.

On American tv, we had a heavy-set Korean nurse on MASH whom everyone noticed.

Cheers tried putting bar patrons in the background and only one ever emerged, Cliff the mailman (played by John Ratzenberger).

As for Hi De Hi, I think the girls emerged more than the guys simply because the girls were pawns to upset Gladys.

There just wasnt anything for the guys to do; they couldn't be lecherous with the female yellow coats, that is what Ted was for.

They couldn't be Ted's foolish pawns, that is what Spike was for.

[–] richard.fuller1 18 years ago

The characters devoted to making the camp work are definitely better, such as Jeffrey Fairbrother, Gladys, Peggy, Ted and Spike.

The characters who grumble or mope because they feel they are better than the camp setting such as the puppeteer, the jockey and the dancers fall short for this very reason.

Had they all been driving to support the camp, in much the same way all the employees of Grace Brothers Department Store on Are You Being Served were done (some of the funniest bits are when the character such as Tebbs, Granger or Humphries beams with pride when we hear they spent time in bathroom fittings), this show would have been too hilarious.

The grumpy puppeteer who hates children is an idea, but it just goes wrong, whether it is the actor or not, I don't know. It would have been funnier had he wanted to be a good puppeteer and he unintentionally scared the kids.

I do like the dance couple, the performers actually, and some of the insight into how they think they are better than everyone else, such as when we see them in their cabin, their oasis away from the rest of the camp.

[–] LuisaGallo 18 years ago

It's so true that Ted's character and strong personality was central to the show.

It is easy to see Ted as a "baddie" but when you scratch the surface, you can understand him better (i.e. there's a very good scene where Spike says innocently "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know you were an orphan Ted", and Ted says "Born and bred, Spike...")
From this, we can see that Ted's seemingly self-centred personality is a result of not having a supportive family background, which helps us to feel sympathy for him!
Just proves how talented Perry & Croft were in their depth of characterisation!

[–] richard.fuller1 18 years ago

I don't so much see Ted as a baddie. Ted was the better man for the job, but as we know happens in real life, it will tend to go to someone who has extensive book learnings but no on-the-job experience.

Ted had every right to oppose Jeff, but I think it was rather obvious that Ted would never deliberately oust Jeff. If that had ever happened on the show, then I suppose the obvious plot would be to see Ted then become overwhelmed by aspects of the job and Jeff, now an assistant or something, would have to come to Ted's aid.

Very similar setup on Brittas Empire with Gordon Brittas and Laura.

On the American show, NewsRadio, the little man in charge who was at his wits end with all the people around him eventually lost his position and Maura Tierney went in as the boss and she couldnt' deal with it on several occassions, if I recall that correctly.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] LuisaGallo 17 years ago

I really preferred Uncle Sammy to Mr Partridge to be honest!

The episode where Spike and Ted find him on the beach, and end up giving him a bath, is great!

[–] retrogal83 17 years ago

My favourite has to be Jeff Fairbrother. I always had a bit of a crush on him if I'm honest...! And Spike. One of the nicest men who ever lived.

I didn't like Sylvia, Betty or Mary much; they seemed a bit mean sometimes. Not very friendly either!

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ It's a load of old Pony...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] LuisaGallo 17 years ago

LOL well Gladys is the eternal Vamp - I guess she wouldn't be the same - or half as funny - if she ever got her man!

[–] weepingangelchrissie 14 years ago

In my opinion:
Best: Gladys and Jeff and Peggy
Worst: that stupid plumber in series 6 or 7 who was there just to say 'listen to that silly cow' after Mr Partridge left

[–] Tobias-m 13 years ago

We're watching the series now on the Flemish tv and very soon we grew very fond of Peggy, mister Fairbrother, Ted and Spike.

In my book, as it comes picking out the less liked characters, there would be only one which can have me in a anger fit (chuckle): Gladys! Grrr, how i sometimes feel like throwing my slipper at the televition set when she's on!!

Though she does a great job acting that way, seeing my respons shows she does!

Some other characters i love must be the dancers... and Fred.

[–] liplip 10 years ago

Best:

1. The Dancers were truly awesome. Snooty and snotty as ever, but deep inside they really were as classy as they liked to be seen. Scenes that played in that kitschy idyllic island of wanna-be-better that was their chalet were always a joy. Superb. I loved them, with all their faults.

2. Gladys. Hmhmmm. Of course she was some raspy bitch rather a lot of times, clinging quite hard to her role as second in command. I loved her underlying rivality for attraction with the eyecandy female yellowcoats. Sadly the hotness she had for the camp boss was played up too much. Gave reason for a lot of close-ups of those big please-love-me eyes of her tough. And that ladybug-coulored costume she had was awesome too. Hmhmmm.

3. Peggy. Obnoxious naive tart, but one had to admire that energy of hers.

[–] marktayloruk (2378) 2 years ago

How was Peggy a tart?

[–] HollingsWolves 8 years ago

Re: Gary and the twins... I don't know, I quite liked there being other characters around who weren't main characters. It's hard to explain, but it actually helps flesh out the show for me. Because we don't see or hear from them so often even though they obviously must have as much to do as everyone else, it helps create the illusion of things going on around the camp away from the bubble of the main cast. Scripts can use 'ghost' characters (often talked about but never seen) in the same way.

[–] martinjames-muzo 8 years ago

I was aged 7-12 when this was at its peak, so found Spike wearing his silly costumes, being the thrown into the pool, and other physical gags the funniest. Also, I could identify with the child-like enthusiasm of Peggy. Later, I had a crush on April the Yellowcoat!

Now, the characters I find best are Ted, Jeffrey and Gladys (who, now I kind of fancy after finding her scary in the eighties!). The chalk and cheese of Ted and Jeff, plus the way Gladys does that look at Jeff while he's talking to the employees, brilliant. My Mum said at the time it was disappointing when Simon Cadell left as he was a lot funnier and more likeable than the David Griffin character. Not really a character analysis, but I'm now in love with Susan Beagley (Tracy) from the '82-'84 series era 😍

The worst are the Yellowcoat twins as the acting is that hammy pantomime-style with overly expressive reactions to everything. Reminds me of that god-awful postman in Keeping Up Appearances or some of the minor characters in the Brittas Empire. I found to a lesser-degree Private Sponge and some others from Dad's Army were like that. I guess pantomime or small theatre productions may have been what these cheaper actors had done before.

So this is planet Houston

[–] marktayloruk (2378) 2 years ago

A bit puzzled - one of the Webb twins was called David. I knew an actor called David Webb who was someone entirely different and thought that no two actors could use the same name.