Quick DVD Box Set Review – ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’

Hello everyone! 🙂

♪ “Meet the gang cos the boys are here; The boys to entertain you; With music and laughter to help you on your way; To raising the rafters with a hey, hey, hey…” ♫

My parents and I have just finished atching the complete DVD box set of ‘It An’t Half Hot Mum’! This was a Christmas present I gave to Dad last year and I’m amazed we’ve finished all the episodes over a month! My parents have really enjoyed this comedy series and I’m pretty pleased about that!

‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’ is a BBC comedy series by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the same writing duo who created ‘Dad’s Army’. It’s set during World War II in India and Burma and features the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party. I’ve enjoyed watching this series a lot and its humour is definitely of its time! There are eight seasons in total and it’s a BBC comedy show that lasted from 1974 to 1981.

The series stars Michael Bates as Bearer Rangi Ram, Windsor Davies as Sergeant-Major ‘SHUT UP’ Williams, George Layton as Bombardier ‘Solly’ Solomons, Melvyn Hayes as Bombardier ‘Gloria’ Beaumont’, Don Estelle as Gunner ‘Lofty’ Sugden, Donald Hewlet as Colonel Reynolds and Michael Knowles as Captain Ashwood. A lot of these faces I recognise from other Jimmy Perry/David Croft shows.

The complete series is divided into two halves with the first four seasons set at a Royal Artillery Depot in Deolali, India and the second four seasons set in the village of Tin Man, Burma. I was pretty saddened when I learnt Michael Bates as Bearer Rangi died half-way during the making of the series.

For me, Michael Bates’ character was a mainstay of the series and the series didn’t feel the same anymore without his reassuring presence and his hilarious cough. But the rest of the cast were superbly entertaining in the series, especially Windsor Davies as constant ‘SHUT UP’ Sergeant-Major.

I have some of my favourite episodes from the series. These include ‘The Jungle Patrol’ where the Sergeant-Major takes his ‘lovely boys’ into the jungle as well as ‘Lofty’s Little Friend’ where Lofty is followed by an elephant. I also enjoyed ‘Dog in the Manger’, as it guest starred June Whitfield in it. 🙂

I found the last two episodes of the series very touching and moving, as they saw the Concert Party leave India and Burma behind and return home to England. It felt sad to see this TV comedy show come to an end, since my parents and I have enjoyed it so much and we liked the characters a lot.

I’m pleased I purchased a really good Christmas present for my Dad in 2016, as I’m amazed we’ve seen all the eight seasons and episodes so quickly. ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’ is a good comedy series to watch. It doesn’t match to ‘Dad’s Army’, but this is a classic comedy show I won’t forget in a hurry.

Thanks for reading!

SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tim. 🙂