As other reviewers have remarked, this is possibly the best of all of the Croft and Perry series- depending on how you wish to define 'best'.
Perry and Croft themselves thought 'It Aint Half Hot Mum' their funniest and I'd agree with that, though Political Correctness has rather pushed that series into the sidelines. Is the 'best' series of a comedy the funniest? You pays your Money and you Takes Your Choice.
Clearly conceived as a spoof of 'Upstairs Downstairs', some of the episodes even mirrored those of the earlier, play-it-straight drama.
This series certainly stands apart from other Perry and Croft offerings in the following ways-
1. It is set furthest back in time- 1927-28.
2. Each episode stands at 50 minutes long instead of 25-30 minutes. This provides more scope for multiple storylines and plot development.
3. The themes featured are rather darker than in earlier series and are far more adult-oriented and less suitable for children.
4. There is often an overarching storyline over several episodes, unlike most previous series.
5. The stars of previous series were generally 'new' actors to the Perry/Croft Pantheon but the main characters here were from Hi-de_Hi or Aint Half Hot Mum. There were also actors from Dads Army.
The main characters were:-
Lord George Meldrum (Donald Hewlett) - a rather urbane and likeable aristocrat whose family is rich on rubber plantations in Malaya and a rubber products making company in England. It is strongly implied that before acquiring the rubber plantations, the family got rich on the proceeds of slavery (17-18th centuries). George - a widower - is having a long running affair with Lady Agatha Shawcross, his rival's wife. Aside from the affair, his character was pretty much like his Colonel in Aint Half Hot Mum.
Hon Teddy Meldrum (Michael Knowles). At first sight an 'upper-class twit' much like his (very moral) Captain in Aint Half Hot Mum, Hon Teddy is sexually obsessed with servant girls and serially impregnates members of the staff whom George then has to pay allowances. He constantly got to repeat the same lines. Personally, I loathed the character.
Alf Stokes (Paul Shane) - Ex Music Hall Knifethrowing Act, now Butler to the Meldrum Household and a much more sinister version of genial Ted Bovis in Hi de Hi, Alf was happy to take a gemstone from the ring of a wounded officer in the trenches, theft, breach of promise, violence and various self-interested schemes to get rich at the expense of his employers. A bolshevik in his political views and forever waiting for the revolution that never came.
James Twelvetrees (Jeffrey Holland)- Footman at the Meldrum household, baulked for promotion by Alf Stokes, Holland's character here was a far cry from fresh-faced trainee Camp Comic Spike Hughes. Though just as moral as Spike, Twelvetrees was a po-faced, stiff chap who mellowed as the series progressed. Much of the character stories revolved around his good looks and attraction to women. Likes Poppy Medrum but cant countenance any activity between social inferiors and betters. Conservative in every way. Stokes and Twelvetrees were ex-army 'comrades' who usually disagreed upon virtually everything.
Ivy Teasdale (Su Pollard) - Alf's daughter and maid to the household. Basically Peggy from Hi de Hi but a little less potty. In Hi de Hi she also carried pathos relating to her attempts to become a yellowcoat- here it is for her unrequited affection for James Twelvetrees.
Constable Wilson (Bill Pertwee) - 'put that light out!' ARP warden of Dads Army vintage now transformed to a policeman- indeed, pretty much the only policeman. Occasionally considered himself one of the staff and had an on-off relationship with Mrs Lipton.
Other Regular Characters-
Cissie (Cecily) Meldrew - eldest daughter of George: a blatant Lesbian in dress and lifestyle. Cissy is the nicest member of the family- supports the workers politically and is always sympathetic to staff.
Poppy Meldrew. Spoilt younger daughter of George, Poppy is pretty but selfish and spiteful. Likes James and enjoys teasing him.
Lady Lavender - Lord George's mother-in-law, lives in the house. Fairly batty and clearly partially senile but lives with a talking parrot called Captain and is often far more clear-sighted than one might expect.
Sir Ralph Shawcross - an ill-tempered older man married to an attractive young woman. Rival to Lord George in business terms but seems to have a love/hate relationship. His reputation is of violence in his youth and Lord George is frightened of him but simultaneously cuckolds him. Fearful that his wife will run away with another man; with good reason.
Lady Agatha Shawcross - pretty wife of Sir Ralph who is always ready to take on another lover. Lord George's paramour.
Mrs Lipton- well-padded cook of a certain age.
Henry- a sort of sub-footman/dogsbody, clipped round the ear every few minutes after a cheeky quip. Likes Ivy but too unattractive to attract her interest which is all for James.
Mabel - Underhouse maid or whatever: basically, bottom of the pile. Doesn't live in ; most of the staff exclude her wherever possible but Alf and Ivy are sympathetic to her.
In some ways, this looks like unpromising comic material but Croft and Perry did a superb job in making each episode funny and in making us like characters that on paper we oughtn't to like.
Not only was it very funny, but well researched in terms of attitudes, current politics and even such nice touches as the 'Sengerphone' used by poet Audry Wilmslow to narrate his poem. It's basically a huge traffic cone painted black and used as a sort of megaphone. Look it up on Wikipedia- it really existed at the time!
The characters develop nicely over the 4 series, never losing your affection all the way to a quite reasonable and happy last episode.
Perry and Croft themselves thought 'It Aint Half Hot Mum' their funniest and I'd agree with that, though Political Correctness has rather pushed that series into the sidelines. Is the 'best' series of a comedy the funniest? You pays your Money and you Takes Your Choice.
Clearly conceived as a spoof of 'Upstairs Downstairs', some of the episodes even mirrored those of the earlier, play-it-straight drama.
This series certainly stands apart from other Perry and Croft offerings in the following ways-
1. It is set furthest back in time- 1927-28.
2. Each episode stands at 50 minutes long instead of 25-30 minutes. This provides more scope for multiple storylines and plot development.
3. The themes featured are rather darker than in earlier series and are far more adult-oriented and less suitable for children.
4. There is often an overarching storyline over several episodes, unlike most previous series.
5. The stars of previous series were generally 'new' actors to the Perry/Croft Pantheon but the main characters here were from Hi-de_Hi or Aint Half Hot Mum. There were also actors from Dads Army.
The main characters were:-
Lord George Meldrum (Donald Hewlett) - a rather urbane and likeable aristocrat whose family is rich on rubber plantations in Malaya and a rubber products making company in England. It is strongly implied that before acquiring the rubber plantations, the family got rich on the proceeds of slavery (17-18th centuries). George - a widower - is having a long running affair with Lady Agatha Shawcross, his rival's wife. Aside from the affair, his character was pretty much like his Colonel in Aint Half Hot Mum.
Hon Teddy Meldrum (Michael Knowles). At first sight an 'upper-class twit' much like his (very moral) Captain in Aint Half Hot Mum, Hon Teddy is sexually obsessed with servant girls and serially impregnates members of the staff whom George then has to pay allowances. He constantly got to repeat the same lines. Personally, I loathed the character.
Alf Stokes (Paul Shane) - Ex Music Hall Knifethrowing Act, now Butler to the Meldrum Household and a much more sinister version of genial Ted Bovis in Hi de Hi, Alf was happy to take a gemstone from the ring of a wounded officer in the trenches, theft, breach of promise, violence and various self-interested schemes to get rich at the expense of his employers. A bolshevik in his political views and forever waiting for the revolution that never came.
James Twelvetrees (Jeffrey Holland)- Footman at the Meldrum household, baulked for promotion by Alf Stokes, Holland's character here was a far cry from fresh-faced trainee Camp Comic Spike Hughes. Though just as moral as Spike, Twelvetrees was a po-faced, stiff chap who mellowed as the series progressed. Much of the character stories revolved around his good looks and attraction to women. Likes Poppy Medrum but cant countenance any activity between social inferiors and betters. Conservative in every way. Stokes and Twelvetrees were ex-army 'comrades' who usually disagreed upon virtually everything.
Ivy Teasdale (Su Pollard) - Alf's daughter and maid to the household. Basically Peggy from Hi de Hi but a little less potty. In Hi de Hi she also carried pathos relating to her attempts to become a yellowcoat- here it is for her unrequited affection for James Twelvetrees.
Constable Wilson (Bill Pertwee) - 'put that light out!' ARP warden of Dads Army vintage now transformed to a policeman- indeed, pretty much the only policeman. Occasionally considered himself one of the staff and had an on-off relationship with Mrs Lipton.
Other Regular Characters-
Cissie (Cecily) Meldrew - eldest daughter of George: a blatant Lesbian in dress and lifestyle. Cissy is the nicest member of the family- supports the workers politically and is always sympathetic to staff.
Poppy Meldrew. Spoilt younger daughter of George, Poppy is pretty but selfish and spiteful. Likes James and enjoys teasing him.
Lady Lavender - Lord George's mother-in-law, lives in the house. Fairly batty and clearly partially senile but lives with a talking parrot called Captain and is often far more clear-sighted than one might expect.
Sir Ralph Shawcross - an ill-tempered older man married to an attractive young woman. Rival to Lord George in business terms but seems to have a love/hate relationship. His reputation is of violence in his youth and Lord George is frightened of him but simultaneously cuckolds him. Fearful that his wife will run away with another man; with good reason.
Lady Agatha Shawcross - pretty wife of Sir Ralph who is always ready to take on another lover. Lord George's paramour.
Mrs Lipton- well-padded cook of a certain age.
Henry- a sort of sub-footman/dogsbody, clipped round the ear every few minutes after a cheeky quip. Likes Ivy but too unattractive to attract her interest which is all for James.
Mabel - Underhouse maid or whatever: basically, bottom of the pile. Doesn't live in ; most of the staff exclude her wherever possible but Alf and Ivy are sympathetic to her.
In some ways, this looks like unpromising comic material but Croft and Perry did a superb job in making each episode funny and in making us like characters that on paper we oughtn't to like.
Not only was it very funny, but well researched in terms of attitudes, current politics and even such nice touches as the 'Sengerphone' used by poet Audry Wilmslow to narrate his poem. It's basically a huge traffic cone painted black and used as a sort of megaphone. Look it up on Wikipedia- it really existed at the time!
The characters develop nicely over the 4 series, never losing your affection all the way to a quite reasonable and happy last episode.