''Shut up!!!!''

Rabical-91

Jimmy Perry and David Croft's 'Dad's Army' saw the exploits of soldiers fighting for their country on British soil, however their next big hit, 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum' focused on British soliders fighting in the Indian jungle.

I say it focuses on the soldiers fighting in the jungle, well, that is not strictly true, the synopsis of this long running sitcom actually focuses on a group of soldiers who are part of a group known as 'the concert party' entertaining the troops before they are sent up to the front. Some of the characters are just in this group to keep them out of combat though some of them do aspire to pursue a career in showbusiness.

The undoubted star of the show was Windsor Davies as bigoted Sergeant Major Williams though other characters included Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds ( Donald Hewlitt ) and laid back Captain Ashwood ( Michael Knowles ). The concert party consisted of pint-sized Gunner Lofty Sugden ( Don Estelle ), Gunner turned Bombardier Beaumont ( Melvyn Hayes ), Gunner Graham ( John Clegg ), Gunner Atlas Mackintosh ( Stuart McGugan ), Gunner Nobby Clark ( the late Kenneth McDonald ) and Bombardier Solly Solomon ( George Layton ). Layton left at the end of series two when the character was demobbed back to Britain. Michael Bates blacked up to play Bearer Ranji Ram in the first few series but was written out following Bates' death.

I don't regard 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum' as a wonderful show, not by any means but it is fun, at least for the first few series. Perry and Croft seem to have a habit of flogging a show to death ( as 'Hi-De-Hi' well and truly proved ). It has been a long time since I have watched it but one very funny scene I can remember was Lofty, tired of Williams' constant put downs, making various attempts to murder the loud-mouthed officer. 'Scotch & Wry' star Rikki Fulton made an impressive guest role in one episode as a doctor.

'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum' used to be repeated severally on UK Gold years ago but for quite a while it has been more or less in hiding. In these 'so called' PC days, it seems it will be banished to the same fate as 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'Love Thy Neighbour'. Pity, it is no more racist than say 'Blazing Saddles'.

In 1986, 'Naked Video' made a delightful reference to the show with a sketch ( as I mentioned in my 'Are You Being Served?' review ) in which Gregor Fisher and Ron Bain played scriptwriters who wanted to write a sitcom set in a Japanese concentration camp. ''We could call it 'Are You Being Starved? Or how about 'I Ain't Half Thin, Mum'!''.

score 7/10

Rabical-91 2 October 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4372990/