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DVD Description
All the episodes from series one to eight of Jimmy Perry and David Croft's It Ain't Half Hot Mum, first broadcast in 1974. The series follows the exploits of a Royal Artillery Concert Party during the Second World War. Created by David Croft and Jimmy Perry, it seemed a natural follow-up to their smash hit Dad's Army. Another ensemble piece, it drew on both writers' wartime experience in India and set the action in Deolali: a British army camp 100 miles north-east of Bombay where everyone's gone "a bit doolally".
The concert party is a rag-tag collection of soldiers who'd rather sing, dance and drag up to entertain the troops than be sent forward to the front line. Characters include effeminate drag artist Gunner 'Gloria' Beaumont (Melvyn Hayes); the diminutive Gunner 'Lofty' Willie Sugden (Don Estelle) who possesses a hauntingly beautiful singing voice and ineffectual Colonel Reynolds (Donald Hewlett). However, the show's stand-out personality is the bombastic, eye-rolling Battery Sergeant Major Williams (Windsdor Davies).
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2.4 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Box Set, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: All the episodes from series one to eight of Jimmy Perry and David Croft's It Ain't Half Hot Mum, first broadcast in 1974. The series follows the exploits of a Royal Artillery Concert Party during the Second World War. Created by David Croft and Jimmy Perry, it seemed a natural follow-up to their smash hit Dad's Army. Another ensemble piece, it drew on both writers' wartime experience in India and set the action in Deolali: a British army camp 100 miles north-east of Bombay where everyone's gone 'a bit doolally'. ...It Ain't Half Hot Mum - Complete Collection - 9-DVD Box Set ( It Ain't 1/2 Hot Mum )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
145 of 148 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Written by the same team who wrote 'Dad's Army', it's strange that 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' never remotely achieved the same amount of public affection as the legendary earlier series. It's true the characters in general aren't quite so strong and memorable and the series isn't as 'gentle' as DA, however 'It Ain't Half Hot' is still one of THE great sitcoms. The reason it hasn't been repeated very often must be down to the curse of 'political correctness' which seems to dog the BBC probably more than most institutions. Having a white actor (Michael Bates) playing an Indian isn't seen as the done thing these days - ironically Bates was actually born in India! Furthermore, much of the humour stems from the Sargeant Major's antipathy to foreigners and effeminate men. Whether this is politically correct or not, it is reflective of the character himself, the era the series was set in and the wartime situation; and most important of all it is very funny.
The extras are a bit odd in that they comprise two episodes thought lost and never released on the previous VHS release - there were eight episodes in all in this first series. The two 'lost' episodes were discovered in Australia and are described as not of broadcastable quality. Although they are inferior sound and picture wise to the other six, they are perfectly viewable. However, it is evident that about four or five minutes have been edited from these two episodes as they are shorter than the others. What is odd about it is I would have thought that by the seventies the BBC had stopped losing/wiping programmes as they did in the sixties.
Although the earlier series are probably the best (the series lost a lot when Michael Bates died after the fifth series) 'It Ain't Half Hot' maintained a remarkable consistency over eight series - I still have the last couple of episodes from the final series on VHS recorded from their original broadcasts in the early 80's - and it's to be hoped it isn't long before all are available on DVD, which hopefully will re-establish this series to its rightful place among the comedy greats. The second series is due out next month.
The extras are a bit odd in that they comprise two episodes thought lost and never released on the previous VHS release - there were eight episodes in all in this first series. The two 'lost' episodes were discovered in Australia and are described as not of broadcastable quality. Although they are inferior sound and picture wise to the other six, they are perfectly viewable. However, it is evident that about four or five minutes have been edited from these two episodes as they are shorter than the others. What is odd about it is I would have thought that by the seventies the BBC had stopped losing/wiping programmes as they did in the sixties.
Although the earlier series are probably the best (the series lost a lot when Michael Bates died after the fifth series) 'It Ain't Half Hot' maintained a remarkable consistency over eight series - I still have the last couple of episodes from the final series on VHS recorded from their original broadcasts in the early 80's - and it's to be hoped it isn't long before all are available on DVD, which hopefully will re-establish this series to its rightful place among the comedy greats. The second series is due out next month.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ok, so maybe this show has a bad reputation for not being PC, but it was still funny. Was it racist for a man born and raised in India, who spoke Hindi as his first language, to put on face paint and the mannerisms of the poeple his childhood? I don't know... but isn't racism all about intending insult or injury?
Was it more or less racist for men born in Bangladesh and Pakistan, to do the same thing? Who was the more Indian out of these?
Surely racism is all about discrimmation, and treating someone from a different culture as somehow less of a human being.
"It Aint't Half Hot Mum" doesn't do this.
Yes, it uses racial stereotypes, and yes it gets laughs from them, but this wasn't about discrimmination or hate - it was about laughing at our differences. The jokes about shouty Sargeant-Major Tudor Brynne 'Shut Up' Williams are no different to the jokes about the effeminate Bombardier 'Gloria' Beaumont, the well educated 'La-De-Dah' Gunner Graham or Char Wallah Muhammad.
It'll be a sad day when we can't laugh at ourselves and our differences.
Was it more or less racist for men born in Bangladesh and Pakistan, to do the same thing? Who was the more Indian out of these?
Surely racism is all about discrimmation, and treating someone from a different culture as somehow less of a human being.
"It Aint't Half Hot Mum" doesn't do this.
Yes, it uses racial stereotypes, and yes it gets laughs from them, but this wasn't about discrimmination or hate - it was about laughing at our differences. The jokes about shouty Sargeant-Major Tudor Brynne 'Shut Up' Williams are no different to the jokes about the effeminate Bombardier 'Gloria' Beaumont, the well educated 'La-De-Dah' Gunner Graham or Char Wallah Muhammad.
It'll be a sad day when we can't laugh at ourselves and our differences.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have seen some episodes before buying this product and enjoyed them, so I bought the set. I am very glad I did. The quality of the discs is great, and the series is very funny.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
It Ain't Half Funny Mum!
Bought this set as a companion to the Dads Army box set that I have and wasnt disappointed. Its not altogether PC but still hilarious to watch after all these years. Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. SPOTTISWOODE
Great British humour from the days of The Empire.
Political incorrectness at the extreme, but absolutely hilarious. How the cast kept their faces straight whilst performing is beyond comprehension. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Thisoldman
Another Gunner
I missed it on TV and saw it was going in a bargain box.If there is anyone in the same circumstances, it is worth getting,if you saw it on TV you will know if you want to see it... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. J. J. Martin
What a great box set.
What a great box set. Better than I remembered it and great value for money entertainment. You can see the characters grow through the years and series. Read more
Published 3 months ago by swb9936
dated, funny, missing episodes
After seeing excerpts on TV again following the death of the writer; we thought it would be fun to watch the entire series again. Read more
Published 3 months ago by librarylinda
IT AINT HALF HOT MUM
I RECEIVED THE DVD SET OF IT AINT HALF HOT MUM AND THE SET WAS IN VERY GOOD ORDER.I HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO VIEW IT ALL BUT WHAT I HAVE SEEN WAS VERY FUNNY.
Published 3 months ago by Not D
It6 ain't half hot mum
Very funny! Corny acting, politically uncorrect but very funny. This is british history at it's best. the 4th episode is missing?but it is worth the money. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Wiliam Leach
aint half hot mum
this was one of the funniest tv comedies ever Winsor Davies and co. serve up some of the best comedey why this has not been repeated by the BBC amazes me 10 out of 10
Published 3 months ago by K. Davies
Still very funny and well enjoyed.
So far we have seen two of the eight disks, the first two series, 16 episodes. Very funny and at times brilliant humour for us who lived through the 1939 to 1945 war and still... Read more
Published 6 months ago by mikeillumination
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
Good Transaction and DVD.I would recommend these discs to any fans of the 1970's and 1980's television series.I had never seen some of the later ones but, have now.
Published 7 months ago by G. F. Logan
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