It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a 1970s British sitcom, set in India during the Second World War.
The series was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and was an obvious attempt to capitalise on the success of their earlier work, Dad's Army. The humour was less subtle and the characters more stereotyped.
The setting was a British army camp where a Royal Artillery concert party was based. Sergeant Major Williams played by Windsor Davies, viewed this collection of misfits, of whom he was in charge, with scorn. The platoon consisted of:
- the outrageously camp Bombardier "Gloria" Beaumont (Melvyn Hayes), who was frequently called upon to dress as a woman
- Bombadier 'Solly' Solomons (George Layton) (series 1 & 2)
- the diminutive Gunner "Lofty" Sugden (Don Estelle)
- the university-educated "Mister La-dee-da" Gunner "Paderewski" Graham (John Clegg)
- Gunner "Nosher" Evans Mike Kinsey
- Gunner "Nobby" Clark (Kenneth MacDonald)
- Gunner "Atlas" Macintosh (Stuart McGuigan)
- Gunner "Parky" Parkins (Christopher Mitchell).
An alternative perspective was provided by the native Indian servants, Ranji (sometimes credited as Rangi or even Randi!) Ram (Michael Bates), Char Wallah Muhammed (Dino Shafeek) and Punka Wallah Rumzan (Babar Bhatti).
In overall charge of the whole bunch of miscreants were Colonel Reynolds (Donald Hewlett) and Captain Ashwood (Michael Knowles).