"actor Michael Bates as the Indian bearer Rangi Ram as an example of blackface, ""All Michael Bates [...] wore was a light tan"", protested Jimmy Perry in a 2013 interview with the journalist Neil Clark, an admirer of the series. In Clark's opinion, the series ""delightfully lampooned the attitudes of the British in India"", but is ""wrongly attacked by the PC brigade for being racist and homophobic"". Such a perception, however, is believed to be at least partly responsible for the programme not being repeated on British television in later years, along with, according to Darren Lee of the British"
"It Ain't Half Hot Mum It Ain't Half Hot Mum is a BBC television sitcom, about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. It was set in India and Burma, during the last months of the Second World War, starting just prior to V-E Day in 1945 (the German surrender is announced in an early episode). ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" was the second of the three sitcom series co-written by David Croft set in the Second World War, the first being ""Dad's"
"featured regularly in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"", running from 3 January 1974 to 3 September 1981. It was set in the jungles of Burma and India during the Second World War and MacDonald played the character Gunner ""Nobby"" Clark, a member of a Royal Artillery Concert Party. He also had a minor part as Jacko's brother in the comedy series ""Brush Strokes"" which ran from 1986 - 1991, where he was married to the less than faithful Gloria When he landed the part of pub landlord Mike in the ""Only Fools and Horses"" episode ""Who's a"
"Windsor Davies Windsor Davies (born 28 August 1930) is a retired British actor who acted in many films and TV shows between 1964 and 2004. He is best known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the British sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" (1974–81). His distinctive Welsh accented voice was heard extensively in advertising voice-overs. Davies was born in Canning Town, east London to Welsh parents, who returned to their native Nant-y-Moel when the Second World War began in 1939. Davies studied at Ogmore Grammar School and Bangor Teacher Training College. He worked as a coal"
"before his father, actor Norman Mitchell, and in the same year as his fellow gunner and fellow ""Only Fools and Horses"" actor Kenneth MacDonald, who died of a heart attack aged 50. Christopher Mitchell (actor) Christopher Mitchell (21 May 1947 – 22 February 2001) was a British actor most notable for his role in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" as Gunner Nigel 'Parky' Parkin. His film credits include ""Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"" (1967), ""This, That and the Other"" (1969), ""The Sex Thief"" (1973) and ""What's Up Superdoc!"" (1978). He appeared in two episodes of"
"the Grand Order of Water Rats and in 2004, was made King Rat. Melvyn Hayes Melvyn Hayes (born Melvyn Hyams, 11 January 1935) is an English actor known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) ""Gloria"" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"", and the Cliff Richard musical films ""The Young Ones"" and ""Summer Holiday"". Born in Wandsworth, London, Hayes attended Sir Walter St John's Grammar School For Boys, Battersea. He was also in a theatrical troupe called Terry's Juveniles and his acting career stretches back to 1950 when he was ""disappearing twice daily for £4"
"John Clegg (actor) John Walter Lawrence Clegg (born 9 July 1934) is an Indian-born English actor best known for playing the part of 'Mr. La-di-da' Gunner ""Paderewski"" Graham in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"". His first television role was DC Greaves in ""Dixon of Dock Green"" in 1961. He has most recently been seen in the film ""Death in Holy Orders"" in 2003 as the character Father John Betterton. Clegg married actress Mavis Pugh in 1959. Pugh appeared in various Croft and Perry sitcoms including ""Dad's Army"" and ""You Rang, M'Lord?"", as well as ""It Ain't Half"
"Dino Shafeek Dino Shafeek (born Gholam D. Shafeek, 21 March 1930 – 10 March 1984) was a Bangladeshi actor. Born and raised in Dacca, East Bengal, he moved to the UK from East Pakistan in 1958 and appeared in several sitcoms during the 1970s and early 1980s. He is best remembered for playing the part of Chai Wallah Muhammed in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" as well as the role of Ali Nadim in ITV sitcom ""Mind Your Language"". Dino Shafeek was born Gholam D. Shafeek in Dacca (now Dhaka), East Bengal, British India (now Bangladesh) in"
"Donald Hewlett Donald Hewlett (30 August 19204 June 2011) was an English actor, born in Northenden, Manchester, Lancashire, and best known for his sitcom roles as Colonel Charles Reynolds in ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" and Lord Meldrum in ""You Rang, M'Lord?"", both written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. He also had a number of parts in British film and television productions. Hewlett was born into a wealthy family; his father Thomas Hewlett owned the Anchor Chemical Company which is based in Clayton, Manchester and is now a subsidiary of Air Products. He was the brother of Thomas Hewlett,"
"a liver transplant. Unfortunately he became too weak for doctors to operate. Estelle returned to the UK weeks before his death. He died in Rochdale Infirmary, on 2 August 2003 and was buried in Rochdale, with the oversized pith helmet he wore as Gunner ""Lofty"" Sugden. He was survived by his second wife Elizabeth. Don Estelle Don Estelle (22 May 1933 – 2 August 2003) was a British actor and singer best known as Gunner ""Lofty"" Sugden in ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"". Born Ronald Edwards in Crumpsall, Manchester, Lancashire, he was brought up in a house on Russell Street,"
"You Rang, M'Lord? You Rang M'Lord? is a BBC television sitcom written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of ""Dad's Army"", ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" and ""Hi-de-Hi!"" It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC (although there had earlier been a pilot episode in 1988). The show was a comedy set in the house of an aristocratic family in the 1920s, contrasting the upper-class family and their servants in a house in London, along the same lines as the popular drama ""Upstairs, Downstairs"". The series featured many actors who had also appeared in their earlier"
"Melvyn Hayes Melvyn Hayes (born Melvyn Hyams, 11 January 1935) is an English actor known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) ""Gloria"" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"", and the Cliff Richard musical films ""The Young Ones"" and ""Summer Holiday"". Born in Wandsworth, London, Hayes attended Sir Walter St John's Grammar School For Boys, Battersea. He was also in a theatrical troupe called Terry's Juveniles and his acting career stretches back to 1950 when he was ""disappearing twice daily for £4 per week"" performing the indian rope trick in Maskelyne's Mysteries at the Comedy"
"Clegg, an actor who would later appear in ""Dad's Army"", ""Are You Being Served?"" and ""You Rang, M'Lord?"", but is perhaps best known as Mr La-di-da Gunner Graham in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"", and they married in 1959. Pugh did not begin her television career until she was in her sixth decade, with an appearance in the 1974 ""Dad's Army"" episode ""The Captain's Car"". Two years later she appeared in one episode of ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"", titled ""Ticket to Blighty"", and in ""Are You Being Served?"" in the episode ""Fifty Years On"". She also"
"Jimmy Perry James Perry, OBE (20 September 1923 – 23 October 2016) was an English actor and scriptwriter, best known for devising and co-writing the BBC sitcoms ""Dad's Army"" (1968–77), ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" (1974–81), ""Hi-De-Hi"" (1980–88) and ""You Rang M'Lord?"" (1988–93), all with David Croft. Perry received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for ""Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?"". Perry was born in Barnes, Surrey. His father, Arthur, was an antiques dealer and he was educated at two independent schools, Colet Court and St Paul's School, which"
"Michael Knowles (actor) Michael Knowles (born 1937) is an English actor and scriptwriter. He is best known for his roles in BBC sitcoms written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry. Knowles attended Bemrose Grammar School for Boys, Derby (now Bemrose School), where he stayed on into the 6th form and played the lead role in the school’s production of Shakespeare's ""Henry V."" Knowles is best known for his role as Captain Jonathan Ashwood in the 1970s sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" (1974–81). He also played The Honourable Teddy Meldrum in the BBC comedy drama ""You Rang, M'Lord?"" (1988–93), and"
"a reputed family from Old Dacca. His father was Golam Merajuddin Shafeek, whose occupation was listed as ""sugar technologist"". After leaving school, he attended Dacca University and graduated with a BA. Shafeek was involved with amateur theatre in Dacca and, after emigrating to England in 1958, enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His first film role was as 'Akbar' in the film ""The Long Duel"" (1967), starring Yul Brynner. ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" was a BBC comedy series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of ""Dad's Army"". Set in World War II British"
"Hot Mum"" and ""Are You Being Served?"". He also once had a one-man show playing Rudyard Kipling at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. John Clegg (actor) John Walter Lawrence Clegg (born 9 July 1934) is an Indian-born English actor best known for playing the part of 'Mr. La-di-da' Gunner ""Paderewski"" Graham in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"". His first television role was DC Greaves in ""Dixon of Dock Green"" in 1961. He has most recently been seen in the film ""Death in Holy Orders"" in 2003 as the character Father John Betterton. Clegg married actress Mavis Pugh in"
"Christopher Mitchell (actor) Christopher Mitchell (21 May 1947 – 22 February 2001) was a British actor most notable for his role in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" as Gunner Nigel 'Parky' Parkin. His film credits include ""Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"" (1967), ""This, That and the Other"" (1969), ""The Sex Thief"" (1973) and ""What's Up Superdoc!"" (1978). He appeared in two episodes of ""Only Fools and Horses"" (May the Force Be With You; 1983 and To Hull and Back; 1985), playing policeman Terry Hoskins. He died from cancer at the age of 53, a month"
"miner and a teacher at Mountside School for Boys in Leek, Staffordshire and did national service in Libya and Egypt with the East Surrey Regiment between 1950-1952 before deciding to become an actor. Davies' best known role was as Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the British sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" (1974–81). Among his catchphrases was ""Shut Up!!"", delivered as an eardrum-shattering military scream. Another phrase was ""Oh dear, how sad, never mind"", delivered in a dry, ironic manner, and used when others around him had problems. Davies and co-star Don Estelle had a number one hit in the"
"series, notably Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland and Su Pollard, all of whom had previously been in Perry and Croft's holiday camp sitcom, ""Hi-de-Hi!"". Also featured were Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles from Perry and Croft's ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"", and Bill Pertwee and occasionally Frank Williams from ""Dad's Army"". Numerous small parts were played by other alumni of David Croft and/or Jimmy Perry shows. The memorable 1920s-style theme tune was sung by Bob Monkhouse. Episodes of ""You Rang M'Lord?"" were fifty minutes long, rather than the usual thirty (for BBC sitcoms), and attempted to introduce a more reflective approach"
"part of Lincoln Green in ""Orders are Orders"" (1954). His television appearances included ""The Ronnie Corbett Show"", ""The Ronnie Barker Playhouse"", ""The Saint"", ""The Avengers"", ""The Dick Emery Show"" and the ""Doctor Who"" story ""The Claws of Axos"" (1971). However, he gained his most prominent role in the Croft and Perry sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" (1974–81) as Colonel Charles Reynolds. He was cast with fellow actor Michael Knowles in another David Croft sitcom, the sci-fi parody ""Come Back Mrs. Noah"" (1977–78), and later with the successful ""You Rang, M'Lord?"" (1988–93) as George, Lord Meldrum. Other roles included 'Winkworth'"
"Pickfords man in one episode (1969) and an ARP Warden called Gerald in three more (1970). He eventually landed the role of Gunner ""Lofty"" Sugden in the British sitcom, ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" which was first broadcast in 1974 and ran until 1981. Windsor Davies often took the micky out of Lofty in the episodes. The character was given the ironic nickname of ""Lofty"" because of Estelle's short stature. Estelle had a powerful tenor voice, and had a Number 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1975 with a semi-comic version of ""Whispering Grass"", followed by a cover"
"the most memorable deaths on the show. Whilst studying law, Blair Strang won the role of Rangi, who was to be a stereotypical northerner and a four-month recurring character. Strang had previously auditioned unsuccessfully for 4 or 5 other roles. Upon the soap's infamous revamp in 2000 that saw 14 characters written off, producers ensured fan favourite Rangi would stay. However Strang's girlfriend - Katrina Devine who portrayed Minnie Crozier was deeply upset as her character had been part of the axing. Strang started to clash with what he saw as poor management and decided to quit the soap shortly"
"Sanjeev Kohli Sanjeev Singh Kohli (born 30 November 1971) is a British Indian comedian, writer and actor. He is most famous for his role as Navid in the Scottish sitcom ""Still Game"", a role he reprised in 2016. He also played Ramesh Majhu in the radio sitcom ""Fags, Mags and Bags"" and (since 2015) as AJ Jandhu in the BBC Scotland soap opera ""River City"". Kohli has also played Norrie in BBC Four's ""Bob Servant Independent"". Kohli was born in London to a social worker and a teacher, who had come to the United Kingdom in the 1960s from India."
"Abdullah Afzal Abdullah Afzal (; born 1989) is an English actor and stand-up comedian. Afzal is of Pakistani British descent from Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England. He has three older brothers, two older sisters and a younger half-brother. He attended Abraham Moss High School in North Manchester. Afzal trained for three years to be a hafiz. In 2007, Afzal had his first acting role as a young student in a short film called ""Raamis"" (originally called ""Extraordinary Rendition""). Between 2008 and 2011, he starred as Asif in two seasons of BBC Three sitcom ""Lunch Monkeys"". Since 2012, he has portrayed the"
"series ""Benidorm"" in November 2009 playing a character called Wink McAndrew. Stuart McGugan Stuart McGugan (born 2 March 1944) is a Scottish actor. McGugan was a presenter on BBC's ""Play School"", starting in 1975 (he regularly presented the programme for more than 10 years), and is well known for playing the roles of Bomba MacAteer in ""Tutti Frutti"", and Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"". McGugan appeared as Gordon Stewart in two series of LWT's ""Wish Me Luck"" between 1988 and 1989, in ""The Chief"" as Chief Superintendent Sean McCloud from 1993 to 1994,"
"Rangan Chatterjee Rangan Chatterjee (born 1977), Is a British physician, author, television presenter and podcaster. He is best known for his TV show ""Doctor in the House"" and for being the resident doctor on BBC One's Breakfast Show and as a regular commentator on BBC Radio. Chatterjee was raised in a medical family. His late father Dr Tarun Chatterjee, came to England from Kolkata, India in the 1960s and was a consultant in genito-urinary medicine at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Chatterjee was a pupil at The Manchester Grammar School from 1988 to 1995 after that he attended the University of Edinburgh"
"programmes (a running gag being that in each episode he or Spike would mention his role in ""The Cockleshell Heroes""). He was very prolific during the 1950s, and in 1958 alone, he appeared in ten films. He appeared in a 1969 episode of ""Randall and Hopkirk Deceased"" (""Who Killed Cock Robin?""), and continuing with his military-type roles, appeared alongside Windsor Davies as Company Sergeant-Major Sharp in an episode of ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" in 1976. He also appeared with Windsor Davies (although they are not in the same scene) in Carry On England. Lodge played the role of drunk"
"Stuart McGugan Stuart McGugan (born 2 March 1944) is a Scottish actor. McGugan was a presenter on BBC's ""Play School"", starting in 1975 (he regularly presented the programme for more than 10 years), and is well known for playing the roles of Bomba MacAteer in ""Tutti Frutti"", and Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh in the BBC sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"". McGugan appeared as Gordon Stewart in two series of LWT's ""Wish Me Luck"" between 1988 and 1989, in ""The Chief"" as Chief Superintendent Sean McCloud from 1993 to 1994, then in the mid 1990s was the pub owner Barney Meldrum"
"and is a hair salon in reality. The BBC Scotland comedy series ""Still Game"" has a corner shop as a recurring location where characters can meet and gossip; the actor who plays its owner, Navid Harris (Sanjeev Kohli), plays a similar role as Bangaram in the Radio 4 comedy series ""Fags, Mags and Bags"" which is set entirely in Ramesh's shop. The band Cornershop in part base their image on the perception that many convenience shops are now owned by British Asian people. In terms of British popular culture, these media representations give some idea of the importance attached to"
"Khushbu Thakkar Khushboo or Khushbu Thakkar is a former journalist, now an actress on Indian television. She has worked on ""Hongey Judaa Na Hum"" on Sony TV, and appeared in ""Rangrasiya"" as Rudra's sister-cousin Sunehri Ranawat on Colors TV, played role of Shalini Tripathi in Colors's new serial ""Ishq Ka Rang Safed"", she played Ronita in Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi on Sony TV and Tanvi in TV, Biwi aur Main on SAB TV. She is currently playing Barbie in Bhutu on Zee Tv. She has also appeared in ""Geet"" on Star One, ""Veera"" and ""Ek Doosre Se Karte"
"Raghu Ram Raghu M Ram (born 15 April 1975) is an Indian television producer and actor. He was earlier a senior supervising producer at MTV India and the creator of reality television shows ""MTV Roadies"", ""MTV Dropout Pvt Ltd"" and ""MTV Splitsvilla"". He was married to actress Sugandha Garg. He has a twin brother, Rajiv Lakshman. The brothers launched their own content studio called Monozygotic Solutions Pvt. Ltd in 2014. Raghu was born in an urban village Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, along with his twin brother. His father is a chartered accountant and mother a political affairs journalist. They have a"
"mark"" in episode four. Wilfrid Brambell, later star of the sitcom ""Steptoe and Son"" (1962–74) and The Beatles' film ""A Hard Day's Night"" (1964), appeared as a tramp, and Melvyn Hayes, who played the small role of Frankie, became one of the stars of the popular sitcom ""It Ain't Half Hot Mum"" (1974–81). Nigel Kneale not only wrote the serial but, previously an actor, had two speaking parts. He played the voice heard over the factory loudspeaker system in episode five, and narrated the recaps at the beginning of episodes two, three, four and six. Kneale went on to write"