Ep 1. Desire in the Mickey Mouse Grotto

Hi-de-Hi! season 1 episode 1, titled "Desire in the Mickey Mouse Grotto," follows the lives of the staff members at Maplins Holiday Camp, located in the fictional town of Crimpton-on-Sea in the late 1950s. The episode begins with the arrival of the new entertainments manager, Jeffrey Fairbrother (Simon Cadell), who is a college professor and has been forced to take a temporary job at the holiday camp to earn some extra money.

Jeffrey is introduced to the staff members, who must work together to provide the holidaymakers with a fun and enjoyable experience. However, things do not go smoothly for the team as they struggle to come up with new ideas that are unique and entertaining. The staff members include Ted (Paul Shane), the camp comic who always has a joke ready; Gladys (Ruth Madoc), the camp's chief yellowcoat who takes herself very seriously; and Spike (Jeffrey Holland), the handyman who always has some clever ideas up his sleeve.

In an effort to create an exciting experience for the guests, the team decides to create a new attraction in the camp called the "Mickey Mouse Grotto," which is a water ride that is decorated like the famous cartoon character's home. However, this idea proves to be more difficult than they initially thought, and they are forced to come up with new ideas to make the attraction work.

Throughout the episode, the staff members deal with various issues, both personal and professional. For instance, Gladys is constantly bickering with her husband, Trevor (David Griffin), who is also a yellowcoat at the camp. Meanwhile, Ted is always trying to impress the female staff members and the holidaymakers, often with disastrous results.

As the episode progresses, the pressure mounts on the team to make the "Mickey Mouse Grotto" attraction work, and they encounter various setbacks along the way. For instance, the water pressure is not strong enough to propel the boats along the ride, and Spike's clever idea of using a pump to increase the water pressure only leads to more problems.

Despite these setbacks, the team perseveres and eventually manages to create a successful attraction that impresses the guests. The episode ends on a high note, with everyone feeling proud of their hard work and dedication to creating a fun-filled atmosphere for the holidaymakers.

Overall, "Desire in the Mickey Mouse Grotto" is an entertaining and light-hearted episode that sets the tone for the rest of the series. It introduces the main characters and their personalities, and it also highlights some of the challenges that they must overcome to provide a memorable experience for their guests. Fans of classic British comedies and light entertainment will enjoy this episode, and it is sure to leave them looking forward to more adventures at Maplins Holiday Camp.