Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays

1954 United Kingdom

Comedy serial written by Peter Ling (co-creator of Compact and Crossroads) made by the BBC Children's Television department and broadcast throughout the school holidays of 1954. 

Happy Holidays

In it, real life husband and wife John Le Mesurier and Hattie Jacques play Mr and Mrs Mulberry - a childless couple, who, for the summer, look after four children whose own parents are in Ceylon. When the Mulberry's London flat proves to be too small to accommodate all of them they take off for the seaside where the action takes place at the end of a disused pier. Clive Dunn also appeared in the series as the suitably named Mr Grimble. The studio scenes were filmed at the BBC's Lime Grove studios and the exterior seaside scenes were shot on location at Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex. The six episodes were shown fortnightly on Saturday afternoons between July and September. 

Happy Holidays

Share on...

Published on December 20th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

The Wrong Arm of the Law
TVH Plus

Also starring John Le Mesurier

Crooks, coppers, and chaos collide as rival gangs team up to stop police impersonators, with Peter Sellers and Lionel Jeffries gleefully trying to outdo each other in a fast-moving, distinctly British comic caper

Five Children and It

Also starring Clive Dunn

1990s BBC adaptation of E. Nesbit's fantasy children's novel about four siblings who discover a grumpy sand fairy, the Psammead, who grants daily wishes—often with unexpected consequences

Fabian of Scotland Yard

Also released in 1954

The first ever British made filmed series, shot by Trinity Productions for the BBC and consisting of 39 black and white episodes, Fabian of Scotland Yard has been described as Britain's first generation of the TV detective.

Annie Oakley

Also released in 1954

Television's first Western heroine was played by Gail Davis and co-starred Brad Johnson as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig and Jimmy Hawkins, as Annie's brother, Tagg.

The Grove Family

Also released in 1954

The Grove Family was Britain's first soap opera for adults - coming two years after the children's equivalent, The Appleyards.

Carry On Cabby
TVH Plus

Also starring Hattie Jacques

Sid James and Hattie Jacques play husband and wife, Charlie and Peggy, who find themselves at odds with each other after Peg, frustrated at constantly playing second fiddle to Charlie's cab company, sets up a rival taxi firm - staffed by glamourous women

The Shillingbury Tales

Also starring John Le Mesurier

A delightfully amusing story about rural village life and the local residents, a number of whom are members of the village brass band.