Episode list

England in the late 1950s: Jeffrey Fairbrother is an unassuming Cambridge academic suffering a mid-life crisis. His wife wants a divorce and he wants a change of career. He applies to become the entertainments manager at Maplins, a South coast holiday camp. Also up for the job is comedian Ted Bovis, a seasoned entertainer who knows how to work a crowd, but Jeff gets the job due to his administrative background and Ted remains Camp Host. Jeff feels that he should step down and give Ted the post but he is encouraged to stay when an elderly couple express their appreciation of his efforts.

Ted Bovis is seen entering a chalet with Rose, a young camper whose parents are friends of owner Joe Maplin. They are reported but Rose implicates Jeff as being her secret lover. Gladys Pugh, the camp's strident announcer, is prepared to dig Jeff out of the hole, but it means she will forever be on his back - in the most adoring way.

There is to be a beauty contest, held by the pool and to be judged by Jeff. Spike, the other comic, will emerge from the pool dressed as Ollie the Octopus and squirt Jeff. Jeff discovers that Ted has been running a nice little side-line in bribery in fixing the contest and puts his foot down. The winner must be chosen honestly. However the winner's father is not in on this and when Jeff chooses her honestly he gets rewarded with a bottle of bubbly anyway.

Mr. Partridge, the Punch and Judy man, hates children and slaps one who is annoying him. Jeff is supposed to sack him but his kind nature cannot do it so he gives Partridge money. This is a bad move as the puppeteer gets very drunk and cannot perform. Jeff fills the breach, helped by glamorous Yellowcoat Sylvia, who, like Gladys, now very jealous, has a very soft spot for Mr. Fairbrother.

Riding instructor and ex-jockey Fred Quilley panics when he hears camper Ron Armitage mention Big Mac, since Big Mac is the name of a violent man who wants to thump Fred for failing to place a bet Big Mac won. In fact Ron is planning to rob the camp but when Jeff, to help Fred, offers him two hundred pounds to leave, Ron assumes Jeff is on to him and wants two hundred pounds to keep quiet. A mutual monetary exchange takes place.

Ted's latest scam to get money from the guests is the Campers' Amenity Fund, actually to pay maintenance to his ex-wife. He puts money on a horse that wins but pockets the cash, claiming that Spike failed to place the bet. When Jeff finds out he is disappointed in Ted but, when confronted by an elderly couple who have been robbed, finds a way to make amends.

In the throes of his divorce, Jeff has to take care of his estranged wife's sheep-dog, Bubbles, but, due to Maplin's No Pets policy, has to hide the dog in his chalet. Hearing noises, people assume he is entertaining a young lady and Gladys is not pleased though all is revealed when a private eye, hired by Jeff's wife to catch him out with a member of the opposite sex, bursts into his room.