e.phemera: Sitcom Board Games

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know I have a soft spot for classic comedy, board games, and ephemera. So imagine my delight when I came across these whilst doing some browsing for Hi-De-Hi! stuff.

It’s a Hi-De-Hi! board game from Waddingtons, and an Are You Being Served? one from Denys Fisher.

Are You Being Hi-De-Hi'd!?
Are You Being Hi-De-Hi’d!?

Is Mrs Slocombe holding up a pair of bloomers? I wonder what she said about her cat at that moment.

The speech bubble for Gladys Pugh says:

Hello campers! Here’s the whole gang with loads of daft ways to have a bit of a laugh – isn’t it?

And Ted Bovis chips in, saying:

Aye we’ll spin yer round, dress yer up and take yer fer a ride – you’ll love it!

But lest we think this is an 80s phenomenon, how about this?

Another Chad Valley T.V. Game: Hancock’s Half Hour, by arrangement with Alan Simpson and Ray Galton.

Insert arm full reference
Insert arm full reference

Apparently, this has got an illustrated inner tray that serves as a playing board, a large spinner, and money and playing pieces for four players. Even better, the instructions are printed on the inside of the lid.

These guys seem to be enjoying it:

One of them must be doing a Sid James laugh
One of them must be doing a Sid James laugh

I like the artwork on this next one a lot. It’s a 1974 Dad’s Army game, also from Denys Fisher.

He's not panicking
He’s not panicking

And here’s a closer look at the playing pieces:

Don't tell him Pike.
Don’t tell him Pike.

And what’s good enough for the Home Guard, is good enough for On The Buses, which Denys Fisher (he invented Spirograph, by the way) released a year earlier.

It actually says "I hate you Butler!" look
It actually says “I’ll get you Butler!” look

You have to get three passengers back to the depot to win the game. And this is the board you do it on:

Looks nice
Looks nice – you can get Blakeyed!

The theme on this Morecombe & Wise game is tenuous, if not completely redundant. You have to roll a dice to decide which cubes you race to poke from a frame. The first to eight cubes wins.

The rule is, you HAVE to have a pipe on the go whilst you play
The rule is, you HAVE to have a pipe on the go whilst you play

But the artwork on those cubes is wonderful:

Just beautiful
Just beautiful

As I was writing this, I remembered there was a board game based on Carla Lane’s Bread. I think my sister had it, though we never have played it. There was big china chicken on the box.

Buy it, sell it ...
Buy it, sell it …

The object of the game is to be the first one to leave home.

It’s not the prettiest of boards:

It's the Bread board.
It’s the Bread board.

But the cards look good:

Our Joey
Our Joey

Did you ever play any of these? Do you still own them? I’d love to hear more about them.

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