The series was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and was an obvious attempt to capitalise on the success of their earlier work, Dad's Army. The humour was less subtle and the characters more stereotyped.
The setting was a British army camp in India where an entertainment corps was based. The sergeant major, played by Windsor Davies, viewed this collection of misfits with scorn. They included the outrageously camp Bombardier Beaumont (Melvyn Hayes), who was frequently called upon to dress as a woman; the university-educated Gunner Graham, and the diminutive Gunner "Lofty" Sugden (Don Estelle). An alternative perspective was provided by the native Indian servants, led by Ranji Ram (Michael Bates).