It Ain't Half Hot Mum was the second of the three sitcom series co-written by David Croft set in the Second World War, the first being Dad's Army (1968–1977) with Jimmy Perry and the third being 'Allo, 'Allo! (1982–1992) with Jeremy Lloyd.

Set during the Second World War (in the period just after the German surrender when the Allies were trying to finish the war by defeating Japan in Asia), the show focuses on a group of British soldiers stationed at the Royal Artillery Depot in Deolali, India, where soldiers were kept before being sent to fight at the front lines. The main characters are performers in the base's Concert Party, which involved putting on comic acts and musical performances (similar to those seen in a music hall) for the other soldiers prior to their departure for the front lines. The soldiers in the Concert Party all love this particular job, as it keeps them out of combat duty, but some do harbour dreams of becoming world-famous actors when they leave the army.