"'Allo 'Allo!" (1982)TV series 1982-1992

Creators:

David Croft
Jeremy Lloyd
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

30 December 1982 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Plot:

René Artois runs a small café in France during World War II. He always seems to have his hands full: He's having affairs with most of his waitresses...

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Breaking The Fourth Wall | German Army | Colonel | Twin Brother

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Gorden Kaye	...	René Artois (85 episodes, 1982-1992)
Carmen Silvera	...	Edith Artois (85 episodes, 1982-1992)
Vicki Michelle	...	Yvette Carte-Blanche (85 episodes, 1982-1992)
Richard Marner	...	Colonel Kurt von Strohm (85 episodes, 1982-1992)
Kim Hartman	...	Private Helga Geerhart / ... (85 episodes, 1982-1992)
Guy Siner	...	Lieutenant Hubert Gruber (85 episodes, 1982-1992)
Kirsten Cooke	...	Michelle Dubois (82 episodes, 1982-1992)
Richard Gibson	...	Herr Otto Flick (79 episodes, 1982-1992)
Rose Hill	...	Madame Fanny (78 episodes, 1982-1992)
Arthur Bostrom	...	Officer Crabtree (74 episodes, 1985-1992)
John D. Collins	...	Flying Officer Fairfax (64 episodes, 1982-1992)
Nicholas Frankau	...	Flying Officer Carstairs (64 episodes, 1982-1992)
Louis Mansi	...	Herr Engelbert von Smallhausen (63 episodes, 1985-1992)
Sue Hodge	...	Mimi Labonq (62 episodes, 1987-1992)
Kenneth Connor	...	Monsieur Alfonse (62 episodes, 1984-1992)
Hilary Minster	...	General Erich von Klinkerhoffen (59 episodes, 1984-1992)
Jack Haig	...	Roger Leclerc (51 episodes, 1982-1989)

(more)

Series Directed by
David Croft		(29 episodes, 1982-1989)
John B. Hobbs		(13 episodes, 1992)
Martin Dennis		(11 episodes, 1987-1989)
Robin Carr		(5 episodes, 1986-1987)
Susan Belbin		(5 episodes, 1988)
Sue Longstaff		(5 episodes, 1991)
Mike Stephens		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Writing credits
David Croft		(66 episodes, 1982-1992)
Jeremy Lloyd		(66 episodes, 1982-1992)
Paul Adam		(24 episodes, 1991-1992)

Series Produced by
David Croft	....	producer (38 episodes, 1982-1988)
John B. Hobbs	....	producer (14 episodes, 1991-1992)
Mike Stephens	....	producer (10 episodes, 1991)

Series Original Music by
Roy Moore		(1 episode, 1987)
David Croft		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Max Samett		(21 episodes, 1984-1987)
William Dudman		(1 episode, 1982)

Series Film Editing by
John Dunstan		(22 episodes, 1982-1987)

Series Production Design by
David Buckingham		(30 episodes, 1985-1988)
Janet Budden		(6 episodes, 1984)
Shelagh Lawson		(1 episode, 1982)

Series Costume Design by
Christian Dyall		(17 episodes, 1987-1988)
Jackie Southern		(7 episodes, 1984)
Jacqueline Parry		(6 episodes, 1985)
Anna Stubley		(6 episodes, 1986-1987)
Laura Ergis		(1 episode, 1982)
Doreen James		(1 episode, 1982)

Series Makeup Department
Benita Barrell	....	makeup artist (13 episodes, 1985-1987)
Anne Rayment	....	makeup designer (12 episodes, 1988)
Helen Barrett	....	makeup artist (7 episodes, 1984)
Lisa Pickering	....	makeup artist / makeup designer (7 episodes, 1987-1988)
Sylvia Thornton	....	makeup artist (1 episode, 1982)

Series Production Management
Martin Dennis	....	production manager (20 episodes, 1984-1988)
Susan Belbin	....	production manager (8 episodes, 1982-1984)
Ian Strachan	....	production manager (7 episodes, 1988)
Nick Jowitt	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1988)
Simon Spencer	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1987)

Series Art Department
John Watts	....	properties buyer (7 episodes, 1985)
Pauline Seager	....	properties buyer (7 episodes, 1988)
Brenda Barker	....	properties buyer (6 episodes, 1984)
Paul Richmond	....	properties buyer (6 episodes, 1987)
Chris Ferriday	....	properties buyer (5 episodes, 1986-1987)
Roger Williams	....	properties buyer (4 episodes, 1988)
Roger Wood	....	properties buyer (1 episode, 1982)

Series Sound Department
John Mooney	....	sound (72 episodes, 1982-1991)
Chris Shellard	....	deputy sound supervisor (62 episodes, 1985-1991)
Michael McCarthy	....	sound / sound supervisor (32 episodes, 1982-1988)
Michael Spencer	....	sound (10 episodes, 1985-1987)
Terry Elms	....	sound (6 episodes, 1984)
Len Shorey	....	sound (3 episodes, 1987)
Tony Philpot	....	sound (2 episodes, 1987)
Alan Cooper	....	sound (1 episode, 1982)

Series Visual Effects by
Steve Lucas	....	visual effects designer (9 episodes, 1986-1988)
Colin Gorry	....	visual effects designer / visual effects supervisor (6 episodes, 1987)
Robert Thomas	....	visual effects designer (6 episodes, 1988)
Ted Grumbt	....	visual effects (5 episodes, 1984)
Colin Mapson	....	visual effects (2 episodes, 1985)
Peter Wragg	....	visual effects (1 episode, 1982)

Series Stunts
Bernard Barnsley	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Stuart Fell	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Chrissy Monk	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Denise Ryan	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Nick Wilkinson	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Duncan Brown	....	lighting technician / lighting director (31 episodes, 1982-1988)
Ken Major	....	camera supervisor / camera operator (28 episodes, 1984-1988)
Stuart Lindley	....	camera supervisor (7 episodes, 1988)
Alan Jeffery	....	lighting technician (4 episodes, 1986-1987)
Garth Tucker	....	senior camera operator (1 episode, 1982)

Series Editorial Department
Angela Beveridge	....	vision mixer (39 episodes, 1982-1988)
Chris Wadsworth	....	editor: video tape (21 episodes, 1984-1988)
Phil Southby	....	editor: video tape (8 episodes, 1982-1987)
Roger Martin	....	editor: video tape (4 episodes, 1984-1985)
Ed Wooden	....	editor: video tape (3 episodes, 1987)
Chris Booth	....	editor: video tape (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Music Department
Roy Moore	....	music associate (1 episode, 1986)

Series Other crew
Bernadette Darnell	....	production team / production assistant (32 episodes, 1984-1988)
Roy Gould	....	production team (13 episodes, 1984-1987)
Jim Cook	....	technical coordinator (12 episodes, 1988)
Charles Garland	....	assistant floor manager / production team / ... (11 episodes, 1986-1988)
Arch Dyson	....	production team (10 episodes, 1985-1987)
Penny Thompson	....	production assistant / production team (7 episodes, 1982-1988)
Simon Spencer	....	production team (6 episodes, 1985)
Jackie Wright	....	production team (6 episodes, 1985)
John Gorringe	....	assistant floor manager (4 episodes, 1988)
Kenn Oldfield	....	choreographer / dance staged by (3 episodes, 1984-1987)
Sarah Gowers	....	assistant floor manager (2 episodes, 1988)
Richard Philipps	....	technical coordinator (2 episodes, 1988)
Barbara Jones	....	production team (1 episode, 1982)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1982-1992) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• BBC Video (worldwide) (video)
• Pan Vision Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (199?-) (Netherlands) (TV) (reruns) (RTL5) (RTL7)
• Tros Televisie (19??-????) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

UK:30 min (85 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | Finland:S | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Writer David Croft says that the inspiration for Officer Crabtree, the policeman (played by Arthur Bostrom) who speaks spectacularly bad French, came from Edward Heath, former British Prime Minister, who spoke French with a broad English accent. In real life, Arthur Bostrom speaks French fluently.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The sub-machine guns used by Michelle and the Resistance girls in various episodes are Stirlings, which were not produced until 1953.

Quotes:

Officer Crabtree: My lips are soiled.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Night of Comic Relief 2 (1989) (TV)

Hilarious British comedy

I'm not certain I've watched every episode of this show, but it sure is not for a lack of trying. The Brits have a tendency of(and a talent for) turning unpleasant historical events into the subject of satirical shows. The BlackAdder series covered many of Britain's greatest blunders through the last thousand years or so. This deals with WWII, using the setting of a small, occupied town in France, and spoofing basically any kind of person you might meet there... all the people and all the nationalities are covered. You'll meet Frenchmen, Brits, Germans, Russians, yes, even an Italian or two(actually... make that one). The humor is a good mix between the typically crude and silly humor of Benny Hill(complete with ending some episodes with people chasing each other in a farcical manner), and the more witty, verbal humor of shows such as the aforementioned BlackAdder series. There's even a tad of black comedy, mostly delivered by the undertaker, Monsieur Alfonse. It steers almost entirely clear of gross-out comedy, something that turned up in last-mentioned show(even if it didn't become terribly apparent before the last two seasons). The characters are well-written(if somewhat thin) and humorous. Though most of them are clichés, they are surprisingly easy to tell apart... their particular gag, their "schtick" is uniquely theirs. And though they are repeated throughout the series, the jokes hold up exceptionally well. You find yourself quoting characters years after you saw the episode where the line appeared, and some scenes stick in your mind for ages. The reason the stereotypical jokes work is that they hit the mark... every single one of them. You have the somewhat whiny German officers who didn't really *want* to be officers, but, as one remarks, "It's Hitler... he's a very demanding man." You have the small-time café owner who just wants to stay in business, but still lights up some at the thought of fighting for his countrymen, of being considered "the bravest man in all of France." We have Arthur Bostrom as the British undercover agent who couldn't speak French to save his life(parodying the difficulty of learning that language) is always fun, even if his lines and jokes are mostly derived from his mispronunciation, and therefore can hardly be claimed to be anything but silly(though there are moments of clever puns). Richard Gibson, as the eternally stiff, never-affected-emotionally Gestapo officer(who just happens to contain parts of various famous German officers, and even Hitler himself) is my personal favorite, in the role that always begets laughter. And Guy Siner must be mentioned... never has one character begotten so many jokes about sexuality. German discipline, French passion, Italian flashiness and British cheeriness are all expertly spoofed. The verbal comedy is masterful. Anyone not from Britain(and even there, it's not just anyone) needs an excellent grip on the British language. On that note... with how many different approaches there are to handling different languages(ignoring it, having the actors do accents, subbing and dubbing), I think this takes the cake, at least for me. No word of anything but English is spoken here. To distinguish, they simply have the (British) actors put on an accent according to which language they're supposed to be speaking(no H at the beginning of any word for the French, Z's instead of S's for the Germans, and A at the end of various words for the Italian, etc.). This is established in the very pilot, where both the Brits and the Frenchmen determine that they don't understand a word of what the other group is speaking. The British is all exaggerated British, as well... imitating the way the Brits sound to anyone who don't hear them too often. They're making an effort to help the viewer tell the nationalities apart, whilst flaunting the fact that they all speak the same language. Marvelous. The plot lines are intricate(but never overly complicated), and always filled with mix-ups and sitcom-like mishaps. The great thing is that in every episode(at least to my knowledge), you are treated to a minute or two of a character(typically René, the lead) explaining the current situation, complete with mix-ups. You can join the show at any point(though it's always the best to watch them in the right order, and as many as you can get near). The rich scenery of many episodes is quite a high-point, as well... BlackAdder, from the second season and onwards was always on sets, occasionally average-at-best ones. They flaunt that fact, similarly to how this flaunts the language difference(or lack thereof). Only the first season of BlackAdder had outdoor scenes(and let's face it, no matter how you look at it, the cinematography wasn't exactly brilliant). This has many outdoor scenes, complete with vehicles and surroundings that fit the time it is set in. That helps sell the setting and time period very well. This was a great show that almost attained excellence, were it not for a few bugging points... the occasional overdone or overly repeated gag, the few episodes which just aren't that funny, one or two characters that were somewhat one-note jokes(and not all that good ones, at that), and such. And replacing Gibson... even for the last few episodes... that, in my opinion, was a very big mistake. However, if you do catch this show and find it funny, I definitely suggest watching the whole thing through. Not only is the vast majority of episodes excellent, but the very ending, the last few minutes of the finale are marvelous. Perfect way to end the show. I recommend this to any fan of British humor, both verbal and the Benny Hill variation, as well as black comedy, and anyone looking to laugh at the second World War. Priceless entertainment. 8/10