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'Allo 'Allo |
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1984 - 1992 UK (BBC) Seasons 8 Episodes 86 BBC2 2007 UK (BBC) Seasons 1 Episodes 1
René Artois Gordon Kaye Edith Artois Carmen Silvera Michelle Kirsten Cooke Yvette Vicki Michelle Maria Francesca Conshaw Mimi La Bonc Sue Hodge Fanny Rose Hill Le Clerc Jack Haigh/Derek Royle/Robin Parkinson Officer Crabtree Arthur Bostrom Monsieur Alfonse Kenneth Connor Colonel von Strohm Richard Marner Captain Hans Geering Sam Kelly Herr Otto Flick Richard Gibson, David Janson Private Helga Geerhart Kim Hartman Lt. Hubert Gruber Guy Siner Von Smallhausen John Louis Mansi General Erich von Klinkerhoffen Hilary Minister Cap Alberto Bertorelli Gavin Richards/ Roger Kitter |
Rene is unhappily married to Edith but keeps himself busy by tending the bar and with his two sexy waitresses, Yvette and Maria! All hell breaks loose when the French Resistance decided to take over the Café and use it as a safe house for two bumbling English airmen!
Our hero has to try to hide the men from the Germans, who also use his Café cum knocking shop! The town is run by Colonel Von Strohm and his dimwit assistant, Captain Hans Geering, who soon find out about the airmen but stay quiet as Rene has one or two secrets about the men and their liking of the two waitress, wet celery and flying helmets... we won't even mention the Large Sausage, The Cuckoo Clock and the painting of the Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies!
There were two arched enemies in the town, the evil, leather trench-coated Herr Flick, the Gestapo chief and Von Strohm's boss, General Von Klinkerhoffen.
Other notable characters included the vampish Helga Geerhart, who would spend most of the episode in her basque, mainly due to the orders of Herr Flick! Then there was the introduction of Lt. Gruber who seemed to have a small crush on Rene!
Back at the Café, and stuffed unceremoniously in the loft was Edith's mother Fanny. Meanwhile, back downstairs, piano player and local hustler, Le Clerc would be on hand to bugger things up. Then there was the mysterious, Resistance leader, Michelle, who would appear from no where to make Rene's life even more complicated then it was!
As the series progress, Maria was sent to England by accident and was replaced by Hitler in a dress, aka as Mimi Le Bonc. The Italian's were also represented by Capt. Bertorelli and there was the introduction of veteran Carry On actor, Kenneth Conner as the local undertaker with the 'dicky ticker'. Finally who could forget the British spy, Officer Crabtree with the awful French accent?
The series was different to most sitcoms as it was written as an ongoing drama, with the plots getting dafter and dafter as the series went on.
Personally, I found the show a great tonic and, like most, remember some of the cast's best lines off by heart:
Edith: Rene? What are you doing in the arms of that girl? Rene: You stupid woman! Yvette: Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrene! Fanny: The knobs... they are flashing! Le Clerc: It is I, Le Clerc! Officer Crabtree: Good Moaning! I was just pissing by your window! Monsieur Alfonse: The small 'earse with the small 'orse. Herr Otto Flick: No! I said Flick the Gestapo! Private Helga Geerhart: BRING HIM IN HERE! Captain Alberto Bertorelli: Whata mistaka to maka!
An one-off, 90 minute tribute show aired in 2007 on BBC2 called The Return of 'Allo 'Allo. It was filmed in front of a live studio audience and focused upon Rene, who was writing wartime diaries. The show celebrated the series success both in the UK and around the world. Some of the old cast popped up during the show, either on screen as themselves or on set as their character. Sadly, some of the core cast, such as Carmen Silvera, Richard Marner and Kenneth Conner have since died, but their memories lived on in this warm tribute to an old family favourite.
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Credits Jason D'Arcy ©TV Fetish 2006-2007 |
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