Alo Alo

Stalingrad · Post by **Stalingrad** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:21 pm

Hello, what do you people here at the forum think about "Alo Alo" or what its called( you know, René and Gruber, the british airmen, and the italian officer "What a mistaka to maka"? I think it´s quite funny.. but what are your thoughts about it?

Rolf Steiner · Post by **Rolf Steiner** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:16 pm

what people tend to forget about that programme is that it started life as a p*ss take of a far more worthwhile programme, the BBC french resistance drama 'Secret Army', which starred Bernard Hepton (I think he'd played the german camp commander in the colditz series previously) and the ever-sinister Clifford Rose (from the series 'Callan') as local gestapo head Kessler (can't remember his first name, hopefully not 'Leo'!). Secret Army was a very successful and popular drama in it's day, and for all Kessler's creepiness, handled its german protagonists in a fairly intelligent way. However, Allo Allo's success some years later eclipsed it, and Secret Army was all but forgotten in it's wake. I didn't think Allo Allo had the wit that previous wartime comedies Dad's Army, or even It Ain't Half Hot Mum had - I'm not sure if it originated from the same writers.... anyhow, for my money, it relied too much on repetition of catchphrases, and I always found their use of a gestapo officer as a comedic device slightly iffy... I suppose in Mel Brooks hands herr flick might have worked, but the gestapo as tea-time TV fun-fodder... hmmm, I dunno. You'd need to be goddam funny to pull that off, and I didn't think allo allo quite got there.

still, that's just my take on it, there's thousands more who loved it! I did once meet one of the stars, Vicky Michelle, who without that excruciating comedy french accent was fairly charming I have to say.

Oh, there was a spin-off series after Secret Army, called Kessler, concerning the former gestapo man's post-war cat and mouse games with various mossad types. It wasn't as successful, I think war related stuff was going slightly out-of vogue by then.

That's just reminded me of another war related comedy that wasn't so bad, it was called 'Private Schultz' and starred michael elphick. Abwehr yank a hapless conman from prison and parachute him into england with a big case of forged banknotes in order to cause mischief with britain's economy. he screws it all up, but goes back after the war to try to retrieve the notes. he screws this up as well. dunno if it would stand up now, but it was fun at the time.

David W · Post by **David W** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:12 am

I thoroughly enjoyed 'Allo 'Allo at the time, but its not one of those enduring comedies that I could watch again and again for many years to come, like say Fawlty Towers.

Vicky Michelle & the actress from Crossroads with hand whisk & celery, what a fantasy

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:24 am

Hi Stalingrad,

I don't think the humour of "'Allo, 'Allo" is particularly witty.

However, its strong point is that it treats all nationalities as equally idiotic charicatures. The British Airmen or Crabtree are every bit as ludicrous as the French, German or Italian characters.

Cheers

Sod (as Crabtree would mispronounce my name.)

waldorf · Post by **waldorf** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:01 pm

The British comedy about WWII I always enjoyed was the one portraying the Home Guard. My favorite character on it was the butcher who was a veteran of either the Boer War or Sudan, I can't remember which.

I do remember laughing my head off during the episode when a group of the guard were in a rubber dhingy attempting to bring in a downed Luftwaffe air man. About half-way the butcher decided to fix bayonets and chaos took over from there.

As far as the funniest British comedy, I am torn between Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served, and Benny Hill?

Chris

The Chief · Post by **The Chief** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:09 am

Well for "Allo Allo," the episodes are hit or miss...With Season 1 it takes a while for the plot to develope, and it definatly takes a certain kind of humor to appreciate. My favorite character would have to be the Policeman though, speaking bad English with a lowsy French accent. I will admit though, I always wanted to know what would happen in the next episode.
The show was created and written by the same people who created "Are You Being Served."
For the best British TV show..."Coupling"...Definatly "Coupling."

-Richard C. Mente

Liam · Post by **Liam** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:08 am

what people tend to forget about that programme is that it started life as a p*ss take of a far more worthwhile programme, the BBC french resistance drama 'Secret Army', which starred Bernard Hepton (I think he'd played the german camp commander in the colditz series previously) and the ever-sinister Clifford Rose (from the series 'Callan') as local gestapo head Kessler (can't remember his first name, hopefully not 'Leo'!). Secret Army was a very successful and popular drama in it's day, and for all Kessler's creepiness, handled its german protagonists in a fairly intelligent way. However, Allo Allo's success some years later eclipsed it, and Secret Army was all but forgotten in it's wake. I didn't think Allo Allo had the wit that previous wartime comedies Dad's Army, or even It Ain't Half Hot Mum had - I'm not sure if it originated from the same writers.... anyhow, for my money, it relied too much on repetition of catchphrases, and I always found their use of a gestapo officer as a comedic device slightly iffy... I suppose in Mel Brooks hands herr flick might have worked, but the gestapo as tea-time TV fun-fodder... hmmm, I dunno. You'd need to be goddam funny to pull that off, and I didn't think allo allo quite got there.

still, that's just my take on it, there's thousands more who loved it! I did once meet one of the stars, Vicky Michelle, who without that excruciating comedy french accent was fairly charming I have to say.

Oh, there was a spin-off series after Secret Army, called Kessler, concerning the former gestapo man's post-war cat and mouse games with various mossad types. It wasn't as successful, I think war related stuff was going slightly out-of vogue by then.

That's just reminded me of another war related comedy that wasn't so bad, it was called 'Private Schultz' and starred michael elphick. Abwehr yank a hapless conman from prison and parachute him into england with a big case of forged banknotes in order to cause mischief with britain's economy. he screws it all up, but goes back after the war to try to retrieve the notes. he screws this up as well. dunno if it would stand up now, but it was fun at the time.

I quite agree. Secret Army was extemely well done. The 'hero' of the series was not purely lily white and clearly had profit as a motive for his resistance work along with patriotism. The Germans were as clever and professional as many Gestapo/Abwehr men undoubtedly were and it was made clear that resistance work was very dangerous indeed. Not just the Germans but your own people were sometimes your worst enemies. As for 'Private Schultz' - very funny. Although it was certainly criticised at the time for having an SS man (however reluctant) as its hero. Great performance by Ian Richardson as his Heydrich-like boss, as I recall.

Pirx · Post by **Pirx** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:28 pm

If someone calls and you pick up the phone you can say: "It's me, Le Clerck".

this is very popular movie in Poland

awaygood · Post by **awaygood** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:35 am

Many people believe that `Allo `Allo! was a comedy about the French Resistance and, therefore, is in bad taste. As one of your respondents points out, it was, in fact, a spoof of 'Secret Army', a serialised drama about a Belgian (not French) escape line, televised in the late `70s. Out of interest, 'Secret Army' has recently been released in full on DVD as has its successor, 'Kessler'. The former stands up well in comparison with modern productions and is well worth seeing. The latter is, in my opinion, much weaker and a somewhat unlikely story.
Crabtree, the British spy 'disgeezed as a palooceman', incidentally, speaks French, not English, but badly mispronounces his words ("I was pissing by your coffe, and thought I'd pop in for a drunk.").
Our drama group, here in Abu Dhabi, has just started rehearsals for 'Allo `Allo! If the performances go down as well with the audience as the auditions did with the cast, then I anticipate that "there won't be a dry seat in the house!"

waldorf · Post by **waldorf** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 6:15 pm

T.S. Allen,

Who could ever forget Hyacinth Bucket (I mean bouquet) and her hand painted periwinkle (??) china?

Regards,

Chris

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:37 pm

All.....

LMAO
this all from people whos last decent comedy was "Taxi"! lol lol

"Secret Army" was, tho lauded at the time and it may hold up as a quality production now, a product of a changeover period within the BBC in the mid '70s when the corporation was forced away from wartime drama. Remember, Secret Army came from the same production team that only a few years before had given you the wonderful "Colditz". It was a way of making a "european/EU" war drama series without aggravating anyone!And so made the best of mediocracy

The SADDEST thing was that Allo Allo - The Pisstake lasted SO long, I think it - like Dad's Army - lasted longer than the bloody war did!

phylo

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:52 am

I have seen Allo Allo in a TV programme on a plane some years ago, and the German officers portrayed in it are not that bad, at least they aren't porrayed as monsters and the comedy is not made for P-C purposes, although it has a few sterotypes, like the Gestapo officer standing Germanic stuff and saying 'You may kiss me now" or sometihng like that. Also, the Gestapo auxilary woman named "Helga" or something like that was very funny!

cheers,

Kevin

Rolf Steiner · Post by **Rolf Steiner** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:47 pm

ok, anyone else remember the BBC drama 'forgive our foolish ways', circa 1981? Widowed Brit schoolmistress (I think) falls in love with German POW chap who's on loan to the school as a dogsbody at the end of the war. To much disapproval. Weren't bad as I recall. Included the obligatory brit/german duet of 'Silent Night', naturally.

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 2:51 pm

Dont remember that but there was an episode of "All Creautures Great and Small" about Yorkshire vets (vetranarians, shud say lol) that featured a Russian Cossack who'd been captured fighting for the Germans and who while employed on a local farm found and looked after an injured hawk. A lot of James Herriot's wartime experiences were written into his books, so anyone know if this was a true story?

phylo