Underplayed Gems

'Allo 'Allo! (1982)

'Allo 'Allo! poster
Directed by
Susan Belbin, Richard Boden, Mike Stephens, David Croft
Genre
comedy television series
Country
United Kingdom
Length
9 seasons, 86 episodes
Rated
TV-PG
Rating
7.8 of 10 from 267 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More series like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

This is a British sitcom parody set in World War II occupied France. It follows a cafe owner who juggles a stolen painting, a pair of British airmen, and the romantic advances of his waitresses while trying to keep his wife in the dark. The show uses broad humor and catchphrases to spoof wartime dramas.

zanywhimsicalcampyfast-pacedlightheartedplayfulsillyirreverentperiod farce

What happens

'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring (among others) Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Vicki Michelle, Richard Marner, Guy Siner, Kim Hartman and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1, the series focuses on the life of a French café owner in the town of Nouvion, during the German occupation of France in World War II, in which he deals with problems from a dishonest German officer, local French Resistance, the handling of a stolen painting and a pair of trapped British airmen, all while concealing from his wife the affairs he is having with his waitresses. Croft and Lloyd devised the concept as a parody of BBC wartime drama Secret Army and initially launched the programme with a pilot on 30 December 1982. The sitcom was eventually commissioned following the success of the pilot and ran for nine series between 7 September 1984 until its conclusion on 14 December 1992. Both Lloyd and Croft wrote the scripts for the first six series, while the remainder were handled by Lloyd and Paul Adam. Much like previous sitcoms created by Croft and Lloyd, the programme employed notable elements such as memorable catchphrases and ending credits, cultural clichés, physical humour and visual gags. However, 'Allo 'Allo! differed from these other sitcoms by featuring overarching plot lines rather than simple stand-alone stories, as well as the device of having actors speaking English but with theatrical foreign accents to distinguish each character's nationality. The sitcom gained strong ratings during its run, with its success leading to it receiving stage show reproductions. A special entitled The Return of 'Allo 'Allo!, aired on 22 March 2007, featured cast members returning to reprise their original roles to perform in a special story after the conclusion of the programme. It was accompanied by a documentary about the sitcom, including a highlight reel of episodes and interviews with the cast, production team and fans. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.