By Judith Saiz
'Allo 'Allo!
UK, BBC, Sitcom, colour, 1982
UK, BBC, Sitcom, colour, 1982
Starring: Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Vicki Michell
'Allo 'Allo! was a direct-hit domestic sitcom and huge international success that made a star out of its lead, the funny and talented actor Gorden Kaye
In 'Allo 'Allo! Kaye played René Artois, a café owner in the town of Nouvion who becomes unwittingly involved with the resistance when they use his establishment as a centre from which to hatch plans to smuggle two British airmen back to Blighty. This adds complications to René's life which is already convoluted enough: he is married to Edith, a formidable woman who entertains in the café by singing (badly), but like all good comedy Frenchman he is also enjoying a passionate affair. The object of his lust is the beautiful Yvette, a leggy waitress at the café. Much mirth is caused by their constant attempts to steal a few precious moments alone, which they rarely achieve without coming close to being rumbled. René himself is the target of the unwanted attentions of the fey Lieutenant Gruber, aide-de-camp to the Gestapo's Herr Flick. The patronage of Flick and other Germans causes René further problems when resistance agent Michelle embroils him in her (often ludicrous) secret plans.
The show had serial elements, and the sheer number of episodes, 85 in total, meant that similar themes often surfaced. Early on in the series, to escape the wrath of the SS, René fakes his own death and continues through the remainder of the episodes as his own fictitious twin brother. This deception prompts aged lothario Monsieur Alfonse into pursuing René's 'widow', with a view to marriage. Other characters in the show include the fat, thick German Von Strohm and his colleague Hans Geering; ice queen Helga, Herr Flick's right-hand-woman; diminutive waitress Mimi La Bonque; and Edith's mother Fanny 'Fifi' Lafanne, who eventually marries Leclerc. David Janson appeared as Hitler in an episode of series eight and he returned to the cast for series nine, this time taking over the role of Herr Flick.
The show had a cunning method of dealing with language problems. French characters spoke their native tongue with pantomime-style exaggerated French accents, but when they spoke English they adopted equally exaggerated posh Oxford accents. The English characters spoke English normally, but when they spoke French it was with a poor, almost incomprehensible cod French accent. 'Allo 'Allo! proved hugely popular almost from the start. Making the most of this, the fifth series extended to a massive 26 episodes, intended - unsuccessfully - to attract the US market. (The BBC boasted that this was the first time such a long haul had been attempted in the UK, overlooking the longer runs mounted by “THE ARNY GAME”and SNUDGE) 'Allo 'Allo! ended in 1992 as the war approached its end and the town was liberated.
In 'Allo 'Allo! Kaye played René Artois, a café owner in the town of Nouvion who becomes unwittingly involved with the resistance when they use his establishment as a centre from which to hatch plans to smuggle two British airmen back to Blighty. This adds complications to René's life which is already convoluted enough: he is married to Edith, a formidable woman who entertains in the café by singing (badly), but like all good comedy Frenchman he is also enjoying a passionate affair. The object of his lust is the beautiful Yvette, a leggy waitress at the café. Much mirth is caused by their constant attempts to steal a few precious moments alone, which they rarely achieve without coming close to being rumbled. René himself is the target of the unwanted attentions of the fey Lieutenant Gruber, aide-de-camp to the Gestapo's Herr Flick. The patronage of Flick and other Germans causes René further problems when resistance agent Michelle embroils him in her (often ludicrous) secret plans.
The show had serial elements, and the sheer number of episodes, 85 in total, meant that similar themes often surfaced. Early on in the series, to escape the wrath of the SS, René fakes his own death and continues through the remainder of the episodes as his own fictitious twin brother. This deception prompts aged lothario Monsieur Alfonse into pursuing René's 'widow', with a view to marriage. Other characters in the show include the fat, thick German Von Strohm and his colleague Hans Geering; ice queen Helga, Herr Flick's right-hand-woman; diminutive waitress Mimi La Bonque; and Edith's mother Fanny 'Fifi' Lafanne, who eventually marries Leclerc. David Janson appeared as Hitler in an episode of series eight and he returned to the cast for series nine, this time taking over the role of Herr Flick.
The show had a cunning method of dealing with language problems. French characters spoke their native tongue with pantomime-style exaggerated French accents, but when they spoke English they adopted equally exaggerated posh Oxford accents. The English characters spoke English normally, but when they spoke French it was with a poor, almost incomprehensible cod French accent. 'Allo 'Allo! proved hugely popular almost from the start. Making the most of this, the fifth series extended to a massive 26 episodes, intended - unsuccessfully - to attract the US market. (The BBC boasted that this was the first time such a long haul had been attempted in the UK, overlooking the longer runs mounted by “THE ARNY GAME”and SNUDGE) 'Allo 'Allo! ended in 1992 as the war approached its end and the town was liberated.
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