'Allo 'Allo - Series 1 And 2 (Box Set) (DVD)

This is the first two series of the 1980s-90s comedy series. Inoffensive, fun and in the style of Dad's Army. It works well and follows the old rule:

If you want to make sure a series doesn't age - set it in the past. That way it's already aged so what does it matter'

Below is a synopsis and some details about the characters. I haven't given full episode plots as that would ruin the series for anyone who hasn't seen ...
...run by Rene Artois. Not only is he a cafe owner but also the provider of 'entertainment' for the German army, hider of valuable paintings for the German colonel and an unwilling member of the resistance.

He is married to Edith who thinks herself the best cabaret singer ever, but as Rene says, 'my wife who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket'

Rene and his mother-in-law, Mme Fanny, have a love/hate relationship. That is ... more

This is the first two series of the 1980s-90s comedy series. Inoffensive, fun and in the style of Dad's Army. It works well and follows the old rule:

If you want to make sure a series doesn't age - set it in the past. That way it's already aged so what does it matter'

Below is a synopsis and some details about the characters. I haven't given full episode plots as that would ruin the series for anyone who hasn't seen it.

The local Cafe in Nouvion is run by Rene Artois. Not only is he a cafe owner but also the provider of 'entertainment' for the German army, hider of valuable paintings for the German colonel and an unwilling member of the resistance.

He is married to Edith who thinks herself the best cabaret singer ever, but as Rene says, 'my wife who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket'

Rene and his mother-in-law, Mme Fanny, have a love/hate relationship. That is they love to hate each other. Mme Fanny is normally in bed in the attic and normally is always shouting for attention and banging her stick. Whenever the Germans are mentioned she always spits 3 times. She is very fond of gin, wine, brandy well anything with alcohol really.

M. Leclerk is the forger and safe breaker who was broken out of jail by the resistance so he can make forged papers for the British airmen. He is also the piano player for Mme Edith's cabaret. Also he was a former lover of Mme Fanny, Edith's mother. He is a bit of a bungling fool and is one of the best characters in the series.

The waitresses Yvette and Maria are both madly in love with Rene and they are both having an affair with him. They are the 'entertainment' for the Germans in return for things like butter, sugar, paraffin and petrol as these are more valuable than money.

Michelle is the leader of the resistance and is always coming up with ludicrous plans to get the airmen back home, naturally the all go wrong.

Colonel van Strom is supposed to be in charge of the town but he isn't doing a very good job. He is hardly honest and is determined to keep the painting of the 'fallen Madonna with the big boobies' for himself

Captain Hans Gering is the colonels assistant and his main excuse for things going wrong are that he was only following orders.

Left Tenant Gruber the camp ADC to the General he considers himself to be Rene's friend and is often torn between warning Rene and following orders. He is often also playing the piano and singing in the cafe and is far better than Edith.

Herr Flick - the gestapo officer who arrives to obtain the painting of the 'fallen Madonna with the big boobies' for Hitler. He is the god son of Himmler and power mad.

Private Helga - secretary to the colonel and Herr Flick 'bit of stuff' spies on both the colonel and Flick and keeps both informed what the other is doing.

Later in the first two series M Alfonce the undertaker and admirer of Mme Edith and Officer Crabtree - otherwise known as 'that British idiot who thinks he can speak French' are introduced.

The first two series centers on Rene running the cafe and trying to help the resistance, lead by Michelle, get two British airmen back to Britain. The plans are totally insane and they never work leaving Rene the job of hiding the airmen in his cafe which has as it's best customers are three German officers. To keep in contact with London the resistance use a radio which just happens to be hidden under Rene's mother-in-laws bed.

Also thrown into the plot is a valuable painting 'The fallen Madonna with the big boobies by van Klomp' which should have been sent to Hitler but the Colonel has decided to keep it for himself and who better to hide it for him than Rene? Along with several forgeries of the painting and Herr Flick after it as well it is hard to keep track of where the real one is.

During the first series General Klinkerhoffen (not a regular until series 3) decides Rene should be shot for his part in blowing up a railway line. The Colonel and Captain know they need Rene and so swap dummy bullets for the real ones. With Rene officially dead he has to now pretend to be his own twin brother. This means he is now officially available to get married. Edith, Yvette and Maria all decide it is their turn. But when Edith finds Rene's will, which left (almost) everything to her Rene knows he will have to re-marry Edith to get his cafe back.

Rene's problem is that the Colonel knows he is hiding British airman and that Rene knows the resistance but keeps quiet about it in order to have some control over Rene and make him hide the paintings for him and to do certain other jobs as well.

Michelle always uses M LeClerc to bring things like batteries and dynamite into the cafe for Rene to hide for the resistance. The main problem with this is that M LeClerc is not very good at disguises and as Rene remarks 'the man of 1000 faces, everyone the same. '

The most common running joke is when Mme Edith finds Rene hugging one of the waitresses. Whenever she demands an explanation Rene always replies 'You Stupid woman......' then gives an explanation that no woman in her right mind would believe, but Edith always does. 

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