'Allo 'Allo!

This article is about the comedy programme 'Allo 'Allo. For the 2005 song by Ilona, see Allô, Allô. For the reality TV series Allo Allo! Brits in France, see Channel 5 (British TV channel) programming.

'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo! intertitle of "Puddings Can Go Off"
GenreSitcom
Created by
Written by
  • Jeremy Lloyd
  • David Croft (1982–1989)
  • Paul Adam (1991–1992)
Directed by
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series9
No. of episodes85 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
  • David Croft
  • Mike Stephens
  • John B. Hobbs
Running timeAppx 25–45 mins
Production companyBBC
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release30 December 1982 (1982-12-30) –
14 December 1992 (1992-12-14)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd,[1] starring Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1,[2] the series focuses on the life of a French café owner in the town of Nouvion,[2] 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] Both Lloyd and Croft wrote the scripts for the first six series, while the remainder were handled by Lloyd and Paul Adam.[6] 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.[7] 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.[7]

The sitcom gained respectable ratings during its run, with its success leading to it receiving stage show reproductions.[8] 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.[9]

  1. ^ Williamson, Marcus (25 December 2014). "Jeremy Lloyd: Actor and writer who teamed up with David Croft for two comedy classics, 'Are You Being Served?' and ''Allo 'Allo!'". The Independent. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b Guide, British Comedy. "'Allo 'Allo! - BBC1 Sitcom". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  3. ^ Marcus, Laurence. "'Allo, 'Allo". Television Heaven. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. ^ "'Allo 'Allo: classic moments and Gorden Kaye's best bits as Rene". The Telegraph. 23 January 2017. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. ^ "'Allo 'Allo! comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd dies at the age of 84". BBC News. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  6. ^ "10 things you didn't know about 'Allo 'Allo! | 'Allo 'Allo! | Gold". gold.uktv.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b BBC. "'Allo 'Allo!". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Allo Allo". vicki-michelle. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Return of Allo Allo". vicki-michelle. Retrieved 9 October 2022.