'Allo 'Allo!

'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.