Series synopsis
'Allo 'Allo! is a British comedy war & politics television series that premiered on BBC One on September 7, 1984. It ended on December 14, 1992. It was created by David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd. It stars Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Vicki Michelle and Richard Marner.
The misadventures of hapless cafe owner René Artois and his escapades with the Resistance in occupied France.
Premise
The misadventures of hapless cafe owner René Artois and his escapades with the Resistance in occupied France.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Gorden Kaye as René Artois
- Carmen Silvera as Edith Artois
- Vicki Michelle as Yvette Carte-Blanche
- Richard Marner as Colonel Kurt von Strohm
- Kim Hartman as Private Helga Geerhart
- Guy Siner as Lieutenant Hubert Gruber
- Kirsten Cooke as Michelle Dubois
- Rose Hill as Madame Fanny
Supporting cast
- Jack Haig as Roger Leclerc
- Kenneth Connor as Monsieur Alfonse
- Arthur Bostrom as Officer Crabtree
- Richard Gibson as Herr Otto Flick
- Hilary Minster as General Erich von Klinkerhoffen
- John D. Collins as Flying Officer Fairfax
- Nicholas Frankau as Flying Officer Carstairs
- Sam Kelly as Captain Hans Geering
- Sue Hodge as Mimi Labonq
- Francesca Gonshaw as Maria Recamier
- Gavin Richards as Captain Alberto Bertorelli
- John Louis Mansi as Herr Engelbert von Smallhausen
Guest cast
- David Janson as Herr Otto Flick
- David Griffin as Submarine Commander
- Harriet Thorpe as Ethel
- Stanley Lebor as Gypsy Leader
- Michael Sheard as Goering's Double
- Jack Hedley as General von Karzibrot
- Cheryl Fergison as Desiree
- Peter Bradshaw as 'London Calling' (voice)
- Graham Seed as Pilot
- Robert East as Wing Commander Blenkinsop
- Kim Wall as German Sentry
- Ann Michelle as First Communist Girl
Episodes
This series spans 10 seasons with 91 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 9 | December 30, 1982 | April 28, 2007 |
| Season 1 | 7 | September 7, 1984 | October 26, 1984 |
| Season 2 | 6 | October 21, 1985 | December 26, 1985 |
| Season 3 | 6 | December 5, 1986 | January 9, 1987 |
| Season 4 | 6 | November 7, 1987 | December 12, 1987 |
| Season 5 | 26 | September 3, 1988 | February 25, 1989 |
| Season 6 | 8 | September 2, 1989 | October 21, 1989 |
| Season 7 | 10 | January 5, 1991 | March 16, 1991 |
| Season 8 | 7 | January 12, 1992 | March 1, 1992 |
| Season 9 | 6 | November 9, 1992 | December 14, 1992 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The British Are Coming (Pilot) René Artois, owner of the Café René in the French village of Nouvion, is 'persuaded' by the Resistance to hide two escaping British airmen. René is more interested in having affairs with his two waitresses without his wife finding out. The Germans, who are occupying the village, are busy looting anything valuable. |
December 30, 1982 |
| 2 |
The Gâteau from the Château (Christmas Special 1985) The airmen's escape is thwarted by Nazi gunfire, and the air balloon crashes into Madame Fanny's bedroom. General Von Klinkerhoffen takes command of Nouvion and orders Colonel Von Strohm to woo Edith in order to infiltrate the Resistance. The Colonel soon delegates the duty to Captain Hans Geering. Herr Flick plots the death of the General by poisoned dart, with Helga assigned to do the fatal deed. The Colonel and the Captain plan to poison the General's wine with a lethal pill, whilst Michelle has Edith make a Black Forest Gateau packed with dynamite. |
December 26, 1985 |
| 3 |
A Bun in the Oven (Christmas Special 1991) Two years have passed. The airmen have finally escaped to England and Captain Bertorelli and his Italian troops have gone home. René thinks life is now relatively peaceful. Then Yvette announces that she's pregnant. Colonel Von Strohm and Lieutenant Gruber get Helga to steal the painting of the Fallen Madonna from Herr Flick. She cuts off one of the boobies and keeps it, to make sure that she'll get her 'cut' when the painting is sold. |
December 24, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The British 'ave Come The Colonel and the Captain mull over their situation and decide they should probably hand over René and the painting to the Gestapo in order to get rid of Herr Flick. But René convinces them that they could hand over a forged copy of the painting instead (with the assistance of a conveniently-located forger), and gets them to lend their uniforms to the escaping British airmen so they can take the painting to England to be forged. Meanwhile, everyone keeps handing René poison pills "to make it easier", Herr Flick decides his relationship with Helga should include an intimate dinner in Rene's back room, and Hans figures out that putting cheese in one's ears improves the sound of Madame Edith's singing. |
September 7, 1984 |
| 2 |
Pigeon Post After the Colonel's and the Captain's uniforms are borrowed by the British airmen, and later burned, they have to send for replacements. Supplied by Michelle are carrier pigeons, which Madame Edith accidentally cooks and serves to Herr Otto Flick. |
September 14, 1984 |
| 3 |
Saville Row to the Rescue The Colonel, the Captain and Herr Flick are all disguised as onion sellers while the German uniforms are being remade by the Jewish tailors of London. Michelle delivers a bottle of nitro-glycerin disguised as a bottle of Bols Gin to hide in the café until they come to fetch it that night to blow up a German railway. |
September 21, 1984 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Six Big Boobies After the British airmen are gone for good – or so René thinks – there is still the problem of Herr Flick owning all three copies of the Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies (the original and two fakes), and while Herr Flick kidnaps Lieutenant Gruber (a former art house worker), the Colonel and the Captain start to plan their next move. All the while, René's widow Edith has found René's will, and being the sole beneficiary, goes on a spending spree with René's money to attract better suitors. And the British airmen return as nuns. They are last seen hidden in the piano. |
October 21, 1985 |
| 2 |
The Wooing of Widow Artois René is caught in a dilemma when he must choose between the women he loves: his waitresses Yvette and Maria, and his wife Edith, who, as his widow, has all his money. Unfortunately, he cannot bring himself to woo Edith again, so Edith seeks the attention that she can get from other suitors in town. |
October 28, 1985 |
| 3 |
The Policeman Cometh We pick up the action mere moments after the close of the previous episode, as the airmen-filled cow narrowly escapes being milked by a German patrol while awaiting the landing of the plane. As they watch in disappointment, the plane does not land, and instead jettisoning two parachutes, one of which yields a new escape package; the other, Officer Crabtree, sent from "British Ontelligence Headquitters". Disguised as a policeman, he is supposed to blend in. Unfortunately, his French is abominable, getting the vowels wrong as often as not. Meanwhile, the plan to blow up the non-painting-filled knockwurst on its way to Hitler has hit a snag: René can't find anyone to blow up the train. |
November 4, 1985 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Nicked Knockwurst After the Colonel makes René promise not to have further contact with the Resistance, Herr Flick's sausage (containing the forgery of the Fallen Madonna) is stolen by the Communist Resistance. The Colonel and the Captain are anxious that it isn't revealed that they have switched the paintings, and order René to come up with the ransom, which Edith gets from Monsieur Alphonse. The ransom is to be left by René and his staff, dressed as German soldiers. But the whole thing is watched by German soldiers dressed as French policemen, the Gestapo dressed as French Resistance girls, and the Colonel and the Captain dressed as trees. And of course, Lieutenant Gruber stumbles upon the meeting, and his dog can't help but chase the sausage. |
December 5, 1986 |
| 2 |
Gruber Does Some Mincing The sausage containing the painting of the Fallen Madonna, which was taken by Lieutenant Gruber's dog, is minced by the Lieutenant – but fortunately he discovers it first and saves it. At the same time, the missing knockwurst means that Monsieur Alphonse cannot get back the money which he lent to pay the ransom of the stolen sausage. The Resistance pays him back with Monsieur Leclerc's badly forged money. But after everything seems to be getting back to normal, the sausage is sent to Lieutenant Gruber to make another copy. Also, Michelle's latest plan to get the British airmen back is by an old plane with the engine from General Von Klinkerhoffen's motor mower. |
December 12, 1986 |
| 3 |
The Sausage in the Wardrobe After Maria is sent to Lieutenant Gruber with the sausage containing the real painting of the Fallen Madonna for copying, she is caught by General Von Klinkerhoffen, who places the sausage in his wardrobe and holds Maria hostage until his motor mower engine is returned by the Resistance. Herr Flick, the Colonel, the Captain and René hear about this and decide to go to the chateau through the secret passage and steal the sausage from under the General's nose, using Helga, Yvette and Lieutenant Gruber as a honey trap. |
December 19, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Prisoners of War Having been trapped in the POW camp, René is enlisted in the plan to re-dig the tunnel, by getting rid of the dirt. Von Strohm and Geering are playing cricket, though not very well, and Herr Flick and Von Smallhausen are digging their own tunnel into the camp. Monsieur Alphonse arrives at the café to report to Fanny the news that René has been captured, but René and company join in on the British prisoners' plan to escape – though it will free only one man. Meanwhile, Helga reports the situation to Gruber, and together they devise a plan to rescue the Colonel, the Captain and René - involving Gruber dressing as a nun! |
November 7, 1987 |
| 2 |
Camp Dance Dressed as girls from the Folies Bergère, the entire gang (the staff and the Germans) escape from the prisoner-of-war camp, and completely against plans bring the two British airmen with them. Outside again, the Colonel finds that the Captain is missing; only his glasses are found. Herr Flick and Von Smallhousen intercept a message from London and try to send their own, but René catches on and tosses the radio out of the window, which leaves the Resistance without a means to contact London, until Michelle suggests the radio in Lieutenant Gruber's little tank. |
November 14, 1987 |
| 3 |
Good Staff Are Hard to Find Since Maria's disappearance, the café needs another waitress, but René and Edith have somewhat different ideas about who should fill the position, but finally Michelle of the Resistance brings tiny Mimi from another cell to be René's bodyguard. In the meantime, General Von Klinkerhoffen gives the Colonel a new assistant - Italian liaison Captain Bertorelli. |
November 21, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Desperate Doings in the Dungeon Herr Flick is still held in the dungeons, and if he cracks he can divulge that the painting of the Fallen Madonna has been copied. That´s why he must be rescued by Helga, Von Smallhausen, and René - dressed as Himmler. The Colonel and the Lieutenant are ordered by the General to let Herr Flick die in a rescue attempt by the Resistance, but seeing the danger of getting caught in a crossfire, they dress up as Gestapo officers to rescue Herr Flick, only to find René chained up instead. |
September 3, 1988 |
| 2 |
The Camera in the Potato Starting off in women's underwear in the dungeons of the General's castle, René is rescued by Lieutenant Gruber, and comes back just in time to be briefed by Michelle of the Resistance about the camera which will be used to photograph the safe in the château. That night, Helga and the General are supposed to dine at Café René, but Helga is ordered away by Herr Flick, and the General has to endure Edith's "seduction" before he can get away. René can get into the château, but he doesn't know that the safe is in Lieutenant Gruber's room. |
September 10, 1988 |
| 3 |
Dinner with the General Leclerc and René plan to blow the safe in Lieutenant Gruber's bedroom. Edith's job is to drop a smoke canister down his chimney, but will she get the right one? |
September 17, 1988 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Desperate Doings in the Graveyard The latest escape plan for the British airmen involves them wading along the canal underneath a tin bath. Herr Flick and Von Smallhausen pose as escaped British airmen, hoping to be picked up by the Resistance. The Resistance have built a communication post in René's 'grave', in an effort to get around German jamming of their radio signals. René, Edith and Monsieur Alphonse try it out. René gets caught on the aerial and is hoisted above his 'grave'. Lieutenant Gruber sees him and thinks it's the ghost of René's 'twin brother'. |
September 2, 1989 |
| 2 |
The Gestapo for the High Jump The Gestapo and the Italians plan to infiltrate the Resistance. Little do they know that René and friends are waiting for them. |
September 9, 1989 |
| 3 |
The Nouvion Oars Private Helga Geerhart plans to marry Herr Flick in order to report his every move to General Von Klinkerhoffe |
September 16, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Quiet Honeymoon Newly-weds Fanny and Leclerc are sent to jail by the Germans for flying around in a bed attached to a balloon. Edith decides they have to be rescued - much to René's horror. But her plans are thwarted by a loose bed knob. |
January 5, 1991 |
| 2 |
An Almighty Bang The Colonel, Gruber and Bertorelli desperately try to stop General Von Flockenstoffen's suicidal plan to kidnap Churchill. |
January 12, 1991 |
| 3 |
Fleeing Monks René is to be given a collaboration medal for his help with the removal of Von Flockenstuffen. Unfortunately, this causes the Communist Resistance to place a price on his head. He decides once again to elope with Yvette. Michelle orders René to take the British airmen to the monastery to be picked up by a lightweight plane. Flick also learns of this news, and he and Von Smallhausen have themselves initiated into the brotherhood to gather information and capture the airmen. Unfortunately, René ends up grabbing Edith's hand instead of Yvette's, as the two are rushed aboard the plane bound for England. |
January 26, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arousing Suspicions René and company disguise themselves as Spanish dancers to recover some radio broadcasts. |
January 12, 1992 |
| 2 |
A Woman Never Lies Still searching for the Fallen Madonna, Herr Flick gives Helga a truth drug. |
January 19, 1992 |
| 3 |
Hitler's Last Heil It is René's birthday and he gets a series of surprises, not all of which are pleasant. |
January 26, 1992 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Gone with the Windmill The Colonel and Gruber return from Spain. Meanwhile, Edith is faced with a grave situation. |
November 9, 1992 |
| 2 |
Missing and Presumed Dead Having been captured by the communists, René tries to find a way to escape. |
November 16, 1992 |
| 3 |
Rene Artois Is Still Dead René is supposed dead and a parade is held in his honour. |
November 23, 1992 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 7, 1984 |
| Last aired | December 14, 1992 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday at 20:00:00 |