BBC Series ALLO ALLO - Seasons 1-5.1 - 9 DVDs Region 1 Gordon Kaye Season 3 New

Description: This is the first 5-1/2 seasons of the BBC Series ALLO ALLO starring Gordon Kaye. Included are Seasons 1-5.1 in 5 CD cases containing a total of 9 DVDs. Season 5 was released in Part Un (One) and Part Deux (Two) - Part Un is the one included. All DVDs are Region 1 (US and Canada). DVD Cases are in good to excellent condition and DVDs are in Good to Like New condition as follows. Seasons 2 & 4 were played only once when we bought them new and just recently to make sure they all played - they are in like new condition. Season 1 and 5.1 were purchased used and discs are in good condition with some scratches - still play just fine. Season three is brand new and sealed. This is an absolutely hilarious series. Ships in a box via USPS Ground Advantage with insurance. Synopsis:René Artois runs a small café in France during World War II. He always seems to have his hands full: He's having affairs with most of his waitresses, he's keeping his wife happy, he's trying to please the German soldiers who frequent his café, and he's running a major underground operation for the Resistance. Quite often, the Germans' incompetence itself is what nearly lands René and his cohorts in hot water; they are not helped either by the locals, who are dreadfully keen to get rid of the Germans, but their blatant and theatrical attempts at espionage and secrecy often create problems that René must solve quickly. This series deals with WWII, using the setting of a small, occupied town in France, and spoofing basically any kind of person you might meet there... all the people and all the nationalities are covered. You'll meet Frenchmen, Brits, Germans, Russians, yes, even an Italian. There's even a tad of black comedy, mostly delivered by the undertaker, Monsieur Alfonse. The characters are well-written and humorous. Though most of them are clichés, they are surprisingly easy to tell apart... their particular gag, their "schtick" is uniquely theirs. And though they are repeated throughout the series, the jokes hold up exceptionally well. You find yourself quoting characters years after you saw the episode where the line appeared, and some scenes stick in your mind for ages. The reason the stereotypical jokes work is that they hit the mark... every single one of them. You have the somewhat whiny German officers who didn't really *want* to be officers, but, as one remarks, "It's Hitler... he's a very demanding man." You have the small-time café owner who just wants to stay in business, but still lights up some at the thought of fighting for his countrymen, of being considered "the bravest man in all of France." We have Arthur Bostrom as the British undercover agent who couldn't speak French to save his life (parodying the difficulty of learning that language) is always fun, even if his lines and jokes are mostly derived from his mispronunciation, and therefore can hardly be claimed to be anything but silly (though there are moments of clever puns). Richard Gibson, as the eternally stiff, never-affected-emotionally Gestapo officer (who just happens to contain parts of various famous German officers, and even Hitler himself) is my personal favorite, in the role that always begets laughter. And Guy Siner must be mentioned... never has one character begotten so many jokes about sexuality. German discipline, French passion, Italian flashiness and British cheeriness are all expertly spoofed. The verbal comedy is masterful. No word of anything but English is spoken here. To distinguish, they simply have the (British) actors put on an accent according to which language they're supposed to be speaking (no H at the beginning of any word for the French, Z's instead of S's for the Germans, and A at the end of various words for the Italian, etc.). This is established in the very pilot, where both the Brits and the Frenchmen determine that they don't understand a word of what the other group is speaking. The British is all exaggerated British, as well... imitating the way the Brits sound to anyone who don't hear them too often. They're making an effort to help the viewer tell the nationalities apart, whilst flaunting the fact that they all speak the same language. Marvelous. The plot lines are intricate (but never overly complicated), and always filled with mix-ups and sitcom-like mishaps. The great thing is that in every episode (at least to my knowledge), you are treated to a minute or two of a character (typically René, the lead) explaining the current situation, complete with mix-ups. You can join the show at any point (though it's always the best to watch them in the right order, and as many as you can get near). This has many outdoor scenes, complete with vehicles and surroundings that fit the time it is set in. That helps sell the setting and time period very well. The wide character gallery helps for variety, and some credibility is attained (and the tone is kept from being overly goofy) in part through authentic details and occurrences that seem realistic.

Price: 26.99 USD

Location: Fernandina Beach, Florida

End Time: 2024-11-23T04:49:44.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.13 USD