'Allo 'Allo! - The Complete Series Five, Parts 1 and 2 [DVD]

I purchased the entire series of this show for a family member through amazon marketplace and eBay. It wasn’t easy but we finally got all nine of them. He is SO HAPPY I guess this show is a wonderful charming comedy with a similar premise to Hogan’s Heroes in that it takes place during WWII with dumb bumbling Nazi soldiers and brave and clever French and European resistance spies and fighters operating undercover in a little Paris cafe operated by a fellow named Renee. There are all kinds of zany characters and slapstick. It’s not really my taste so much but it’s ok - my mom and my friend LOVED it though. All the discs were in great shape and will be enjoyed for many years to come.

This Comedy series shows us the adventures of René Artois, a café owner in Nouvion, a city occupied by the Germans during WW2.This is comedy at its best when René and his friends try to sort out their lives between dimwitted German officers, the French Resistance (consisting only of girls), the communist Resistance (also girls), the German Gestapo, two braindead British airmen which have to get back to England and "The fallen Madonna with the big boobies" a valuable painting that everybody wants to posess in order to sell it after the war.I can't wait until series' 6-9 is available on DVD.

The changing accents for the different languages, the costumes and stereotypical portrayals twisted in an insane out of place comedy. Only the British could pull this off without being totally offensive to everyone and come up with laugh out loud humor. This whole series is great and it keeps one guessing how the writers could possibly come up with such twisted and ridiculous situations. A little naughty, a little drama, and a lot crazy tossed together to make great comedy.

I had a feeling that the 4th season is running out of steam and becomes somewhat too silly and too slow. So this, the 5th one, was a pleasant surprise - fresh funny jokes, unexpected non-trivial developments, bright new heroes.The Madonna with big boobies and the 2 dumb airmen are downplayed, and instead of them, the Italian captain, the nymphomaniac ("ruthless") communist resistance and that old bag the undertaker blossom to new heigths.So, if one has enough nerve to laugh at the calamities of WWII - he can do it big time by watching this season...

The material is fine, the extreme delay from the time they took my money and finally came across with the product is not. If you think anyone is going to make any effort to deliver in a timely manner, you're delusional! Now, when I order from amazon, if I even get the product it's a source of amazement. I've been stiffed on two orders and got no relief. I am a heart patient now so I don't have the energy to pursue things like I normally would. All I can say, if you buy here, good luck! You'll need it!!!

[THIS JUST IN: I discovered some brief cuts while watching episode #9 ("Watch the Birdie", where Rene has the apron-camera to photograph the invasion map) on this DVD! A few lines are missing, which I confimed by watching my old tape from the TV broadcast. Why would a cut version ever need to be made? Some American shows' cut versions for syndication have been known to make it (accidentally?) onto DVD; but Allo Allo never played on commercial TV. This is very disappointing, especially as #9 is one of the funniest eps of the season; my rating drops to 3 stars. Still happy to get the 5th season, but now I fear there may be more cuts I haven't noticed yet.]A correction to the earlier review, which lists the episodes: There are 26 eps in Series 5, not 27... "Sausage in the Wardrobe" is listed mistakenly (that's a Series 3 ep). The reason there are so many eps in S5, compared with S1-4, is that the producers were making arrangements to air it on American network TV as well as the BBC, hence the full American-length season. The eps are also 25 min. instead of 30, to allow for commercials in USA. Those plans fell through, and it only aired in the USA later, like the other series, when various public TV stations bought it.Series 5 is the last of the great ones, I think. It starts to falter in places, but also gives us many classic hilarious scenes, including Rene's close call on the millsaw, the apron with the false hand, the wedding, the hospital fiasco, and the whole gang all aboard the Geneva Express. Curiously, episodes #24 & 25 were not written by Lloyd & Croft (the only such eps in the first 6 series), and it shows. They are far and away the weakest scripts, their humor simply missing the mark -- a testament to how specific Lloyd & Croft's brand of writing really is. Detractors of the show would say "Anyone could write those silly repetitive jokes." ... I disagree.Anyway, the actors are wonderful, and aside from Gorden Kaye who so perfectly carries the show, I'd single out Kenneth Connor (Alphonse), Jack Haig (Leclerc), Rose Hill (Fanny), Guy Siner (Gruber), and Richard Gibson (Flick). But everyone is very funny... What a great cast. Join Rene & company for Series 5!

The Allo Allo crew have done it again with the release of Series 5. Quick and funny dialogue, hilarious scenarios, and side splitting situations, Allo Allo is a great remedy for Winter blues and weary workers.Rene just seems to stumble from one absurd situation to the next but nevertheless always seems to get the better of the even more dim witted Gestapo, Generals and women around him. For a night of guaranteed laughs and laughter, spend an evening in Occupied France with Rene and all the Allo Allo gang

WOW, did season 5 really go for 27 episodes? If so this will be fantastic value! One show that did get better as the series went on, the initial characters just added dimensions. As I moved to the States in 89 it will be great to see episodes I've never seen before, and more seasons to come!The Gestapo in stockings and suspenders (either Helga or the classic Flick) is just laugh-out loud!Now where can I find it aint arf hot mum for more Empire humor......

always liked British comedy and this one is one of the best

Season 5 in all it's multipart goodness. I know they split this to keep the cost down, but I still prefer my season sets in one box.

We have always liked this series.

This is the best BBC comedy ever. I have the entire series and me and my partner have watched it over and over. She was in the German Army and finds the take on all Nationalities very funny.