OT - Listen very carefully . . .
Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: OT - Listen very carefully . . .

  1. #1

    OT - Listen very carefully . . .

    . . . I shall say this only once.

    If you recognize the catchphrase above as that of Michelle of the Résistance, you probably know what I’m about to say!

    Sadly, actor Gordon Kaye died yesterday (http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38718282 ). For nine seasons, he played café owner and reluctant resistance man René Artois in the hilarious BBC comedy 'Allo, 'Allo!.

    When I’m shot down in CFS3 (as I often am!), it amuses me to think of me parachuting into Nouvion, France where the incompetent locals will spend the rest of the war trying to get me back to England under the noses of the bumbling Germans! The trials and tribulations of a WW2 escape line may not sound like good comedy fodder, but it certainly is!!! I cannot recommend 'Allo, 'Allo! highly enough to a group of WW2 history buffs. If you've never seen it, check it out if you can.

    One of the most unique things about the show is its treatment of language. Obviously, everyone speaks English, but the accent they employ indicates the language they’re speaking. So the French don’t understand the downed English airmen, etc. This finds its funniest expression starting in season 2 with Office Crabtree, a British agent posing as a local policeman. He is understood to speak French badly, so he mangles his French-accented English so that “I was passing by the door” becomes “I was pissing by the door”, etc. And believe me, that’s a tame example!

  2. #2
    SOH-CM-2024 Pat Pattle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Newton Abbot, Devon. Dear old Blighty
    Age
    60
    Posts
    2,904
    Blog Entries
    1
    Yes I was saddened to hear this, I was a big fan back in the day. The effeminate Lieutenant Gruber who had a thing for Renee and polished his 'little tank' on Sundays was brilliant!

    Good moaning.....!




    CFS3 Battle of Britain Website: https://cfs3bob.wixsite.com/cfs3-bob
    CFS3 ACC Member & ETO Expansion Group

  3. #3
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Sulphur,South West Louisiana in the good'ol USA
    Age
    59
    Posts
    3,518
    Blog Entries
    1
    Only British humor could make this funny but they tried to with M.A.S.H. and did a good job. Does it still play?

  4. #4
    One of our PBS stations used to show it in the late 90s and early 2000s, but it's been awhile, which is why I finally broke down and picked up the boxed set of the whole thing which showed up (for a good price) at my local used book/music/dvd store only the other day. I know that I've never even seen the latter seasons, so I'm quite looking forward to them.

    It has always been my contention that the key to such comedies is keeping them comedies and not getting preachy. I don't know that there's a genuinely serious moment in the series!

  5. #5
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Sulphur,South West Louisiana in the good'ol USA
    Age
    59
    Posts
    3,518
    Blog Entries
    1
    Sounds good. Thanks for the heads up.

  6. #6
    Turns out some of the episodes are available on youtube, including the excellent pilot, 'The British are Coming'!

Members who have read this thread: 0

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •