Allo Allo!: The Complete Series One/Two

I LOVE this show but my low rating is not due to the content of the set. Instead this is a question of math. I was purchasing the Series 1 set and saw the usual calculation and marketing tool that amazon uses in which they show you the cost if you bought Series 1 and Series 2. Well it seems the price is $55.98 for the two sets, not too bad especially for this great show. Well then I see that they are also selling the "Complete Series One & Two Pack" which is the same thing but instead this one has a cost of 62.99! Buying the set this way doesn't seem to add anything to the package but a higher price. So if you want to purchase both make sure you just add the seasons to your cart seperatly and skip the "convenience" of an almost $7 hike.

UPDATE June 2006: It seems that Amazon has finaly adjusted the price to be in line with the single season packages!!! Hey, Amazon is a big store I figured they get with it sooner or later.

UPDATE August 2006: Scratch the June update it seems the price is back to its $62.99 price. Idiots!!!

UPDATE October 2007: Ok the lesson learned here is that I have watched the price of this box set fluctuate from around $70.00 to $50.00 YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION to the price I don't know why they would be doing this on a somewhat regular basis but I have talked with several people who have been stung by this box set. Watch the prices of these kinds of box sets, PLEASE! It couls mean a savings of as little as a few dollars or in the case of some Star Trek box set listings $300.00!!!

This is the most brilliantly-written comedy series ever. From the very first episode to the last, all the characters are consistent and hilarious. The plots are clever and each builds on previous episodes. Not a single word is wasted; each is carefully chosen to add something to the story.

I won't give away the story lines, so I'll just tell you it is set in France during WWII. The main character is Rene, played by Gordon Kaye, who owns a cafe, and occupies his days trying to balance getting along with the Germans, the French Resistence, the Communist Resistence, his wife, who thinks she can sing, his mother-in-law, British airmen, various onion-sellers, the Gestapo, and the two lovely waitresses with whom he is having affairs.

In some ways it's like the British series, "Are You Being Served." If you have ever enjoyed a single episode, you'll want to see all of them. You'll want to watch them again and again, and share them with friends.

These are the French (picture a cafe favored by the occupying Germans in a small french town) and over there in the dark, scheming to foil the Germans are the French resistance. The ONLY problem is that the resistance can't seem to accomplish anything without help, and that help is conveniently sought from the town's cafe owner. This character is a Lou Costello sort of fellow, but with considerably more intelligence; nevertheless, not enough to extricate himself out of the crazy schemes dreamt up by the French resistance leader. This is the plot of the show. Picture an ensemble Laurel and Hardy task-based sitcom werein the caricatured players are stealing/concealing/and playing hot potato with paintings to sell after the war; and are fashioning schemes (in a more adult manner, but reminiscent of the American classic rerun "Gilligan's Island") to return 2 airmen that were forced to bail out of their plane and dropped into this town, back to England. The series is known for it's tag lines; think of The Honeymooners "Bang Zoom"/"I've got a BIG mouth"/etc, "Yes Minister"(from that eponymously named Britcom), & "I know nothing" (from Hogan's Heroes, a show which is more similar to 'Allo 'Allo than not), and multiply by 10. In addition, it's full of innuendo and farcical sterotypes, but remains unoffensive and amusing...as well as being addictively likable. Do give this Britcom a try if any of the above makes sense and seems at all appealing to you. I hope I have given you a feel whether this may be so or not in your individual case. Cheers!