'Allo 'Allo! - The Complete Series Five, Part 1
'Allo, 'Allo!was a wildly popular British sitcom making unlikely humor of the German occupation of France, succeeding because of its sheer lunacy, and the amiable performance of veteran British character actor Gordon Kaye, as café owner René Artois. René finds himself surrounded by buffoonish German officers, who are easily duped yet still keep René on his toes, and sometimes in hot water. He also must juggle the imperious French Resistance leader, Michelle DuBois (recurring gag: Michelle says, "Listen very carefully. I shall say this only once"--but never manages to get out the urgent message), his jealous wife (Carmen Silvera), and all his staff waitresses, who find the doughy René sexually irresistible. It is alltrèsFrench,n'est-ce pas? Yet also very British in its broad slapstick tone; and American TV buffs will see more than a hint ofHogan's Heroes,M*A*S*H, and even the old spy seriesGet Smart. This chunk of season 5, with 13 episodes on two discs, features as many crazy sight gags as ever, including a special "spy camera" disguised inside a potato. Why a potato? wonders René. "Because," drones Michelle in a fake French accent you could drive a Citroën through, "you cannot get carrots that beeg." But of course. Extras include cast biographies and trailers.--A.T. Hurley