[Closed] 'allo, 'allo but for the 21st century?

So what’s British, [s]funny[/s], fit for the family but in the same farcical vein?

Some mothers do 'ave 'em.

It was classic British farce, innuendo and slapstick, stereotypes and self mocking.

Miranda.

Friday night dinners.

Bit sweary but generally just bloody hilarious.

Miranda - the planet from Serenity, where everyone just gave up on life and died of apathy? How apt.

Mrs Browns boys

(They you go, a farcical comedy post from me)

Found our Little Britain DVD box set recently !

allo allo was NEVER funny.

Klop!

Friday night dinners.

We’ve only just started watching these. Very good.

Man like mobeen
Ghosts
Zapped
Last man on earth
Plebs

Allo allo was always shit

Nothing worth watching now, probably never will be again. Too many people get offended by something they don’t agree with.
Bring back Love thy Neighbour & Till Death us do Part! 😂🤣

Someone recommended ‘The Cleaner’ to me. Typical Greg Davies - does have some funny moments, but bit hit and miss.
‘Allo ‘allo was among the cack avoided in our house.
If youre missing that sort of thing, best watch the old Fools And Horses repeats on Gold. They’re pretty funny.

Nothing worth watching now, probably never will be again.

You are trying out a character for a sitcom you’re writing, yes? It’s not a very original one.

Too many people get offended by something they don’t agree with.

If you honestly believe what you wrote, then I suggest you try Dave. Don’t come moaning here if you get offended by it… but hopefully you’ll find it a breath of fresh air.

I was going to reply to Essel's post with - oooft! 15 pages and 3 bans.but I see I'm too late already!

Thanks for the recommendations, people.

There is a time and a place for (almost) everything, Allo Allo has had its time. The 10 year old me thought it was funny. The 15 year old me, less so.

Also, boobies.

Don’t come moaning here if you get offended by it

Hahaha, I did 16 years in HMPS, you’ll need to try hard to offend me. (Unless you get personal about my mum)
Anyway, the biters bit earlier than expected. 😂

True story I told a French colleague to watch allo allo when it was on Saturday mornings on bbc2, I'd told him it was a realistic drama about the French resistance

I laughed so hard the following Monday when he came at me swearing 😁

Aside. GO and listen to the theme tune from 'Allo Allo.

Then listen to the theme from the mandalorian.

.....hard to offend me. (Unless you get personal about my mum)

That sounds bang out of order. What have they been saying about your mum?

Aside. GO and listen to the theme tune from ‘Allo Allo.

Then listen to the theme from the mandalorian.

We just did this, so funny! My partner was in stitches

I work with a Greek lad. His English is brilliant, much better than my Greek. But he said he struggles with the Glaswegian accent. We recommended chewin the fat and still game. He loved them.

I explained the "Is that a donut or am a wrang" gag to him, after a large dose of chwein the fat. To see him work thru it and then see the understanding was wonderful!

Not Going Out?

Two sides to this coin.

There's...

Spaced
Friday Night Dinner
Inbetweeners
Derry Girls
Man Down
Ghosts
Motherland
Uncle
Back To Life

Or...

Miranda
Mrs Brown's Boys
Not Going Out

I'd stick with the first group.

I enjoyed all of those. But Not Going Out should have ended a few years ago. Where as Motherland started week, and got better and better… hopefully they’ll do more.

allo allo was NEVER funny.

This.

Although, from what I remember, it was less shit than It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Mind Your Language. Honestly, WTF were they thinking when they made that garbage?

Have you tried listening to The Goon Show recently? Can't believe that was ever considered good.

Recently have really enjoyed Man like Mobeen and Back to Life.
Both bittersweet comedy.

Man like mobeen is good, so is people just do nothing. Motherland I can't disagree with either.

Someone recommended ‘The Cleaner’ to me. Typical Greg Davies – does have some funny moments, but bit hit and miss.

Helena Bonham Carter pooing was hilarious. Very very hit and miss.

Some episodes of inside no 9 had me in stitches too.

Non British, I have just smashed my way through schitts creek. Actually good replacements for allo Allo... Brooklyn 99 and Parks and recreation.

There is a time and a place for (almost) everything, Allo Allo has had its time. The 10 year old me thought it was funny. The 15 year old me, less so.

I think your right a lot of what is deemed classic has a sell by date.

Although, from what I remember, it was less shit than It Ain’t Half Hot Mum and Mind Your Language. Honestly, WTF were they thinking when they made that garbage?

But people loved that stuff which says a lot about people of that time I suppose, don’t forget the black and white minstrels I was young enough to catch the end of that shite.

Wow, the cultural snobbery on display is huge here.

They were comedies of the time, and have to be taken in that context. Slagging them off for being shit 20, 30, 40 years on says more about us than the shows

Slagging them off for being shit 20, 30, 40 years on says more about us than the shows

Exactly. Next thing we know someone will be smack-talking The Darling Buds of May, at which point I won't be responsible for my actions.

It was a great comedy as it was very cleverly done...speaking English how the French speak - dogs dinner was the dinner of the dog.

Yes it has aged but it still stands as good comedy, just there is far more choice and variety around now that is more about our current times so anything old always seems rubbish in comparison.

I think they have created a new Darling Buds of May called the Larkins...I'm assuming it is in the same vein...

Dads Army!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b007tlxv/dads-army

Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

Not seen it for years but I remember quite liking it at some point.

There's a fair bit of slapstick and farce type stuff in Alan Partridge, especially the series where he's living in a caravan.

WTF were they thinking when they made that garbage?

Profit?

'Allo 'Allo was a global hit, it was sold to 56 countries including France and Germany.

Which is all the more remarkable as the comedy stereotypes and puns such as "if we kill him with the pill from the till by making with it the drug in the jug, you need not light the candle with the handle on the gateau from the chateau" couldn't be more typically British humour.

Many years ago we had a young German mountain biker in our CC who used a photo of Herr Flick of the Gestapo as his avatar on the club forum.

He thought constant references to Herr Flick was hilarious. Mind you as many of our off road rides were on the North Downs around Biggin Hill I thought it was equally hilarious to constantly mention Spitfires.

Francesca Gonshaw and Vicki Michelle.

They were comedies of the time, and have to be taken in that context.

In the context of 80s Britain, trust me, Allo Allo was really really shite. Though I think it was the famous humerist Margaret Thatcher's favourite comedy so what do I know?

Dave, on the other hand, is entirely jokes about poo, race, and sex unencumbered by any double entendre, and very funny

Though I think it was the famous humerist Margaret Thatcher’s favourite comedy so what do I know?

You know **** all then, as Thatchers favourite comedy was well known to be Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister.

Both of which are still utterly relevant and on point.

You know **** all then

Threads about comedy are always good for a laugh.

Porridge was brilliant.
That and Dad's Army, different class.

And so is the Goon Show.......🙂

Could never stand Steptoe and Son and Hancocks Half Hour, they just strike me as tragedy rather than comedy......

Hi de Hi was appallingly bad, but harmless. Are You Being Served? is unwatchable now......

Threads about comedy are always good for a laugh.

Fair play, I went too far and I'm sorry.

Been watching some of the old Porridge and they still make me laugh.

I liked the early Allo Allo but to me, they carried it on for too long. It first aired in 1982 so to me who grew up watching a lot of old WWII war films at 12 years old it was a funny piss take on it all.

Fair play, I went too far and I’m sorry.

It was a general observation to be fair and not particularly aimed at you.

I can't deny that I have a completely irrational dislike/hatred of comedians which I don't like. No idea why.

Slagging them off for being shit 20, 30, 40 years on says more about us than the shows

Aye a bit like slagging off the Beatles.

I liked Allo Allo, but time marches on and I don't think that sort of farce would play well now. Recent favourite comedy chez Slowoldman has been This Country, Motherland, Mandy and most recently (and brilliantly) Alma's Not Right.

Bring back Love thy Neighbour & Till Death us do Part!

Well Love thy Neighbour was a cheap and rubbish knock off of Till Death us do Part which was brilliant satire (well the earlier stuff, it got a bit tired as many series do). I think it should be repeated now, it would be just as relevant. Alf was the biggest Gammon of his generation.

I never get bored of Porridge.

I liked the early Allo Allo but to me, they carried it on for too long.

Happens to a lot of shows - Porridge remains great as they knew when to stop

You know **** all then, as Thatchers favourite comedy was well known to be Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister.

😁 dagnabit you're right! She even recorded a scene. Blanked that, probably on the grounds they're great shows. I bet she liked AA too...

So what’s British, funny, fit for the family but in the same farcical vein?

Outumbered?

Aside. GO and listen to the theme tune from ‘Allo Allo.

Then listen to the theme from the mandalorian.

😆 who'd have thought. Too hilarious.

So what’s British, funny, fit for the family

Horrible histories

So what’s British, funny, fit for the family but in the same farcical vein?

Last of the Summer Wine!?

Might not have aged well in places but I can't think of any reason it would be 'cancelled'.

My ambition is to retire like those 3 - just bimbling around the countryside doing nothing in particular! 🙂

New stuff - Ghosts has been my favourite comedy recently.

I loved Outnumbered and also enjoyed My Family with Zoe Wanamaker and Robert Lindsay and Kris Marshall.

allo allo was never funny - making jokes based on racist sterotypes never is and this particular effort was very poor

allo allo was never funny – making jokes based on racist sterotypes never is and this particular effort was very poor

I agree it wasn't funny.

However, to call it "racist" is pushing it.

It was more of a pisstake/parody on the post war movies and TV series, that were about then, in particular Colditz and Secret Army.

Monty Python

Fawlty Towers

FWIW I enjoyed Allo Allo but it should have ended when Gordon Kaye had his accident.

allo allo was never funny – making jokes based on racist sterotypes never is

The French and Italians were portrayed as insufferable romantics obsessed with the ladies, the Germans mostly well-meaning but bungling fools, and the British extreme upper-class half-wits.

Seems like a perfectly reasonable assessment to me and I don't see a problem.

Presumably if was considered offensive it wouldn't have been shown in France and Germany, and the British are famous for their self-deprecating humour, so presumably no problem there either.

Taking the piss goes to the very heart of humour and if you exclude it you are left with very little.

Edit : Actually although Rene, Leclerc, and Captain Bertorelli, are all portrayed as obsessed with the ladies (these foreign types usually are) the ladies are also portrayed as obsessed with the gentlemen.

Taking the piss goes to the very heart of humour and if you exclude it you are left with very little.

It's a fine line to tread in this modern PC world. I don't personally think Allo Allo was racist in content or intent.

They didn't know when to stop Porridge... Seem to remember a spin off series called "straight as an arrow" I think. Was pretty poor... but then I didn't like porridge anyway im afraid.

Going Straight was the spin off.

There are a few I fancy watching again to see how they hold up now, citizen smith, terry and June and bread. I remember watching them as a child and laughing at them so it would be interesting to see if I still find them funny. It’s not British, but I have just finished rewatching cheers and thought it had held up OK, and I never tire of a Faulty Towers.

It’s a fine line to tread in this modern PC world.

Yup, I totally agree.

And yet Family Guy still drive a horse and cart through that fine line. It doesn't matter if it is Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Jews, Mexicans, Italians, the English, Irish, Indians, gays, lesbians, transexuals, black, youth, the elderly, democrats, republicans, women, Catholics, obese, they will mercilessly ridicule and stereotype them all.

I have no idea how they get away with it but I am very glad that they do as few TV programmes make me laugh as much.

Although even I find their ridicule of Jews uncomfortably close to the knuckle.

has anyone suggested Rent-a-Ghost?

Although even I find their ridicule of Jews uncomfortably close to the knuckle.

Fox pulled a few episodes for this… but they came out on other networks later. All episodes are now owned by Disney, which makes this episode perhaps even more important a reminder of history…

Ah yes, Jimmy's Secret Army. Brilliant.

has anyone suggested Rent-a-Ghost?

Used to love that as a kid!

David Croft is surprisingly under the radar considering he co-wrote and produced Dad's Army, Allo Allo, It Aint Half Hot Mum, Hi di hi ,Are you being served and many various offshoots.

Loved Men bahaving Badly as a teen in the 90s, tried watching it a while back its not aged well!

Still love Only Fools/Porridge/Open all hours ect. Shout out for IT crowd as a modern farce aswell, too silly for some but I loved it (still do)

David Croft is surprisingly under the radar considering he co-wrote and produced Dad’s Army, Allo Allo, It Aint Half Hot Mum, Hi di hi ,Are you being served and many various offshoots

A more complete list of the shite I disliked most in my youth would be hard to find. Thanks David, ya bawbag.

This was in the days of just 3 or 4 channels so dross on one channel was a much bigger deal than it is now. So I guess I should be grateful he was partly responsible for the lack of telly I watched in my youth.

A more complete list of the shite I disliked most in my youth would be hard to find. Thanks David, ya bawbag.

That's pretty much it. From what I remember, Dad's Army was pretty gentle, inoffensive humour. Allo Allo just recycled the same lame stuff over and over for years. It Ain't Half Hot Mum was truly dreadful racist homophobic garbage. Hi De Hi was lame. I think I must have watched one episode of Are You Being Served, it was just utterly not funny in any way. That is quite the CV of lame shiteness he has assembled.

Allo Allo was a standard comedy format...the fact it was based in WW2 France is irrelevant...you could lift and transplant the humour into any settings and that's exactly what it was...there are many other comedies that follow the same format both past and present maybe weight a slight tweak here and there. There was nothing original or ground breaking about Allo Allo - alot of these things are regurgitations of what has gone on before. There is essentially no original comedy...just the same old comedy done differently.

A more complete list of the shite I disliked most in my youth would be hard to find. Thanks David, ya bawbag.

This was in the days of just 3 or 4 channels so dross on one channel was a much bigger deal than it is now. So I guess I should be grateful he was partly responsible for the lack of telly I watched in my youth.

The parents lapped it up thou,

don’t forget such classics as to the manor born and what was that one with ‘Penny’ in and the bloke she married in the last episode.

Peoples tastes are odd - I loathe strictly but look at the viewing figures.

Allo Allo & Dad'a Army are still absolute class. Allo, Allo gets a bit tired five series in, but funny nonetheless.

Dad's Army is superb and it cannot ever be repeated....the cast, the writing, everything works perfectly in my opinion!

Hi De Hi was alright, but i still don't really get it. Like It Aint Half Hot Mum it was based on Perry & Croft's experiences in the army during and post WW2. It was of it's time really, post WW2 little work so experienced actors / comics / dancers had to entertain holiday makers! Te last episode was funny with Peggy finally getting her yellow coat and then closing the camp! 😀

Still, great CV's though!

I still enjoy most of the early Alf Garnett stuff too - Warren Mitchell played it perfectly! Alf (God bless him) was a great advert for why education is still so important! Dandy Nichols played his wife with fantastic effect. I wasn't too keen on the dynamic that Anthony Booth and Una Stubbs brought and the whole dynamic with 'Marigold' was farcical, but an illustration of the time.

Another fan of the IT Crowd here.

Any takers for Peep Show??

There was nothing original or ground breaking about Allo Allo – a lot of these things are regurgitations of what has gone on before.

Actually, you are wrong there, it was 'ground breaking' as it was a comedy about the German occupation during WW2, at the time, a comedy about that hadn't been done - why would it - most people that lived through that were still around and don't remember much comedy from it. This was a comedy where the Germans (in the main) were just trying to survive the war and get by with some stealing to feather their nests for when they made it out of the war. It was original based on the scenarios, but the comedy jokes were pretty standard.

Allo Allo just recycled the same lame stuff over and over for years.

That was precisely the whole point. "It is I, Leclerc", or "I will say this only once" is not inherently funny, it's not really funny at all in fact. It becomes funny when it is repeated over and over again to the point where the audience both predict and expect it. And it actually becomes funnier the more it is repeated.

It is a fairly standard format of comedy, Monty Python used it extensively with examples such as "no one expects the Spanish Inquisition" and "Right, this is getting silly".

Eric Morecambe got more laughs the more he said "you can't see the join", as he looked over Ernie Wise's head.

Bruce Forsyth got instant laughs the moment he said "nice to see you, to see you nice". In fact it is so hilariously funny that people are still repeating it to each other as a greeting many years after his death.

We know that 'Allo 'Allo was funny because as you quite rightly point out it lasted for years.

This was a comedy where the Germans (in the main) were just trying to survive the war...

Indeed. Just about everyone was trapped by the war, on all sides. The humour (and humanity) stemmed from that. Of course it went down hill fast, but so did others considered classics (like Dad's Army). Once successful (and genuinely held dear by people with only a few channels and no internet), they coasted, and kept being made, long after the idea and characters had been played through.

Anyway, the OP asked for modern day suggestions, and received plenty. The idea that you "can't be funny any more because people take offence" is completely bogus. Watch series one of Dave if you want to see lines being crossed in a TV show that you haven't seen crossed before. Genuinely original TV. If you want something more British, plenty of great suggestions have been made.

Humour is a weird thing. I'll be honest, Monty Python and Fawlty Towers were more miss than hit for me, as were Allo Allo etc. Even watching the regular series of Morecambe and Wise there was a lot that really wasn't all that.

There does seem to be a desire for comedy to be edgy and stick it to some man all the time, and anything just gently humorous is therefore not worth watching.

Indeed. Just about everyone was trapped by the war, on all sides. The humour (and humanity) stemmed from that.

Disagree..that was the context the comedy was based but the comedy itself...the essence of what made it funny wasn't groundbreaking.

You had a central character that was bemused about the nonsense of what was going on around him...him seemingly being the only sensible person in the whole thing that understood the folly of what was going on. As a result he was not invested in the situation and was just trying to get through as best he could and all the japes stem from that with the other characters...all ridiculous in their own way, to highlight the ridiculousness of the situation and are just exaggerated stereotypes he plays off for the laughs.

Absolutely 100% unoriginal since the days comedy first began. You can lift this format and stick it into any other setting in any other time and you have the same.