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'Allo 'Allo! (series 4)

'Allo 'Allo!
Season 4
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes6
Release
Original networkBBC1
Original release7 November (1987-11-07) –
12 December 1987 (1987-12-12)
Series chronology
← Previous
Series 3
Next →
Series 5
List of episodes

The fourth series of the British sitcom series 'Allo 'Allo! contains six episodes which first aired between 7 November and 12 December 1987.

Series 4 marks the last regular appearance of Sam Kelly as Captain Hans Geering; though he returned for a one-off special appearance in series 7. Francesca Gonshaw left at the end of the third series; though the exit of her character, Maria, is not explained until the second episode of this series. This series also sees the first appearances of Sue Hodge as Mimi Labonq in the third episode, as the new café waitress; and in the same episode Gavin Richards as Captain Alberto Bertorelli, the seconded Italian captain.

The following episode names are the ones found on the British R2 DVDs with alternate region titles given below them.

Series No. Episode No. Episode title Original UK airdate
4.01 22 Prisoners of War 7 November 1987[1]
4.02 23 Camp Dance 14 November 1987[2]
4.03 24 Good Staff Are Hard to Find 21 November 1987[3]
4.04 25 The Flying Nun 28 November 1987[4]
4.05 26 The Sausages in the Trousers 5 December 1987[5]
4.06 27 The Jet-Propelled Mother-In-Law 12 December 1987[6]

Cast[]

Episodes[]

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
221"Prisoners of War"David Croft & Martin DennisJeremy Lloyd & David Croft7 November 1987 (1987-11-07)

The cafe staff, Michelle, Von Strohm and Geering are trapped in the prisoner-of-war camp. The Gestapo try to tunnel in, Helga and Gruber try to sneak into the camp to rescue their friends, while the inmates are planning their own escape.

  • Note: Since Francesca Gonshaw left after series 3, Maria is not in this episode. However, her absence is not explained until the next episode.
  • Note: The prisoner-of-war camp is called Stalag Luft IV. That camp is in Poland.
  • Note: In this episode, the shows timeline is revealed to be 1941.
  • Alternative title: "Hans Goes over the Top".
232"Camp Dance"David Croft & Martin DennisJeremy Lloyd & David Croft14 November 1987 (1987-11-14)

The cafe staff, the Germans, and Michelle manage to escape thanks to the combined diversionary tactics of the camp entertainments and Gruber's refuse truck – but they find they have a couple of stowaways. Maria is not with them, having tried to escape through the post as a Red Cross parcel, but has been sent back to Switzerland due to insufficient postage. Captain Geering, having escaped over the wall, eventually manages to send a radio message – from London.

  • Note: This episode is unique, in that it does not start with the standard theme tune, but instead with the music the gang are dancing to.
  • Note: Although Sam Kelly does not physically appear in this episode, he has a handful of lines of audio dialogue as Geering.
243"Good Staff Are Hard to Find"David Croft & Martin DennisJeremy Lloyd & David Croft21 November 1987 (1987-11-21)

Captain Geering is replaced by the Italian Captain Bertorelli. Maria is replaced, not by one of the many nubile young applicants for the post René favours, nor by the very elderly woman applicant Edith and Yvette favour, but by Mimi Labonq, a Resistance fighter and former gang leader, under Michelle's orders.

  • Note: In the office, Captain Bertorelli tells General von Klinkerhoffen that he has a medal for fighting in Abyssinia. Ethiopia was generally known as Abyssinia in Europe until the mid-twentieth century. It was occupied by Italy from 1936 until 1941.
  • Note: This episode features the first appearance of Sue Hodge as Mimi Labonq.
  • Note: This episode features the first appearance of Gavin Richards as Captain Alberto Bertorelli.
254"The Flying Nun"David Croft & Martin DennisJeremy Lloyd & David Croft28 November 1987 (1987-11-28)
Herr Flick decides to bug the Colonel's office – with a daffodil. The Resistance must take action as their radio signal is being jammed by the Gestapo, which leads to Mimi hanging off the line of a kite while disguised as a nun.
265"The Sausages in the Trousers"David CroftJeremy Lloyd & David Croft5 December 1987 (1987-12-05)

Without batteries to power the radio in the attic bedroom, René and Yvette must provide pedal power attached to a generator. René amasses a collection of sausages – some real, one containing a forged painting, and some containing explosives.

  • Note: Even though René is the third person to appear in this episode, Gorden Kaye is first in the "cast in order of appearance" list at the end of it.
276"The Jet-Propelled Mother-In-Law"David Croft & Martin DennisJeremy Lloyd & David Croft12 December 1987 (1987-12-12)
General Von Klinkerhoffen has commandeered Monsieur Alfonse's vineyard and the locals are ordered to harvest the grapes. The RAF has dropped a spy camera, which has landed in the vineyard. The Resistance decide that the harvesting is the ideal opportunity to rescue the camera, and to assassinate the General.

References[]

  1. ^ "Radio Times listing for original transmission of "Prisoners of War", archived at BBC Genome Project".
  2. ^ "Radio Times listing for original transmission of "Camp Dance", archived at BBC Genome Project".
  3. ^ "Radio Times listing for original transmission of "Good Staff Are Hard to Find", archived at BBC Genome Project".
  4. ^ "Radio Times listing for original transmission of "The Flying Nun", archived at BBC Genome Project".
  5. ^ "Radio Times listing for original transmission of "The Sausages in the Trousers", archived at BBC Genome Project".
  6. ^ "Radio Times listing for original transmission of "The Jet-Propelled Mother-in-Law", archived at BBC Genome Project".

External links[]