Black Sheep
Posted on 12/02/2005 8:48:37 AM PST by FlatLandBeer
Ok this is a FRIDAY VANITY post.... What were some of your favorite Military oriented tv shows?
Go back as far as you like.
Mine are: Steve Canyon, 12 O'clock High, Rat Patrol & Combat.
Comedys are ok too.... MASH, Phil Silvers, McHale's Navy...
It is interesting that MASH as a series lasted 4 times longer than the actual war that it supposedly took place in.
Now I always see Wayne Rogers on all the business shows as a Financial Expert.
Black Sheep
E-Ring on NBC is a great show. It's only been on half a season and it's already one of my favorite shows. It's VERY pro-military and every episode deals with how much bureaucratic nonsense mission planners have to put up with on a daily basis. They have had a couple of really good episodes emphasizing that the U.S. military leaves no man behind. It's shockingly fair for a network show, really entertaining, and actually an original concept on TV for once, a look at the inner workings of the Pentagon.
About the same time Combat was on, there was another show nobody has mentioned. I believe it was called "Garrison's Guerillas" or something like that. I never watched it but was wondering if any of you remember it. I haven't read every word of every post but I don't think anyone has mentioned that one. Must have been very forgettable.
""12 O'Clock High," I am proud to say, showed as a stock shot the crash landing of a B-17F flown by my uncle, Robert S. Webb. Uncle Bob was the youngest bomber pilot in the Army Air Corps. He flew 55 straight missions over Italy and Germany during the War and won the Distinguished Flying Cross with 7 oak leaf clusters."
Along the same lines, a good friend of mine just passed away. He was the youngest Navigator in WWII and flew in the same theater (I don't recall the unit). I believe he was shot down twice. His name, Stu Greene!
CPO Sharkey was great. Loved watching Don Rickles rip those guys a new one each week. MASH was excellent the first couple seasons with Maclain Stevenson. When that POS Mike Ferrell joined the cast the show quickly headed south.
"As the years go by, MASH becomes more and more of an embarrassment. The earlier episodes were vicious anti-military diatribes. The later episodes were silly, stale drivel."
The show went to hell when it was taken over by Alda's ego. The whole show had to be him, even when it stretched the realities of war. They would poop their undies at the sight of a weapon. Rediculous!
I think it just seemed four times longer.
I liked the series at one time, though got tired of Hawkeye's holier-than-thou BS rather quickly. Then did some reading about the Korean War and became an avid un-fan of the series.
Red Cap!
"M.A.S.H., for all it's left-leaning politics seemed to be the only war-oriented sitcom that had a conscience."
That comment offends me. Do we have to be Anti-American in order to have a conscience nowadays?
Met Pappy Boyington not long before he died. The guy was the real deal. After flying for the Flying Tigers, he made his way from China back to the US during the war as a civilian then persuaded a congressman to help him get back into the Marines after they initially refused. When they wouldn't give him a squadron, he "borrowed" the unused squadron ID of a group sent back to the states, "borrowed" some pilots, "borrowed" some mechanics and pretty soon had his very own squadron in action. No joke.
You got it!! Kirby, take the point.
Wackiest Ship in the Army.
It was a sailing schooner "undercover" in the South Pacific during WWII sailed by army guys.
Had Gary Collins in it.
You just watch Red Cap to see Tamzin.
Is it still on, haven't seen it in a while.
Branded theme song here....
http://www.trailcreeknaturetrails.com/cowboystarsounds/branded.mp3
Black Sheep Squadron
Rat Patrol
Tour of Duty
For me it was MASH. Couldn't/can't stand it.
Golden Monkey.
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