Whether or not Crichton liked World War II, he watched Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is a sitcom with a World War II setting which ran from 1965 to 1971. Set in a German POW camp, the show followed a group of Allied prisoners, led by Col. Hogan, who engage in underground activities and sabotage against the Nazis. Much of the comedy came from their bungling German captors, monocled Col. Klink and the genial Sgt. Schultz ("I know nuffink!").
Even during its run, the tastefulness of the premise was questioned (although the fact that most of the main Germans were played by Jewish actors affected by the war added a more subversive tone). Stan Freberg, hired by CBS to promote the show, used the mocking tagline "If you liked World War II, you'll love Hogan's Heroes." The show still succeeded in entering the pop culture zeitgeist (to the point where Werner Klemperer reprised his role as Col. Klink on The Simpsons, as Homer's guardian angel).
References[]
- As recounted in The Wisdom of Big Bird, when Caroll Spinney and Oscar the Grouch were guests on Dinah! in 1977, a fellow guest was Richard Dawson (who played Newkirk on the series, but was already hosting Family Feud by then). Oscar teased Dawson by asking "How are things going over at Hogan's Heroes?" but it instead led Dawson into an anecdote which consumed the Grouch (and Spinney's) interview time.[1]
- Kreetago, crew member of a vessel that collides with Moya in the third season Farscape episode "Self-Inflicted Wounds Part One: Could'a, Would'a, Should'a," has been examining the living ship. Crichton responds by saying "Col. Klink! Yo! Inspection is over."
Connections[]
- Bruce Bilson directed 25 episodes
- Richard Dawson played Cpl. Peter Newkirk
- George Gaynes played a British general in "Easy Come, Easy Go" (1971)
- Harold Gould played Nazi generals in four episodes (1966-1970)
- Howard Morris directed 14 episodes
- Hal Smith played Hans Spear in "The Swing Shift" (1967)
- John Stephenson played various roles, usually German officers (9 episodes, 1965-1970)
Sources[]
- ↑ Caroll Spinney, The Wisdom of Big Bird, p. 71.