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No one escapes Hogan's Heroes DVD mega-set

by John Scott Lewinski, posted Nov 18th 2009 5:04PM

Hogan's Heroes is on DVD, but would never make it on TV today.I admit there's nothing topical about a post on Hogan's Heroes, but any day is a good day to sit and wonder how this show got on the air.

Don't get me wrong. It's not bad. It boasts its share of laughs and memorable characters. And, it's back on the radar recently because of the comprehensive DVD set, Hogan's Heroes: The Komplete Series, Kommandant's Kollection.

But I'd give a month's pay from TV Squad (so, like $6.50) if I could build a time machine, change myself into a fly, stick myself to a wall in the network offices of CBS, and hear the pitch meeting for this show. I know it's not likely to happen, but there's no harm in dreaming.

Can you imagine how that meeting would play out in our politically correct era of tightly-clenched buttocks these days? I think it would go just a little something like this:

A comedy producer sits down over two sparkling waters to pitch his new show: "OK. I have an idea for you. Go with me on this. It's a sitcom -- but a spy sitcom set during a war. No -- it doesn't take place in a suburban house. No -- it takes place in a Nazi prisoner of war camp ... What? Why are you calling security?"

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Jake

The film 'Auto Focus' is a worth a watch if you're a budding Hogans Heroes fan. It's more about Bob Cranes life but touches briefly on how the show got to air.

January 16 2010 at 11:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
blair

Hogan's Heroes
Nice post. I don't know If I said it already but ...Excellent site, keep up the good work. I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I'm glad I found your blog. Thanks.

December 08 2009 at 11:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Galley

I would want to know why the episodes always take place in the winter.

November 19 2009 at 8:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tom

If you're really serious about how Hogan's got on the air, get "Hogan's Heroes - Behind the Scenes at Stalag 13" by Brenda Scott Royce.

And yeah, it's "not bad", only the standard by which all other comedies are judged. I have the whole series and still get a laugh every time I see an episode. I've seen them all since the show started.

November 18 2009 at 11:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tom

I've watched the series off and on through the years (even saw several first run). Have been watching re-runs on TV Land lately (in fact I've got one running on the TiVo as I am typing this). I'm really enjoying it now more than I did before. To me, this is not a sit-com. This is a half hour adventure show where the Allies are doing their best to sabotage the German regime every chance they get. It is played for laughs, but I wish I could hear this without the laugh track. I think it would play better without it.

November 18 2009 at 9:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
M-D

Another factor: Werner Klemperer (a Jew who escaped from the Nazis in 1935) only agreed to play Col. Klink on the condition that Klink HAD to be portrayed as a fool whose plans were never successful. I imagine that might have had something to do with the series pickup.

November 18 2009 at 9:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to M-D's comment
RobynM

I've often wondered how so many of the cast found the strength to be on the show.

Along with Werner Klemperer, both John Banner (Schultz) and Leon Askin (Burkhalter) were Viennese nationals who managed to escape, while Robert Clary (LeBeau) was actually held in Buchenwald.

If I'd been through what they had, I don't think I could've done it.

November 19 2009 at 5:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mickey

Hogan's Heroes was based on the famous play and movie Stalag 17 which featured many of the same character. Stalag is a wonderful film and still holds up... Hogan's was the TV sitcom version of the play and movie.

November 18 2009 at 6:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David Cook is my Idol!

I feel the same way about MASH (one of my all-time favorites). I don't think that idea would go over well today.

November 18 2009 at 6:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Aml

I already have the original full series set. I am kind of hoping these new features replace the old ones, which is not unheard of. Either way I am sure they will find their way up on Youtube.

November 18 2009 at 6:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
nick

Remember though, that this was still within 20 years of WWII, and two amazing movies (The Great Escape and Stalag 17 - both obvious influences on HH) about German POW camps were still in the public conscience.

November 18 2009 at 6:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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