I have never 'gotten' Hogan's Heroes

[jacksondownunda]

You know, for the fact that this show took place only 20 or so years after WWII, I don't remember hearing a big outcry about the subject matter, as say MASH did when it came out. My Father was in WWII, and I honestly dont remember him saying anything negative about HH, as I'm sure he would've. Then again, I was only around 8 at the time, and my memory might be a bit foggy from that long ago...

My uncle was the sole survivor of a B-17 crew shot down 1/2 way through the war. He was on death marches and was held in one of these Stalags. He adored the show and had a daschund named Shultz!

[Chris Gerhard]

I haven't wasted any time watching this show in a long time, but it was a mildly entertaining show when I did watch it long ago. The German characters were much funnier than the POW's and better actors. I think it had a good run and was about average for a situation comedy of its time, the better shows were not much better and some of the worse shows were much worse. There really isn't anything to get, you can either laugh at a parody of a German WWII prison or you can't. Making the Germans buffoons was the only way to make the nonsense work. I had seen "Stalag 17" a semi-serious WWII action film and accepted this show as a parody of that film. I believed then and still believe that anything can be made fun of and political correctness is a crock.

I recall reading that the show become popular in Germany for a while, although I have never seen anybody form Germany confirm that.

Chris

[David R. Modny]

I recall reading that the show become popular in Germany for a while, although I have never seen anybody form Germany confirm that.

Chris

It was, and very well may still be. Though, the shows were re-edited and dubbed to make them more Schultz-centric and play upon his "teddy bear" characteristics.

I also always found this quote to be quite astute. It was given by John Banner - who played Schultz. He was also an Austrian-Jew in real life and fled after the Anschluss.

From IMDB:

John Banner enjoyed the role but demurred when accused of portraying a "cuddly" Nazi. He told TV Guide, "I see Schultz as the representative of some kind of goodness in every generation."

[Orlan K]

At the time reactions to the show varied wildly. There were cases of veterans throwing bricks through or shooting TV sets, and others who thought it was funny and enjoyed it.

It was indeed a spoof of war movies 9which were very popular then) more than actual events themselves. Americans don't get the finer points sometimes, hence the destroyed televisions.

Another show that was impacted by this, but in a different way, was "The Avengers". The Brits got that it was in fact a comedy, albeit an extraordinarily droll one, but Americans took it at face value. That didn't hurt it, though: it was and is a cult favorite. Or I should spell, "favourite":shh:

[Blencathra]

These days whenever I catch an episode I can't help but think of Bob Crane's creepy and tragic personal life. He had an engaging presence on screen though, which I assume is a big part of the show's success.

dan c

Wow! I'd never heard about his death until you mentioned it. I just looked him up on IMDB - what a crappy way to die.

[Drawer L]

I don't get it either.I also don't get,of all the shows they could be running,why did TV Land dig this up.And run it how many times a day/week?--You wanna see it,get the DVDs.Let's see something that's A)Been out of syndication X-amount of years,and B)NOT on DVD....

[David R. Modny]

I don't get it either.I also don't get,of all the shows they could be running,why did TV Land dig this up.

Probably because it has just as many fans as non-fans. It always got respectable ratings during it's initial 6 yr. run, won Emmy awards, etc. It was also one of the first sitcoms to be syndicated into an *hour* block in the early 70's, and it did extremely well in that setting. :)

[signothetimes53]

I thought then, and still think now, that Werner Klemperer was a superb comic actor. "Colonel Klink" makes me laugh, even if the rest of the show is pretty terrible.

[Henry the Horse]

I haven't wasted any time watching this show in a long time, but it was a mildly entertaining show when I did watch it long ago. The German characters were much funnier than the POW's and better actors. I think it had a good run and was about average for a situation comedy of its time, the better shows were not much better and some of the worse shows were much worse. There really isn't anything to get, you can either laugh at a parody of a German WWII prison or you can't. Making the Germans buffoons was the only way to make the nonsense work. I had seen "Stalag 17" a semi-serious WWII action film and accepted this show as a parody of that film. I believed then and still believe that anything can be made fun of and political correctness is a crock.

I recall reading that the show become popular in Germany for a while, although I have never seen anybody form Germany confirm that.

Chris
We had German neighbors when I was a kid, friends of our family. The father was an officer in the German "army" in WWII, and he didn't dig seeing the Germans being portrayed as bumbling idiots at all!:laugh:

[Henry the Horse]

I thought then, and still think now, that Werner Klemperer was a superb comic actor. "Colonel Klink" makes me laugh, even if the rest of the show is pretty terrible.
The exchanges between Klink and Berkhalter were always funny too!

[peter]

I thought, and still do, that this show was hysterical. It's one of the few
60's sit coms that I can still watch, the others being the Beverly Hillbillies and Bewitched. I thought all 3 shows were brilliant. Still do.

I remember Werner Klemperer winning an Oscar one year and he was decked out in full Austrian garb. A class act.

[David R. Modny]

I thought then, and still think now, that Werner Klemperer was a superb comic actor. "Colonel Klink" makes me laugh, even if the rest of the show is pretty terrible.

Well, I whole-heartedly share your sentiments - except for the "terrible" part. :)


Klemperer was Emmy nominated five times...and won twice. Hogan's Heroes, as a series, was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series three out of its six years...but never won. So, while I can understand people not liking it, or even hating it, I think branding it "terrible" is a bit much. It had many of the same writers, directors, and stock actors as The Andy Griffith Show and was even shot, right next door to it, on the same 40 Acres set. Production values were pretty high.

[Drew]

I thought I read a few years back that Mel Gibson wanted to do a big screen adaptation of HH. That was before he put his foot in his mouth.

I thought it was kind of strange considering HH was really a TV adapation of Stalag 17, as was previously mentioned.

[David R. Modny]

I thought I read a few years back that Mel Gibson wanted to do a big screen adaptation of HH. That was before he put his foot in his mouth.


There were a couple of times where developmental options were held. Mel Gibson was one of the interested parties, as was Russell Crowe recently. It almost happened with Gibson - during the big-screen sitcom remake craze of the 90's. Part of me is glad it never happened. It probably would've been a disaster (IMHO).

Part of its charm, for those who like it, *was* its political incorrectness. It probably would've have been watered-down tremendously for modern tastes and sensibilities - with a moral subtext thrown in for good measure. It really *is* of another era. And, again, this observation coming, strangely enough, from a card-carrying liberal who just happens to love the show (and all its political incorrectness). :laugh:

[Orlan K]

Wow! I'd never heard about his death until you mentioned it. I just looked him up on IMDB - what a crappy way to die.

His life, activities, and death were the subject of a halfway decent film, "Auto Focus" with Craig Kinnear, I believe.

[Grant]

Ever since I was a kid I hated this show. It was in endless repeats back in the late 70s and on quite a bit IIRC.

Over the years whenever I see an episode, I still can't understand why this is a 'classic'. IMHO it's not funny, smart, witty, edgy...if anything it's just boring.



Ditto here.

[Dan C]

His life, activities, and death were the subject of a halfway decent film, "Auto Focus" with Craig Kinnear, I believe.

That was a very good film, actually. But also quite disturbing.


dan c

[Driver 8]

Considering it's a sitcom set in a Nazi prison camp, I don't know how much edgier it could have gotten.

As Dan C mentioned already, Bob Crane's personal life adds a whole different creepy subtext to the show now.

I remember watching Hogan's Heroes reruns as a child in the 70s - this point may have been touched on already, but, in the 70s, World War II was still a dominant presence in the culture. In music, you think of all the punk bands flirting with Nazi imagery and the swastika, etc. - I've read Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees explain that this was a reaction to her parents' generation constantly reminding them that "we beat Hitler, so shut up and mind us." As a child in the 70s in the U.S., World War II seemed like it had happened just yesterday - I remember reading all kinds of books about the Pacific campaign, Rommel in Africa, etc. My dad had a childhood scrapbook of WWII newspaper clippings that was really fascinating to me.

It has been a long time since I've seen an episode of Hogan's Heroes, but I remember finding Schultz's and Clink's incompetence to be so unbelievable as destroy any illusion of reality that the show might have had. Furthermore, like its 60s counterpart Gilligan's Island, the entire premise of the show was based on the lead characters trying to escape from the island or the prison camp, an escape, which, if effected, would of course be the end of the show. Over the seasons, this premise obviously got harder and harder to sustain. I seem to recall a bunch of episodes where Hogan and his men escaped, and then voluntarily went back to the camp for one reason or another.

[Squealy]

IIRC they aren't trying to escape from the camp, they are working against the Germans from inside the camp. They could leave any time they wanted to through the tunnel they had.

[Driver 8]

IIRC they aren't trying to escape from the camp, they are working against the Germans from inside the camp. They could leave any time they wanted to through the tunnel they had.

I think you're right about that. I should probably shut up, as I doubt I've seen an epsisode of this show since 1980 or so.

[Danny]

Used to love it growing up, but I watched a few re-runs last weekend and it's pretty bad, IMO. As other posters have mentioned many of these shows haven't aged well at all. Lots of shows that I grew up watching in re-runs and loving, I just can't really watch anymore. The Munsters, HH, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc.

There are a few older shows I still find funny though. Andy Griffith, The Odd Couple, Get Smart and The Honeymooners.

[music4life]

There were a couple of times where developmental options were held. Mel Gibson was one of the interested parties, as was Russell Crowe recently. It almost happened with Gibson - during the big-screen sitcom remake craze of the 90's. Part of me is glad it never happened. It probably would've been a disaster (IMHO).

Part of its charm, for those who like it, *was* its political incorrectness. It probably would've have been watered-down tremendously for modern tastes and sensibilities - with a moral subtext thrown in for good measure. It really *is* of another era. And, again, this observation coming, strangely enough, from a card-carrying liberal who just happens to love the show (and all its political incorrectness). :laugh:

You are probably correct in stating that if a film version was made today, it would be watered down as to try and not offend anyone.
In the same context I was thinking while watching a rerun of "All in the Family" tonight, if it had been pitched to networks today, would it even get on the air? It had a hard enough time over 30 years ago, can you imagine what it would be like now?

His life, activities, and death were the subject of a halfway decent film, "Auto Focus" with Craig Kinnear, I believe.

That was a very good film, actually. But also quite disturbing.


dan c

I had known he had died under suspicious curcumstances, but that film really delved into the seedier side of his life. My wife felt so grimy after watching it, she had to take a shower!...lol

[Furnier]

I loved it in the early 70's in reruns and I love it just as much today when I'm watching the season sets of which I own all six. Great show that STILL makes me laugh. The Gonkulator! The Klink Dipsy Doodle, "Whattt isss thiss man DOING HERE!! What's not to like?

Doug

[David R. Modny]

I loved it in the early 70's in reruns and I love it just as much today when I'm watching the season sets of which I own all six. Great show that STILL makes me laugh. The Gonkulator! The Klink Dipsy Doodle, "Whattt isss thiss man DOING HERE!!
Doug


And don't forget Burkhalter getting all hot and bothered over..."Honey Hornberg and her Stuttgart Steppers!"

(and his "lovely" sister...the gnädige Frau Linkmeyer)

[The Panda]

Part of its charm, for those who like it, *was* its political incorrectness. It probably would've have been watered-down tremendously for modern tastes and sensibilities - with a moral subtext thrown in for good measure. It really *is* of another era. And, again, this observation coming, strangely enough, from a card-carrying liberal who just happens to love the show (and all its political incorrectness). :laugh:
Back then, they had to watch how many times they used 'krauts'--the censors only let them use the word a certain number of times.