I have never 'gotten' Hogan's Heroes

[Dan C]

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. It's also totally rediculous, but many old TV shows are and that's part of the charm I guess. I just don't know why this one bothers me.

Most recently I've watched a few episodes on HDNet. The HiDef restorations of a TV show this old look superb (cropped top and bottom, but not badly), but the show itself still puzzles me.

Some of the HDNet shows are actually without a laugh track. Without the producers telling you where to laugh, it becomes almost surreal to watch.

I know it has a lot of fans, I just don't understand why.

dan c

[Blencathra]

I adored it at the time. Funnily enough, I watched some stuff on YouTube recently with the view of maybe getting one of the box-sets. Good job I didn't as it's all quite hammy. Mind you, don't knock the nostalgia kick - many people who grew up with it will still love it.

[The Panda]

I too haven't seen it in awhile. I guess the appeal was that Klink was such a total Keystone Kops-ish buffoon. It almost harkens back to vaudeville...he and Schultz were such cartoonish morons, that it was almost over the top. Subtle it wasn't.

[dkmonroe]

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

[KLM]

I use to watch it as a kid and was a big fan. Of course back then, I didn't understand the gravity of the setting for the show. Obviously its a strange premise but the characters were funny and the story lines somewhat rediculous - kind of in the "Get Smart" sort of way. i think now as an adult its a little uncomfortable to watch some of these as the reality of what actually happened in these camps is so far from what is seen on the show. Yes, i get that it's only a TV sitcom but it is a somewhat sensitive topic for some.

[pdenny]

Some of the HDNet shows are actually without a laugh track. Without the producers telling you where to laugh, it becomes almost surreal to watch.
The M*A*S*H DVD's allow you to disable the laugh track. It's a different experience after watching the reruns so many times over the years. Interestingly, the main audio track sound quality improves significantly when you disable the laugh track.

[Blencathra]

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

Well strictly speaking it was a German camp and not a Nazi one. German camps were, by and large, run by the Luftwaffe and not the SS (I believe). A subtle distinction but at no time was anything unsavoury covered, to the best of my recollection. Not very edgy though, as mentioned it was slapstick.

[Dudley Morris]

Considering it's a sitcom set in a Nazi prison camp, I don't know how much edgier it could have gotten.What could be funnier than a Nazi prison camp though? ;)

Anyway, as I did in a previous thread on the subject, I'll quote Gilbert Gottfried's take on what the pitch meeting for Hogan's might've been like: "The show is about a bunch of American POWs being held by the Nazis during WWII. If they get caught trying to escape, they'll be shot. It's a comedy!!!"

[Squealy]

Well strictly speaking it was a German camp and not a Nazi one. German camps were, by and large, run by the Luftwaffe and not the SS (I believe). A subtle distinction but at no time was anything unsavoury covered, to the best of my recollection.
You'll see it described as "a comedy show set in a concentration camp" sometimes. Now that would be hard to pull off.

[Blencathra]

You'll see it described as "a comedy show set in a concentration camp" sometimes. Now that would be hard to pull off.

Indeed! That would have taken some skilful writing to pull off.

[dkmonroe]

Well strictly speaking it was a German camp and not a Nazi one. German camps were, by and large, run by the Luftwaffe and not the SS (I believe). A subtle distinction but at no time was anything unsavoury covered, to the best of my recollection. Not very edgy though, as mentioned it was slapstick.

The Luftwaffe were not Nazis? I did not know that.

Anyway, my point was not that the NSDAP itself ran the camp, but that the NSDAP did run the entire country at the time the sitcom is set, therefore the camp could be called a "Nazi prison camp" in the broad sense. It is meant to distinguish it as a "German prison camp during WWII" as opposed to "German prison camp during the reign of the Kaiser" or whatever.

[Rael]

I've never "gotten" a lot of sit-coms, MASH, Friends, Seinfeld, etc. I've tried to watch them all but I can't find the humor most of the time. And yet, I'll watch The Three Stooges over and over and laugh my arse off. Must be something wrong with me....

[Blencathra]

Well I realised that and I was being intentionally pedantic;)

But yes, strictly speaking, Nazi was a generic blanket term applied to all Germans, especially during the war. However, the use of the word Nazi implies membership of the Nazi party which, of course, not all Germans were. In fact I believe the Luftwaffe were proud of their detachment from the harsher elements of the German regime. I know there were exceptions, from both sides no doubt, but I felt the distinction needed making, rightly or wrongly.

[/I]The Luftwaffe were not Nazis? I did not know that.

Anyway, my point was not that the NSDAP itself ran the camp, but that the NSDAP did run the entire country at the time the sitcom is set, therefore the camp could be called a "Nazi prison camp" in the broad sense. It is meant to distinguish it as a "German prison camp during WWII" as opposed to "German prison camp during the reign of the Kaiser" or whatever.

[Blencathra]

I've never "gotten" a lot of sit-coms, MASH, Friends, Seinfeld, etc. I've tried to watch them all but I can't find the humor most of the time. And yet, I'll watch The Three Stooges over and over and laugh my arse off. Must be something wrong with me....

Yep - definitely something amiss there Rael - laughing at the Three Stooges?????????

[rene smalldridge]

I've never "gotten" a lot of sit-coms, MASH, Friends, Seinfeld, etc. I've tried to watch them all but I can't find the humor most of the time. And yet, I'll watch The Three Stooges over and over and laugh my arse off. Must be something wrong with me....

Nope. Nothing at all wrong with you. The 3 Stooges will be making people guffaw when all those other shows are long forgotten.

[P2CH]

Seems in that time there were shows reflecting the war. Mchale's Navy being another one.

And watch out for those blasting caps.

[dkmonroe]

Well I realised that and I was being intentionally pedantic;)

What?! A pedantic Brit? The mind boggles! :eek: :laugh:

[Michael]

for me as a kid it was the lighter side of a bad situation...the way you'd want it to be...

[Blencathra]

What?! A pedantic Brit? The mind boggles! :eek: :laugh:
Hmmm

Actually I'm English and not British....................oh bugger!

[music4life]

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...

[Jay F]

You'll see it described as "a comedy show set in a concentration camp" sometimes. Now that would be hard to pull off.It was not a concentration camp. It was a prison camp for allied soldiers. All the difference in the world.

I didn't like it, either, btw.



Actually I'm English and not British

What's the difference?

[Jay F]

The 3 Stooges will be making people guffaw when all those other shows are long forgotten.If "guffaw" means "change the station," you're probably right. I've never gotten THE THREE STOOGES.

[andy749]

I never really got it either. I used to watch it a bit because, if I remember correctly, it came on after one of my favorite shows, The Wild Wild West. The intro, the theme music etc. was real good and kinda got you up and hopeful that a good show was coming on...maybe this week it'll be good. But no, it was usually a bit disappointing. But I probably put up with it knowing the Gomer Pyle was on afterward. It was usually good imo.

But like someone else said, there's a bunch of 'em I never got.

[Mark]

I never really got it either. I used to watch it a bit because, if I remember correctly, it came on after one of my favorite shows, The Wild Wild West. The intro, the theme music etc. was real good and kinda got you up and hopeful that a good show was coming on...maybe this week it'll be good. But no, it was usually a bit disappointing. But I probably put up with it knowing the Gomer Pyle was on afterward. It was usually good imo.

Ah, the days when you could get Wild, Wild West followed by Hogan's Heroes followed by Gomer Pyle. Classic TV, indeed.....

[dkmonroe]

What's the difference?


Don't go there.

Just...dont!

:laugh: