Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971)

The inmates of a German World War II prisoner of war camp conduct an espionage and sabotage campaign right under the noses of their warders.

Creators:

Bernard Fein, Albert S. Ruddy

Stars:

Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, John Banner

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 11 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Bob Crane	...	Col. Robert E. Hogan (168 episodes, 1965-1971)
Werner Klemperer	...	Col. Wilhelm Klink (168 episodes, 1965-1971)
John Banner	...	Sgt. Hans Georg Schultz (168 episodes, 1965-1971)
Robert Clary	...	Cpl. Louis LeBeau (167 episodes, 1965-1971)
Richard Dawson	...	Cpl. Peter Newkirk (166 episodes, 1965-1971)
Larry Hovis	...	Sgt. Andrew Carter (165 episodes, 1965-1971)
Ivan Dixon	...	Sgt. James 'Kinch' Kinchloe (141 episodes, 1965-1970)

Storyline

Colonel Hogan leads a ragtag band of POW's caught behind German lines in this popular television comedy. The bumbling Germans give Hogan and his crew plenty of opportunities to sabotage their war efforts. Colonel Klink is more concerned with having everything run smoothly and avoiding any trouble with his superiors (especially anything that might result in his being reassigned and sent to the front) than with being tough on Hogan and his fellow prisoners.

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Plot Keywords:

sabotage | pow | gestapo | radio | escape | 

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Taglines:

If you liked World War II, you'll love Hogan's Heroes!

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

17 September 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Käfig voller Helden

Filming Locations:

Cinema General Studios - 846 N. Cahuenga, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bing Crosby Productions, Bob Crane Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min 30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (pilot) Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Stalag 13 outdoor set was located at the NW corner of the Forty Acres back lot in Culver City, CA, near Lucerne Ave and Higuera St, SE corner. After the series cancellation, the set was used as Medical Camp 9 in the Nazi sexploitation thriller Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS. It was also used in the Mission: Impossible episode "Trial By Fury" where it doubled as a South American prison. The back lot was bulldozed in 1976 and is now an industrial park. The location was previously used for the Tara plantation facade in Gone with the Wind.

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Goofs

The RAF Corporal wears an incorrect cap. The cap he wears is a US style 'Garrison Cap'. He should be wearing a 'forage cap' whilst similar, has different shape and stitching. The garrison cap has 2 buttons on the front, which have been added to make it look like a forage cap. Garrison caps don't have buttons on the front.

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Quotes

[a German guard is fending off POW Newkirk from a restricted area]
Guard: Nein!
Newkirk: Oh no, must be half past ten by now.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Simpsons: The Great Louse Detective (2002)

User Reviews

A very special series

"For security reasons I cannot tell you the exact location. The request was no names please, but somewhere in Germany an American officer is operating a sabotage and rescue unit from of all places, a POW camp. These men saved my life. For me they are among the unsung heroes of this war."

Bob Crane pacing in perfect step with a chimp -- an unforgettable image from an all-time TV classic.

I have seen more repetitions of Hogan's Heroes than I have seen cycles of any other TV series. Watching the entire series, viewers will see that most episodes were wacky and certainly unrealistic. Silly, zany comedy was the norm. However, other episodes were much more sober and more filled with tension and suspense (check out the "North Star" episode from one of the early seasons). Some episodes added twists upon twists upon twists. Most were story driven rather than simply character driven.

The cast was top notch and worked well together in front of the camera. Charisma and chemistry -- and mighty funny too! Check this series out.