"Hogan's Heroes" (1965) TV series 1965-1971

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Creators:

Bernard Fein
Albert S. Ruddy

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

17 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Sabotage | Pow | Prisoner Of War | Prisoner Of War Camp | Bombing

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 10 nominations

Cast

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)
Richard Dawson	...	Cpl. Peter Newkirk / ... (168 episodes, 1965-1971)
Larry Hovis	...	Sgt. Andrew Carter / ... (168 episodes, 1965-1971)
Robert Clary	...	Cpl. Louis LeBeau / ... (167 episodes, 1965-1971)
Ivan Dixon	...	Sgt. James 'Kinch' Kinchloe / ... (145 episodes, 1965-1970)

Runtime:

30 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (pilot) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | New Zealand:G (season 1) | USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Bing Crosby Productions

Trivia:

General Burkhalter's Iron Cross is the "Knight's Cross with diamonds and swords".

Goofs:

Continuity: In "The Scientist", Carter states that he can't teach LeBeau any chemistry because he ran a drugstore, not a chemist's shop. But in the earlier episode "German Bridge Is Falling Down", he knew how to make explosive chlorine gas out of ammonia and bleach, and in the later episode "Hogan Springs", he mixed up a convincing batch of "mineral water" with no difficulty.

Quotes:

Col. Wilhelm Klink: [annoyed] Colonel Hogan, I'm very busy this morning - dispatches from Berlin. What is it?
Col. Robert E. Hogan: I want to register a complaint on behalf of my men.
Col. Wilhelm Klink: [sarcastically] Really? A complaint. Not sufficient entertainment, perhaps.
Col. Robert E. Hogan: No, you're funny enough.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The West Wing: No Exit (#5.20)" (2004)

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.