"Big Brother" is a highly unlikely episode....one that probably never could have happened but is enjoyable to watch nevertheless.
It begins with the Colonel's plane out of fuel and needing to make an emergency landing. Oddly, he ends up landing in North Africa...near where American forces are fighting the Germans. The commander of the beliguered Allied troops on the group just happens to be Colonel Gallagher's brother, Lt. Colonel Preston Gallagher (Jack Lord). When they land, it's obvious Preston is overwhelmed and imbalanced due to fatigue. What's next? See the episode.
The notion of two Colonels meeting like this who are brothers is pretty hard to believe....as well as a B-17 going to North Africa to land. But it is enjoyable. What isn't enjoyable for history lovers like me is the horrible use of stock footage in the show. First, they show Stuka dive bombers and then they become fighters (Fw-190s and Bf-109s). Then later the say that the bombers cannot easily get away from the base due to the Stukas...but the Stuka was an incredibly slow and not especially competent plane when engaging in any sort of dogfight...even with a bomber. The B-17 could fly MUCH faster and was much more heavily armed...so Stukas shouldn't have posed a lot of problems. And, speaking of problems, more lousy footage follows--such as closeups of American P-47 guns (which are supposed to be German) and the use of American and British tanks...and calling them German. It seems that no one particularly cared what footage they used...and it shows. Oh, and finally, the B-17 footage of the plane smashing into the hill...it was also used the previous episode!
It begins with the Colonel's plane out of fuel and needing to make an emergency landing. Oddly, he ends up landing in North Africa...near where American forces are fighting the Germans. The commander of the beliguered Allied troops on the group just happens to be Colonel Gallagher's brother, Lt. Colonel Preston Gallagher (Jack Lord). When they land, it's obvious Preston is overwhelmed and imbalanced due to fatigue. What's next? See the episode.
The notion of two Colonels meeting like this who are brothers is pretty hard to believe....as well as a B-17 going to North Africa to land. But it is enjoyable. What isn't enjoyable for history lovers like me is the horrible use of stock footage in the show. First, they show Stuka dive bombers and then they become fighters (Fw-190s and Bf-109s). Then later the say that the bombers cannot easily get away from the base due to the Stukas...but the Stuka was an incredibly slow and not especially competent plane when engaging in any sort of dogfight...even with a bomber. The B-17 could fly MUCH faster and was much more heavily armed...so Stukas shouldn't have posed a lot of problems. And, speaking of problems, more lousy footage follows--such as closeups of American P-47 guns (which are supposed to be German) and the use of American and British tanks...and calling them German. It seems that no one particularly cared what footage they used...and it shows. Oh, and finally, the B-17 footage of the plane smashing into the hill...it was also used the previous episode!