1960's TV - WW2 Themed Shows

[GFM]

While at the SOS I had a discussion with a couple other collectors in my age group (50's) in which we were talking about where a lot of our interest in WW2 militaria originated and what fostered it. We reminicsed about how as kids growing up in the 60's we had a plethora of WW2 themed television shows on prime time TV that kept us glued to the sets and fueled our interest (when we weren't busy building model airplanes and tanks, or playing with our army men & GI Joes, or playing 'war' in the backyard in real uniforms).

Anyway, the discussion moved on to attempting to recall all the shows. Some were popular, some were obscure and lasted only one season ("Blue Light", for instance, which starred Robert Goulet and was about a spy in a German V2 underground rocket facility....may have even been shot on the real location). So, I thought it might be fun and interesting to have everyone recall their favorite shows so that we might get an all encompassing list going. I'll start with what I remember watching offhand, I'm sure there are one or two others:

Television Shows
Twelve O'Clock High
Combat
Rat Patrol
McHale's Navy
Hogan's Hero's
Garrison's Gorilla's
Blue Light
Baa Baa Black Sheep (actually I believe this was the 70's)

[Jonathan M]

We had the A-Team growing up in the 80's

[John Huff]

I think there was an off-shoot to "Combat" that featured Lt. Hanley rather than Sgt. Saunders.... can't recall the name but it is still on late-night TV. There was also a few cool Twilight Zone episodes with WW2 themes. I recall the SS concentration camp commandant who revisited the scenes of his crimes and was confronted by his victims.
I vaguely recall an off-shoot to the "Operation Petticoat" movie... maybe I'm mistaken on that one.

[Phil Borchert]

There was a show about submarines. LLoyd Bridges was the captain and I think it was on Saturday nights. It ran about five years. I can't rememmber the name of the show.

[GFM]

Yes, the memory banks get a little foggy after all these years. I remember that Operation Petticoat TV spin-off too. Seems there were a lot of one-season wonders that few remember. Blue Light was one of my favorites, a great show, and it only lasted one season. Now its hard to even find anything about it with an internet search.

The first shows I really remember were Combat and Tweleve O' Clock High (I'll never forget the tagline the voiceover gave after announcing the show: "a Quinn/Martin production"), which were both on in the early 60's.

TV really was a wonderland for kids back then. If WW2 wasn't enough, we also had great shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Time Tunnel, Star Trek.....even cartoons like Johnny Quest, Flintstones, Jetsons, etc. all had prime time slots. Just goes to show the power of the baby boomers as kids that all television was oriented around us.

[bobcam1]

I think there was an off-shoot to "Combat" that featured Lt. Hanley rather than Sgt. Saunders.... can't recall the name but it is still on late-night TV.

"The Gallant Men" was the name of that show.....The ORIGINAL, unaired pilot actually used the cast of "Combat" in a brief appearance. Robert Altman directed, as he did with many episodes of "Combat".
I recently finished watching the entire boxed set of all five seasons of "Combat" and I have to say, it brought me right back to being a kid, again....
As for the Lloyd Bridges submarine show, I don't remember that one. I know he did "Sea Hunt" for five seasons, where he played Mike Nelson, a SCUBA diver who got into all kinds of adventures, but I'm unaware of a TV series about submarines that he was involved in.

Cheers,
Bob.

[GFM]

There was a show about submarines. LLoyd Bridges was the captain and I think it was on Saturday nights. It ran about five years. I can't rememmber the name of the show.

Maybe you are thinking of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" as Richard Basehart, who played Admiral Nelson on the series, had a slight resemblance to Bridges.

[Martin W]

A few of the shows listed above were shown on British TV in the 60's and 70's,
i certainly remember watching Hogans Heroes as a kid.We also had a few good ones ourselves on the BBC,my favorite being a series called "Dad's Army".I still love watching the old episodes.

regards,Martin.

[Scott Powell]

SGT Bilko and Gomer Pyle always bring a smile to my face

[john moody]

Hello all,
In Britain we watched "Hogan's Heroes" and in particular I can remember the plump Luftwaffe NCO who was frightened of being sent to the Russian front,but for my generation (50 this year) "Dad's Army" was the series that summed up the war years - god help us if the Germans had invaded!
The best series was broadcast in the 1970's - "Colditz" wish that was out on DVD!

Best regards,

John.

[Dan P]

There was also a few cool Twilight Zone episodes with WW2 themes. I recall the SS concentration camp commandant who revisited the scenes of his crimes and was confronted by his victims.

That's a great Twilight Zone episode where the SS captain revisits Dachau. It's titled "Death's-Head Revisited", one of my favorites.

I also liked 1983's "Twilight Zone: The Movie" where the character played by Vic Morrow (of '60s Combat fame) was chased down by the SS for being "Jewish". Sadly, Morrow was killed while filming the Vietnam portion of that segment.

[Rylan]

Combat! What a great show!!

It is really too bad about Vic Morrow... and Rick Jason too... A lot of people forget he killed himself which is really too bad.

Self inflicted gun shot wound as I recall, RIP

They do live on though, I am proud to say I have all 5 seasons on DVD, that show got me into collecting ww2 german militaria.

[Biber]

Wasn't there a WWII series (very short lived) in the early 70s called something like "move em out". I can barely remember it, but seems to me it was trying to ride on the coat tails of MASH.

B

[Nicholas Link]

Does anyone happen to remember the name of the movie about the pink submarine? I'd like to buy it, but for the life of me I can't remember the title.

[Joe]

That's was a Cary Grant movie. I think it's Operation Petticoat.