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Discussion » Questions » Television and Movies » What is your favorite military TV show? Mine was M*A*S*H*.

What is your favorite military TV show? Mine was M*A*S*H*.

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Posted - February 22, 2021

Responses


  • 10449
    Hogan's Heroes 
      February 22, 2021 5:21 PM MST
    3

  • 44175
    A classic.
      February 22, 2021 6:35 PM MST
    3

  • 10037
    Tour of Duty or China Beach. I watched and enjoyed both of those. 
      February 22, 2021 6:16 PM MST
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  • 22853
    I didn't watch "Tour of Duty" but always have liked actor Kevin Conroy.
      February 22, 2021 7:58 PM MST
    3

  • 10037
    I don't remember him from the show. I remember Terrence Knox, but I already was familiar with him from St. Elsewhere. My favorite was Stephen Caffrey's character... so dreamy! 

    I was actually interested in the Vietnam War thanks to a sociology teacher, but I'm sure the theme song (Paint it Black) and the hot young guys is what kept me watching each week. ;)

      February 23, 2021 6:16 PM MST
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  • 22853
    That guy is certainly attractive, for sure.
    I think Kevin Conroy is, too. I believe his character in "Tour of Duty" was killed of in less than two seasons, maybe. Like I said, I didn't watch the show.
    Conroy was also on "Another World" daytime soap.
    Conroy also is hugely famous for being the voice of "Batman" in the animated series/ movies.

    Here he is in "Tour of Duty":

    SLIDE 57 Tour of Duty's Captain Rusty Wallace ( Kevin Conroy)
      February 23, 2021 7:20 PM MST
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  • 10037
    He is cute. 

    Yeah, lot of death in that series. Lot of death in war.   :(

    I watched "Another World" for a few years as a teenager. Haha! 





      February 24, 2021 7:36 PM MST
    1

  • 10451
    McHale's Navy was pretty funny. Cheers!
      February 22, 2021 6:44 PM MST
    3

  • 44175
    Yes it was...Tim Conway at his best.
      February 22, 2021 6:49 PM MST
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  • 52903

     

        Personally, I liked his years on “The Carol Burnett Show” much better.  Pairing him with Harvey Korman was both comedy gold and golden comedy. 
     

    ~

     
      February 22, 2021 8:58 PM MST
    3

  • 19942
    The two of them were fantastic together.  The episode with Tim Conway as the dentist and Harvey Korman as the patient and Conway sticking himself several times with the novacaine.  Priceless.
      February 22, 2021 9:47 PM MST
    2

  • 52903
      February 22, 2021 10:41 PM MST
    2

  • 44175
    I agree. Carl Burnett and her crew were geniuses.
      February 23, 2021 9:12 AM MST
    2

  • 52903


      
    “Major Dad” and “Tour of Duty” were both hokey and purely Hollywood (as in no semblance whatsoever to actual military life), but I had an affinity to the former for its US Marine Corps connection and marginally funny moments, while the latter had interesting storylines and sort of/kind of/almost aimed for a modicum of realism. 

      I was an ardent fan of “M*A*S*H” prior to joining the Marine Corps, but my perspective quickly and thoroughly changed after I joined. I then saw it as an unbearably unwatchable liberal platform. 

      When I was a young kid, I sort of liked “Gomer Pyle, USMC”, but once again, after having joined the USMC myself, it was a complete embarrassment. I learned that due to its years on the air (1964 to 1969), which were the years that the Vietnam War began escalating more rapidly as time went by, a clandestine coalition of Hollywood elite, big business, and the US federal government conspired to use inflated “ratings” to give the appearance of public acceptance of the show as a way to offset anti-war and anti-government sentiment. Some of the reasons the show was so dopey were an attempt to downplay the “hawk” image of the military, to pretend that no US servicemen and servicewomen were locked in deadly combat in foreign lands (absence of battle scenes, lack of mention of the war, no wounded or dead were ever shown, no overseas deployment was ever part of the plots), to bridge the generation gap in a way that showed youth and innocence as overcoming rough-and-tumble establishment types in a goofy yet respectful way, to present a relatable “loveable” guy who was both harmless and had a heart, etc. Military veterans despised the show for its silliness in making a laughingstock of serving the country and perpetuating stereotypes. Actual ratings may have been skewered in a propaganda-driven move to lull the masses. 

      Other such TV shows with military themes were similarly propped up: “McHale’s Navy” 1962 to 1966; “Hogan’s Heroes” 1965 to 1971; “F Troop” 1965 to 1966.

      The big screen was also roped into the fray, most notably the 1966 blockbuster, “The Green Berets”.

    ~

      February 22, 2021 7:03 PM MST
    4

  • 17364
    I liked MASH too.  When I was a kid I loved a TV show called Combat. 
      February 22, 2021 8:53 PM MST
    3

  • 52903

     

      Do you also remember “Rat Patrol”?
    ~

      February 22, 2021 10:43 PM MST
    1

  • 17364
    No.  Combat either came on at a time my paw paw didn't watch TV or he liked it too.  He was in charge of the tuner.  Period.
      February 23, 2021 10:07 PM MST
    1

  • 52903

     

      I don’t remember having seen episodes of “Combat”, but I’m sure I probably have. They would have been in reruns, based on my age. I have memories of seeing a few reruns of “Rat Patrol” back in my teens, but nothing since then. 

    ~

      February 24, 2021 7:37 AM MST
    1

  • 17364
    All of the kids liked Combat.  We played war over on the mountain where there were lots of boulders to hide behind.  The girls were good soldiers just like the boys.  We had sticks for guns.  Every now and then someone would show up with a BB gun and we all refused to play until he took it home.  There was a legend of a kid losing an eye to a BB.   I don't know if it was true but we were all resolved to avoid them.  Some had them though.  Not us.

    Rat Patrol sounds familiar but I don't really have a memory of it.

    Do you think the 'back to top' button will ever come back? This post was edited by Thriftymaid at February 24, 2021 5:22 PM MST
      February 24, 2021 3:44 PM MST
    1

  • 52903

     

      I believe the back-to-top button may be restored someday, but only with a lot of lobbying from us here in the peanut gallery. We have to make noise. 

     


    ~

      February 24, 2021 5:19 PM MST
    1

  • 44175
    Yes...Combat. Vic Morrow. I was an ardent fan.
      February 23, 2021 9:14 AM MST
    4

  • 19942
    For comedy, you couldn't beat M*A*S*H, but for serious, I loved The Unit with Dennis Haysbert.  It was only on for three years, which was a shame.  
      February 22, 2021 9:50 PM MST
    3

  • 10451
    F Troop was another funny one. Cheers!
      February 23, 2021 9:24 AM MST
    2

  • 52903

     

      While not a favorite of mine, an honorable mention is “The Phil Silvers Show” (informally called The Sergeant Bilko Show), 1955 to 1959. I only saw it in reruns.
    ~

      February 23, 2021 9:29 AM MST
    1