Courtesy: Paramount Studios Home Entertainment/CBS DVD
CBS DVD and Paramount have been on quite the roll in the past year or so. Between April and November of 2015 the two companies partnered to turn out no fewer than nine of CBS’ classic series in their full-series sets. A small handful of those releases were first time releases while a number of others were re-issues including: JAG: The Complete Series, I Love Lucy: The Complete Series, Walker Texas Ranger: The Complete Series, and Star Trek The Original Series just to name a handful of those titles. There were even re-issues of all eight seasons of The Andy Griffith Show in their own standalone sets courtesy of Paramount. As busy as Paramount and CBS DVD proved to be in 2015, one would think that the companies would pull back a little bit this year. That apparently has not been the case. The Andy Griffith Show was re-issued in whole this past February on DVD. And earlier this month another classic CBS series—Hogan’s Heroes—was re-issued (again) on DVD. It marked the third time since 2007 that the series had been released in whole on DVD. Even despite this it is still another welcome addition to any classic TV buff’s home DVD library.
Paramount and CBS DVD’s latest re-issue of Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series is not the first release of the classic sitcom. It is the third time since 2007 that the series has been released in full on DVD. Despite this it is still a welcome addition to any classic TV buff’s home DVD library. It is just as welcome in the library of any of the series’ fans that might perhaps not already own the series in its entirety. For those that perhaps have never had the pleasure of enjoying Hogan’s Heroes the series’ writing behind the series is the central point of this box set’s presentation. This applies both to the show’s premise and the stories within its episodes. The premise presents a group of Allied POWs (led by Col. Robert Hogan), in a Nazi concentration camp that is helping the Allies defeat the Nazis. They also help other Allied forces escape the Nazis along the way. All the while Hogan and his band of misfits generate plenty of laughs as they outsmart Col. Klink and his bumbling head of security Sgt. Schultz in order to accomplish their missions. All of this is important to note because over the course of its nearly six years on the air (It aired from September 17th, 1965 – April 4th, 1971. That is just short of six years) there was nothing like it on the air. This includes both the huge variety of sitcoms that populated television’s then limited channels and its dramas, as well. Even more interesting is that the series, thanks to its premise, caused its own share of controversy because of its playful, lighthearted approach to the life of POWs in WWII-era Germany. Thankfully though, that controversy has turned to appreciation over the years since the series presented Klink, Schultz, and the rest of the Germans as being rather dumb and gullible. It is the American equivalent of the propaganda films used by the Axis forces during the war. Sure, it came along two decades after the end of the war. But one could argue that since it came along during the Vietnam War, it actually could have served, in its own right, to be a way for people to get escape the tragedies of one war with a comical approach to another war. That’s probably a stretch on the part of this critic. Regardless it was—and is—still an original premise. For that reason alone, the premise behind the series makes it an important part of the series’ writing. It is just one part of the writing that makes this element so important in the series’ presentation.
The premise behind Hogan’s Heroes is in itself hugely important to the series’ presentation. That is because in comparison to other series of the time, it was just one more series that made television so great in what has become known as television’s golden age. That is because it was unlike its counterparts at the time much in the same way that those series were unlike other series at the time. It’s just one part of what makes the series’ writing so important to its presentation. The stories that were crafted for each of the series’ one hundred sixty-eight episodes are just as important to the series’ presentation as the series’ premise. Over the course of its nearly two hundred episodes, the series’ writers came up time and again with totally original stories that kept the series fresh and entertaining. “Kommandant Schultz” (Season 6) is just one example of what makes the series’ episodes so entertaining. This episode puts Schultz in charge of Stalag 13 for a short period of time in order to train him how to be a commanding officer. The reason for the training is that Hitler had requested all NCOs in every camp be trained. The end result is a story line that while tried and true, is still just as entertaining her as in any other series. Viewers will love watching as Schultz tries to overcome his bumbling personality and become a respectable officer, only to come up short. He still gets the last laugh in the end, though. Viewers really can’t help but root for him here even though he is supposed to be one of the bad guys. Of course audiences can’t really help but root for Schultz throughout the series. And that is likely linked to John Banner’s (the actor who portrayed Schultz) real life personality. This will be discussed later.
“The Great Brinksmeyer Robbery” (Season 2) is another example of how the stories crafted for Hogan’s Heroes prove so important to the series’ presentation. This episode is so important to note because it was one of the many times throughout the series in which the series’ writers took Hogan and company out of the confines of Stalag 13 for its story. The story itself is just as important to note. Hogan’s morals are tested somewhat when he is forced with the realization that he and the other men will have to rob a bank in order to purchase a map that would help the Allies’ efforts in the war. He obviously doesn’t want to have to rob a bank. But he reminds himself that it would be a German bank. That in turn sets up the funny story that follows. The episode’s bank heist story is just part of what makes the episode so entertaining. Schultz does catch Hogan and his men as they are planning their operation. But they turn the tables, blackmailing Schultz because he is not supposed to be away on leave. Schultz’s reaction is timeless, especially as calm and collected as Hogan is in the moment. It is just one of the great moments presented in this episode that make it so fun and funny. The others will be left for audiences to discover for themselves. The end result of the episode’s story is just as entertaining. All things considered, the whole of this episode’s story—from the story itself to the story’s smaller elements—shows once again why it is one more example of the importance of the stories’ importance to the series’ overall presentation. It is hardly the last example, too. “Is There A Traitor In The House?” (Season 5) is another example of what makes the series’ stories so important to its presentation.
“Kommandant Schutlz” and “The Great Brinksmeyer Robbery” are both prime examples of what makes the stories behind Hogan’s Heroes’ episodes so important to the series’ presentation. They are not the only episodes that can be cited in proving this argument. ‘Is There A Traitor In The House?” This episode is a good example of the strength of the series’ writing because it shows that the series could be entertaining even when Hogan wasn’t at the center of the episodes. This episode puts Newkirk (Richard Dawson) at the center of its story. Newkirk has to convince Klink, Schultz, and Berlin Betty that he has turned in support of the Nazis in order to get bombing coordinates to the British. This happens after a bombing at the camp knocks out the Allies’ radio connection to Britain. Even more interesting is how the story is executed. At first audiences are actually led to believe that Newkirk has turned. Though, it is revealed soon after that he hadn’t. At the same time Berlin Betty has her own secret (or secrets). That will be left for audiences to discover for themselves, too. It’s just one of the story’s elements that makes it so engaging and even somewhat moving. Audiences will understand and appreciate this when they see this episode for themselves. It’s just one more way in which the episodes’ stories prove so important to the series’ presentation. And it is hardly the last story/episode combination that can be cited in making this argument, too. There are plenty of other stories presented across the series’ six-season run that could be cited just as easily. Those stories and the stories cited here combine to show why the episodes’ stories are just as important in the bigger picture of the series’ writing as the show’s premise. While the show’s premise and all of its stories combine to show the importance of its writing in the series’ presentation, the writing is hardly the only element within this box set that makes the set such a welcome addition to any classic TV buff’s home DVD library. The bonus material contained within the series’ new box set is just as important as its writing to its presentation.
The writing behind Hogan’s Heroes is hugely important to the series’ presentation in its latest full series box set. The bonus material included in the set is important in its own right to the set’s presentation. The bonus material featured in this re-issue includes: a pair of original promo spots for the series, Air Force recruitment spots starring series star Bob Crane, a vintage add for Jell-o and Dream Whip starring the series’ whole cast, and behind-the-scenes movies narrated by Crane’s wife Patricia among much more. The vintage TV spots are fun little additions to the set’s bonus material offerings. That is because they haven’t been touched up or spit-shined for their presentation here. They will take viewers back to another age of television in so many ways. From cast-involved ads to direct recruiting spots, such promotion is rarely to never seen on television today. So for television historians and classic TV buffs alike the spots are hugely important if only for their historical value. The behind-the-scenes footage is just as important to the set’s presentation as any of the other bonuses. In fact it could be argued that this bonus is the set’s key bonus. That is because of the information shared by Crane’s wife Patricia. Over the course of the “movie” audiences learn that John Banner’s portrayal of Schultz may have been rather natural. That is because, as Crane reveals, he was considered to be very much like Santa Claus. That is because of how much Banner loved kids and just how personable he was off camera. Comparing Banner to Schultz, one could see how the connection could be made. On another level viewers also learn about the proximity of the Hogan’s Heroes soundstage to that of The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Sure it might not seem all that important on the surface. But it shows just how busy Paramount’s lot was at the time of Hogan’s Heroes’ run. It’s just one more way in which the bonus material included in this set proves to be an important part of the series’ presentation in this newly re-issued box set. There are other bonuses not noted here that were also included in the set’s presentation. Those extras along with the bonuses noted here make clear why the bonus material in whole is so pivotal to the set’s presentation in its own right. They are collectively just one more part of the whole that makes this new re-issue of Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series so enjoyable for audiences. The set’s packaging is just as noteworthy as its bonus material and its writing.
The writing incorporated into Hogan’s Heroes and the bonus material that accompanies the series writing are both important elements in the whole of the series’ newly re-issued DVD box set. The writing, both in terms of the set’s premise and its stories, will keep audiences entertained and engaged from the series’ first season to its sixth. The bonus material included in the set adds even more enjoyment to the set thanks to its historical value. Even as entertaining and valuable as the series’ writing and bonus material prove to be in its presentation here, they are not the only important elements to examine in the set’s presentation. The set’s packaging rounds out its overall presentation. The set’s packaging is a little bit of a mixed bag. The box set’s exterior packaging is much more ergonomic for audiences than owning each of the series’ standalone season sets. However, a closer look at the packaging reveals a different picture. The series’ first four seasons are spread across nineteen discs contained within one box. Seasons Five and Six are presented in a separate box set. Here’s where things get a little bit dicey. The discs that make up the series’ first four seasons are placed one on top of the other top to bottom on either side of five connected leafs inside their box. In other words they are packaged much in the older style of multi-disc DVD box sets. This same method was used in Paramount and CBS DVD’s other recent DVD box set re-issues. The problem with this style of packaging is that it greatly increases the chances of the discs becoming scratched and unusable over time. On the other side of the proverbial coin, Seasons Five an Six are presented in the more modern style of packaging, with one disc on either side of the box’s leafs. This is just as ergonomic if not more so. It also serves to better protect the discs from scratching. So while the packaging is in itself a good thing and somewhat better than that of the series’ previous DVD sets, it is also problematic in its own right. Keeping this in mind, one can’t help but wonder what a Blu-ray box set of Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series would look like. It definitely shows that a Blu-ray set would be a real positive for audiences if only for the set’s packaging. A Blu-ray presentation could potentially even present even more bonus material. Even if that shouldn’t happen anytime soon Paramount and CBS DVD’s new re-issue of Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series still proves itself to be a good addition to any classic TV buff’s home DVD library and that of any of the series’ fans.
Paramount and CBS DVD’s new re-issue of Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series is not the first time that this classic sitcom has been released on DVD. Even despite that it is still a welcome addition to the home DVD library of any classic TV buff and that of the series’ fans. That applies more so to those fans that don’t already own the series in its standalone season sets or its previous full series incarnations. This is proven primarily through the set’s writing. The original premise and equally original story lines will entertain audiences from beginning to end. The bonus material included in this, the series’ most recent re-issue. It adds even more enjoyment thanks to its overall historical value. The set’s packaging, while at least somewhat problematic, is also more ergonomic than the series’ previous full series DVD box sets. Though, it can be argued that the packaging alone necessitates a Blu-ray release for the series. A blu-ray presentation would potentially be even more ergonomic than this DVD box set or any of the series’ previous full-series incarnations. All things considered Paramount and CBS DVD’s new Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series re-issue is still a welcome addition to the home DVD library of any classic TV buff not already in possession of the series’ previous DVD sets and that of the show’s original fans in the same situation. It is available now in stores and online. It can be ordered online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Hogans-Heroes-Complete-Richard-Dawson/dp/B017Q8QNJK/?tag=cbcoofsiofcb-20.
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