As a fan of the theatrical version of 12 O'Clock High (Best Ever War Film!) I finally had a chance to see the TV series that I've read so much about. I even figured that the Robert Lansing episodes must be better because he was playing the TV version of Gregory Peck's General Savage. Lansing (Savage) was the perfect, no nonsense commander. They had a job to do and they had to get it done! As the channel running the episodes is running them out of order, I've seen a good mix of both Lansing as Savage and Paul Burke as Col. Gallagher. I made the transition just fine. I only wish I hadn't known it was going to happen, but what ya going' ta do?
That said though, I like them both just fine. They're different, yes, but in war there's always a big turnover. In fact, I found it hard to believe that such high ranking officers would fly so many dangerous combat missions and Savage finally getting it made it much more realistic. In fact, they way he was lost was a nice bit of outside the box thinking. I also think that 78 episodes were about as far as they could stretch story lines before recycling used Hogan's Heroes scripts. Heck, they practically did for a few episodes when they wrote in the prison camp and "shuttle raid" story lines. They almost had to. By it's very nature, most of the combat takes place in the air which left no real way for more personal "Us vs. Them" action and more plots involving the 918th working with French ground resistance would have gotten old fast.
Anyway, great show with one of the best ever theme songs and I'm savoring every episode. In fact, I've just completed my "25th mission" and hope to see the remaining 53 episodes before some programming genius takes it off the air. They run only one episode a week which is just fine with me, (except for running them out of order) , because I have about a year's supply left. Programming execs not withstanding.
BTW, how many "Picidilly Lilly's" have there been? I count at least four. Savage was shot down three times and Col. Gallagher continues to fly a B-17E named for Lilly.
That said though, I like them both just fine. They're different, yes, but in war there's always a big turnover. In fact, I found it hard to believe that such high ranking officers would fly so many dangerous combat missions and Savage finally getting it made it much more realistic. In fact, they way he was lost was a nice bit of outside the box thinking. I also think that 78 episodes were about as far as they could stretch story lines before recycling used Hogan's Heroes scripts. Heck, they practically did for a few episodes when they wrote in the prison camp and "shuttle raid" story lines. They almost had to. By it's very nature, most of the combat takes place in the air which left no real way for more personal "Us vs. Them" action and more plots involving the 918th working with French ground resistance would have gotten old fast.
Anyway, great show with one of the best ever theme songs and I'm savoring every episode. In fact, I've just completed my "25th mission" and hope to see the remaining 53 episodes before some programming genius takes it off the air. They run only one episode a week which is just fine with me, (except for running them out of order) , because I have about a year's supply left. Programming execs not withstanding.
BTW, how many "Picidilly Lilly's" have there been? I count at least four. Savage was shot down three times and Col. Gallagher continues to fly a B-17E named for Lilly.