"Hogan's Heroes" War Takes a Holiday (TV Episode 1968) Poster

(TV Series)

(1968)

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9/10
An all out funny episode.
kfo949427 September 2014
Hochstetter has just rounded up leader of the underground movement and taken them to Stalag 13. Hogan knows that this will cause a void in the underground if they cannot escape. But Hochstetter has doubled the guard after a failed escape and now the only way the leaders are going to see freedom is if the war comes to an end.

That is exactly what Hogan is going to make Klink and Hochstetter to believe. Hogan and his men set up some phony radio messages and a crank phone call to make the Germans think the war has come to an end. Hogan is hoping that Hochstetter will release the underground prisoners as a good jester show by the Gestapo.

This was a humorous show that had lots of laughs. Howard Caine, as Hochstetter, is at his best in this performance as the Gestapo Major will end up in some serious trouble with the boys back in Berlin. An all out funny episode that was entertaining from beginning to end.

Note- Larry Hovis does not appear in this episode. His lines were filled by William Christopher playing a prisoner named Thomas.
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9/10
One of the Best Heroes Episodes, but.....
coachanthony794 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I love this episode, one of the top-ten Hogan's for sure. Lots of action, lots of laughs, and an excellent story. One of the best scenes occurs when William Christopher and Ivan Dixon break into the Nazi radio station and take it over. Obviously, having Dixon doing the announcing is the ultimate!!!

However, there is one major flaw in the script. It occurs early when Major Hochstetter shows up. He looks at Hogan and says "Who is this man?!?!?" This makes no sense since Howard Caine has already appeared in seven previous episodes as Hochstetter, meaning he knows who Colonel Hogan is! This makes no sense. Unless this episode was shot the previous season and was not used?

I hope someone can clarify this.
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10/10
Larry Hovis is actually NOT in this episode
pmike-113121 August 2023
Despite the poor eyesight and/or utter confusion of another "reviewer", Larry Hovis is nowhere to be seen in this episode. It is CLEARLY William Christopher in the radio station scenes. Very clearly.

Don't bother reading this part. It is only here to fulfill the ridiculous 600 word requirement imposed on all reviews. If they want a full-scale book for every review, they'll soon regret it. A travesty indeed, but IMDb owns this sandbox. If you own the toys, you get to make the rules. This paragraph is a shining example of what one will go through to leave a concise, meaningful post.

If you have not read this, congratulations; you have shown good sense. If you have read this, you might want to re-evaluate your priorities. Thank you and bye-bye. And buy bonds.
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10/10
Larry Hovis actually appears in this episode
neal-265 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
You can see him in the scene where he wrecks the radio studio.

And this absolutely is one of the 10 best episodes, maybe number 1!

And moving out the underground prisoners in Hochstetter's car is priceless.
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8/10
Stolen premise, but rather memorable and funny episode
FlushingCaps29 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode stole the basic premise from an episode of McHale's Navy that aired over four years earlier, titled, The Day the War Stood Still. In that one, the gang's personal POW, Fuji, was captured by Captain Binghamton and they did many of the same type of things used in this Hogan's Heroes to convince Ol' Leadbottom that WWII-at least in the Pacific-was over, resulting in Binghamton releasing Fuji just before another officer arrived who lets Binghamton know that the war is NOT over.

Change Binghamton for Klink and Hochstetter and you have much the same plot. Here it is five Underground leaders who Hochstetter captured and is temporarily housing at Stalag 13. Hogan could safely arrange for this because they were Hochstetter's prisoners and it was he who not only authorized their release, he even loaned them his car to drive out of camp, so he couldn't blame Klink and thus arrange for him to be transferred.

I think both episodes always stood out in my childhood memories because the idea of faking the end of the war seemed so challenging and that our guys could pull this off just made it seem like a special episode in each case.

They were both quite funny-maybe a step behind the best in each series, but above average. Very funny show with a truly zany premise-an 8.

William Christopher subbed for Larry Hovis in this episode. Christopher was in four episodes in this series, twice as a German. So he served in the Army Air Corps in WWII with Hogan, in the Army in Korea in the 1950s with Hawkeye and gang as Fr. Mulcahy on MASH, and in Southern California in the Marines in 16 episodes of Gomer Pyle, USMC. Hovis was also in Gomer's platoon in 11 episodes of that series, with the character's name cleverly being "Larry."
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