Hogan's Heroes: Season 3

Season 3 of Hogan's Heroes has some of the top ranked episodes, including War Takes A Holiday when Hogan tricks Colonel Klink and Gestapo Major Hochstetter (Whooo eeez theese mahn?) that the war is over so prisoners can escape. In The Ultimate Weapon Colonel Hogan convinces Schultz he has ESP, with the predictable outcome of disaster for the Nazis. Colonel Crittendon shows up in The Crittendon Plan, which only endangers Hogan's smooth running operation. I've been a fan of Hogan's Heroes for 40 years, and can't wait to get each DVD set.

63: The Crittendon Plan 9/9/1967

64: Some of Their Planes Are Missing 9/16/1967

65: D-Day at Stalag 13 9/23/1967

66: Sergeant Schultz Meets Mata Hari 10/7/1967

67: Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London 10/7/1967

68: Casanova Klink 10/14/1967

69: How to Win Friends and Influence Nazis 10/21/1967

70: Nights in Shining Armor 10/28/1967

71: Hot Money 11/4/1967

72: One in Every Crowd 11/11/1967

73: Is General Hammerschlag Burning? 11/18/1967

74: A Russian is Coming 11/25/1967

75: An Evening of Generals (a.k.a. Evening of the Generals)12/2/1967

76: Everybody Loves a Snowman 12/9/1967

77: The Hostage 12/16/1967

78: Carter Turns Traitor 12/23/1967

79: Two Nazis for the Price of One 12/30/1967

80: Is There a Doctor in the House? 1/6/1968

81: Hogan, Go Home 1/13/1968

82: Sticky Wicket Newkirk 1/20/1968

83: War Takes a Holiday 1/27/1968

84: Duel of Honor 2/3/1968

85: Axis Annie 2/10/1968

86: What Time Does the Balloon Go Up? 2/17/1968

87: LeBeau and the Little Old Lady 2/24/1968

88: How to Escape From Prison Camp Without Really Trying 3/2/1968

89: The Collector General 3/9/1968

90: The Ultimate Weapon 3/16/1968

91: Monkey Business 3/23/1968

92: Drums Along the Dusseldorf 3/30/1968

It'd be great to read some reviews posted by cast members.

Without a doubt, "War takes a Holiday" is probably the best episode of "Hogan's Heroes" and one of the funniest sitcom presentations ever on television. The absolute absurdity of "Hogan's Heroes" is neatly summed up as Col. Hogan and the boys convince the Germans that the war is over so as to secure the release of some important allied prisoners.

Every one of the classic "Hogan" characters plays his part (with the notable exception of Larry Hovis, who is strangely AWOL this time around) to maximum effect as the prisoners concoct and enact a scheme whereas they isolate and control communication around Stalag 13 and convinice everyone, prisoners included, that World War II has ended. It is especially priceless to see Howard Caine's Major Hochsteter join in the mirth as he unwittingly allows Hogan to secure his staff car for the prisoners' escape, as Hogan suggests it would be a nice gesture..."seeing that the war is over."

The introductory CBS logo is gone, but the show remains in top form. Season three of HOGAN'S HEROES is the point at which the actors have become inseparable from their roles.

More Col. Crittendon, Hochstetter, but less of Hilda. This season featured larger roles for Ivan Dixon, Larry Hovis, Robert Clary, and Richard Dawson.

Some of the best shows of the series appear in this season. Included this this collection are episodes about the snowman tunnel, Schultz conveniently misplacing his rifle while under fire, and Crittendon's assignment to replace Hogan at Stalag 13.

Yes, it is still perpetual winter at Stalag 13. Despite the lush California greenry in the background we still believe that it is freezing cold outside. The actors must have been roasting in their jackets and overcoats. Additionally, you do not have to look too carefully in some of the season three episodes to spot a soundstage or studio warehouse in the background -- towering over the barracks set. Then again, after three years it was becoming difficult to find new camera angles from which to shoot.

Klink still reports to General Burkhalter. Leon Askin, as usual, is great in this role. However, throughout the series' six-year run there was always a question as to why a Luftwaffe colonel reported to a Heer general. We will just have to assume that Burkhalter, whose military duties were never fully described in the series, was the local non-combat Wehrkreis commander. From a military heraldry standpoint it is interesting to note that Burkhalter sports a ceremonial Luftwaffe dagger suspended from his leather belt.

Like the costuming of the SS in other television series, HOGAN'S HEROES SS and Gestapo personnel, who should be wearing field gray uniforms in wartime, continue to don their pre-war black attire. I suppose that it made them more readily identifiable as the bad guys. Season Three marks the first time we find Burkhalter and Hochstetter together in the same episode. According to Brenda Scott Royce's book HOGAN'S HEROES: BEHIND THE SCENES, the Hochstetter character was used almost interchangabley for Burkhalter when Leon Askin was unavailable for a show.

There are a couple additional faux pas in this season. In one episode we find Klink summoned to report to a high ranking SS general. He tries on hats trying to decide which one to wear for the visit. The peaked cap he dons for one moment is not his usual Luftwaffe hat, but is a field-green German army (Heer)cap. Additionally, the mystery is solved as to how Sergeant Schultz's cartridge belt remains level around his equitorial girth. Most German soldiers wore leather Y-suspenders to support their heavily laden belts. In one show, while Schultz is temporarily in charge of the Luft Stalag, we see that his overcoat is tailored with metal clips on each side so that his overcoat actually supports his belt.

By the way, doesn't anyone find it peculiar that the French underground is operating so deep inside Germany? Luft Stalag 13's fictional location is in the middle of Germany by Hammelburg. During World War Two, Hammelburg was actually the site of a Yugosloav and American POW camp that housed General George S. Patton's son in law after his capture in North Africa.

In Season Three there are numerous clues that it is 1944 as there is talk of an impending D-Day invasion, two episodes about rocket fuel, and General Hammerschlag's plan for the destruction of Paris prior to its capture by the Allies. In fact, the title of the Paris episode, "Is General Hammerschlag Burning?" is a direct reference to the Larry Collins and Dominique Lepierre book (and later movie of the same name) IS PARIS BURNING? However, a few episodes later, Hogan tries to persuade Klink to play his violin in a POW camp stage production of "Escape Follies of 1943." Much like M*A*S*H, the actual chronological date is not important.

Remember too that this was the year that Desilu Studios was absorbed into Paramount. Some episodes credit Desilu, while others list Paramount. The original STAR TREK likewise shared this change. Considering the fact that the Culver City 40 Acres lot, which was actually 29 acres in size, was surrounded by urban sprawl the studio did a fantastic job depicting the Luftstalag as being located in the country. Indeed, when I stumbled onto a several websites featuring photographs of Stalag 13's set in the northwest corner of the lot, I was amazed at how the narrow, grassy and tree studded berm effectively shielded the lot from the highway, homes, and businesses directly on the other side. About the only recurring clue that civilization lurks nearby are the utility lines above the trees.

As another point of trivia, the edge of the HOGAN'S HEROES set was directly on top of the site of GONE WITH THE WIND's Tara mansion. Unfortunately the dilapidated remains of Stalag 13 were bulldozed in 1976 to make way for modern sound stages and buildings built for a procession of subsequent studio lot owners.

Once again the DVD set is of exceptional quality.

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