Black Sheep Squadron

[caryc]

Woo Hoo, Black Sheep Squadron is coming back to Me TV. Always liked that program. Gotta' get the DVR set up !

Always marveled at the actual size of those Corsairs with a guy standing next to one. The Jap Zeroes may have been able to out maneuver them but those Corsairs sure were pretty planes.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Cary;
I agree with you on this program. Those Corsairs were large, you should have seen them as a 4th and 5th grader selling papers in the hangers on a Navy Air Station !! I built a semi-scale model of the Corsair F4U (wing span was about 36 inches) and had it set up so I could fly in the Model Carrier Landing events; I had an Enya 35 with a throttle controlled by a third control wire and a tail hook released by the control wires . Painted it a NICE Navy Blue. Never did get to fly it, changed jobs and moved across country and had no room to pack it (DAMN IT !!).

GO BLACK SHEEP !!!

 

[GunnyGene]

Met Pappy once many years ago at a book signing. If you can find a copy of his book it's a good read.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

My brother in law's Dad flew Corsairs in the South Pacific. He never said much about his service until that show came out and we asked if it was anywhere close to reality. He hadn't met Pappy Boyington, but said his squadron had "loaned" a couple of planes and pilots to Boyington's group when the Black Sheep had gotten shot up pretty badly. A couple of years after his passing, I met another Corsair driver, who told me that kind of "loaning" men and equipment to other squadrons was pretty common, and Pappy certainly made use of the practice! Both men agreed Boyington was quite the character, and Robert Conrad was a good choice to play him.

Rick C

 

[gmartinnc]

That was a great show and better than anything produced now.

 

[Brules]

I really liked the show...

 

[Bob Wright]

The Corsair and Thunderbolt were two fighters of the period that just had a brutal look about them. While the Mustang was sheer beauty, those two radial engined fighters had a tough look that made them look good.

During WW II and after I often saw Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Hellcats, and Avengers in the skies over Memphis. The Mustangs sort of snarled, the others roared.

Bob Wright

 

[caryc]

Back when I worked an an aircraft job shop at Hemet-Ryan air field the forestry service had their fire bombers stationed at Ryan Field. What they had back then before they got the twin engine bombers were TBF's, torpedo bomber fighters.

We always knew when their was a fire somewhere because we could hear those TBF's fire up their engines. Those things made an ungodly roar and our windows rattled from it. You know what it sounds like if you are at the drags and and in the pits when one of the slingshot rails fires up? Well they had nothing on what those TBF's sounded like.

I miss seeing those little TBF's fighting a fire. Those pilots were really something else. Not to take away anything from those pilots in the bigger bombers but their planes looked like a whooping crane flying compared to the little TBF's that looks like Perigrin falcons zipping around those fires.

 

[skeeter]

I watched the complete series on YouTube. No need to wait for them on TV.

 

[caryc]

I watched the complete series on YouTube. No need to wait for them on TV.

The thing is that it's been so long since I've seen it, I doubt if I will remember any of the episodes. It'll be like it's all new. :mrgreen:

 

[caryc]

The Corsair and Thunderbolt were two fighters of the period that just had a brutal look about them. While the Mustang was sheer beauty, those two radial engined fighters had a tough look that made them look good.

During WW II and after I often saw Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Hellcats, and Avengers in the skies over Memphis. The Mustangs sort of snarled, the others roared.

Bob Wright

The wings on those Corsairs just had that super cool look. :mrgreen:

 

[RugerHound]

Can't flame ya 'cause I never saw the show!

 

[caryc]

Can't flame ya 'cause I never saw the show!

Think "McHale's Navy" with Corsairs. That's pretty much it. At least "McHale's" was meant to be a comedy.
"Black Sheep Squadron" was supposed to be "serious" but ended up just being laughably stupid. - DixieBoy

Well, everybody has their own opinion and now we have yours. Thank you for that.

 

[Colonialgirl]

I LIKED seeing the OLD Corsairs, sitting there, Taxing, taking off and just in general. I was never much of a fan of the other carrier aircraft; they just LACKED the graceful look of the Corsair.
I heard that toward the end of the war, they installed water injection systems that REALLY boosted the Horsepower and speed of them.

 

[blume357]

Read Boyington's book years ago.

I'm going to buck the trend here, about the TV show. It was pure bunk. Beyond stupid. If there had been more footage of the Corsairs used the show might have been tolerable. But it was always the same short snippets of stock footage. Otherwise, the show was a waste, and that's a shame, because it could have been a whole lot better. Okay, flame away. - DixieBoy

I saw a few shows and have to agree with DixieBoy it was pretty lame... Robert Conrad, who I like as an actor, just over acting... and keep in mind the show was created by the same guy who created The A Team.

 

[eveled]

I'm thinking the Black Sheep Squadron TV show is like The Rat Patrol. Cool as could be when I was a kid, but really lame when I look back at it. The A Team, I knew was lame even when I was a kid.

Anybody remember the Vietnam TV show that came out about the same time Platoon was in the theaters? I remember one scene they took cover behind olive drab 80's Chevy pickup trucks.

Loved those Corsairs, just beautiful.

 

[Snake45]

I'm going to buck the trend here, about the TV show. It was pure bunk. Beyond stupid. If there had been more footage of the Corsairs used the show might have been tolerable. But it was always the same short snippets of stock footage. Otherwise, the show was a waste, and that's a shame, because it could have been a whole lot better. Okay, flame away. - DixieBoy

No flames from me, you get a +1 on all that. Real aviation people consider BSS to be a live-action cartoon or comic book, on a par with The A-Team or the silly Rambo movies. Cool to see the Corsairs and other warbirds in action, though. And Robert Conrad and Simon Oakland and Red West are always a hoot in anything. (If I'm not mistaken, Red West was part of Elvis's posse--one of his bodyguards.)

 

[GunnyGene]

Read Boyington's book years ago. What surprised me is how open and honest he was about being a colossal drunk. After the war he could have had incredible opportunities. But he became a serious drunk. At least he was honest about that. I mean, think about: the man was part of the original AVG (the original Flying Tigers) and the leader of one of the most famous fighter squadrons in the South Pacific AND he was fortunate enough to survive being a POW. He could have written his own ticket after the war ... but for his drinking.

I'm going to buck the trend here, about the TV show. It was pure bunk. Beyond stupid. If there had been more footage of the Corsairs used the show might have been tolerable. But it was always the same short snippets of stock footage. Otherwise, the show was a waste, and that's a shame, because it could have been a whole lot better. Okay, flame away. - DixieBoy

Pappy didn't think much of the show either, so you're in good company. Maybe someday Hollywood will produce something that is at least marginally historically accurate, but that's not what they're in business to do.

 

[graygun]

I'll stick with the old,grainy actual footage from WW2. The movie industry,imo,can only produce something that would be a discredit to the guys who did it for real.

 

[Snake45]

There are probably more Corsairs flying now than there were in the '70s, so flyable airplanes wouldn't be a problem (other than assembling them in one place and paying for their operation). They could even get a whole squadron of the correct variant (-1s) together rather than the motley assemblage of -1s, -4s, and -7s in the TV show. They'd have to talk the owners into applying (temporarily) the correct extremely scruffy 1943 paint jobs seen on the real VMF-214 airplanes instead of the spotless Glossy Sea Blue paint jobs of the TV show. But it COULD be done. :wink:

 

[Cracker-American]

Put me in the camp with Dixie. I used to watch the show with a 2nd cousin who also flew Corsairs in the South Pacific. He was as a father to me. It did prime the pump for some great stories from my cousin, I'll give it that.

 

[caryc]

Well, I should have known that the "pick apart" crew would be here. Black Sheep Squadron was a TV show meant for entertainment. It was not a documentary. Why is that so hard for you people to understand?

No matter what TV show or movie anyone talks about, there are always the nit pickers that feel their nit picking is so important that they just won't stop until everyone is sick of it.

Once again people, it's a TV show not a documentary.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Met Pappy once many years ago at a book signing. If you can find a copy of his book it's a good read.

WOW!!! What a treasure of a souvenier Gunny! 8)

As to the TV show, yes it is hokey but I enjoyed it anyway, and it beats the hell out of "Dancing with The Stars" etc, etc, etc... :roll:

 

[caryc]

Well, I should have known that the "pick apart" crew would be here. Black Sheep Squadron was a TV show meant for entertainment. It was not a documentary. Why is that so hard for you people to understand?

No matter what TV show or movie anyone talks about, there are always the nit pickers that feel their nit picking is so important that they just won't stop until everyone is sick of it.

Once again people, it's a TV show not a documentary.

Why didn't you just post that a show you really love is going to be on your tv and tell everyone that you
didn't want any opinions about the show posted here on your thread. Wouldn't that be easier for you?

You - or anyone - who starts a thread is going to get ... wait for it now ... opinions. Oh my, opinions.
And (brace yourself, this will upset you) unless a show about WWII is going to be put forward as a comedy
right out of the starting gate (like McHale's Navy) it's going to be judged by people who see it. Especially
when a show purports to be about real people who did real-life things in a real-life war.

You know, you could be the first guy who ever did a commercial for Midal. - DixieBoy

I never said you don't have a right to express your opinions. You're picking the show apart like it's supposed to be a documentary. You just can't seem to understand that it's a TV show meant for entertainment purposes only. It's not meant for any type of informational purposes, yet you are trying to tare it apart for just those reasons.

I kind of feel sorry for people that can't just watch a show and get some enjoyment out of it instead of sitting there picking it apart like that. I guess somehow it kind of makes you feel superior.

It always makes me laugh at people who try to put down TV because it isn't real life. Well, here's a clue people it ain't supposed to be real life. It's meant to be entertainment.

 

[Snake45]

You know, you could be the first guy who ever did a commercial for Midal. - DixieBoy

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[GunnyGene]

Well, I should have known that the "pick apart" crew would be here. Black Sheep Squadron was a TV show meant for entertainment. It was not a documentary. Why is that so hard for you people to understand?

No matter what TV show or movie anyone talks about, there are always the nit pickers that feel their nit picking is so important that they just won't stop until everyone is sick of it.

Once again people, it's a TV show not a documentary.

I'm pretty sure everyone knows the difference between a entertainment and a documentary. I happen to enjoy both genres, even the series under discussion as pure entertainment. I think the point folks are trying to make in this thread, is that entertainment and reasonable historical accuracy are not mutually exclusive. I, and I'm sure most others, understand that some allowance for artistic license is necessary, but in this case there was a total disregard for reality for the sake of something else - I'm not quite sure what that something else was, but money was no doubt a large part of it.

 

[silo33]

One of me favorite shows growing up.

 

[Bull Barrel]

Here is all ya need to know about the show-John Larroquette as one of the Sheep?

 

[caryc]

Well, I should have known that the "pick apart" crew would be here. Black Sheep Squadron was a TV show meant for entertainment. It was not a documentary. Why is that so hard for you people to understand?

No matter what TV show or movie anyone talks about, there are always the nit pickers that feel their nit picking is so important that they just won't stop until everyone is sick of it.

Once again people, it's a TV show not a documentary.

I'm pretty sure everyone knows the difference between a entertainment and a documentary. I happen to enjoy both genres, even the series under discussion as pure entertainment. I think the point folks are trying to make in this thread, is that entertainment and reasonable historical accuracy are not mutually exclusive. I, and I'm sure most others, understand that some allowance for artistic license is necessary, but in this case there was a total disregard for reality for the sake of something else - I'm not quite sure what that something else was, but money was no doubt a large part of it.

The point I'm making is that I feel sorry for those people that can't just enjoy a TV show for what it is instead of sitting there getting upset that it is not 100% historically correct.

It's not meant to be correct, it's meant for entertainment purposes and to make money for the producers. Why do people insist on trying to make more out of it than it was meant to be? I kind of somehow get the feeling that these type of people miss a lot of happiness out of life with their pessimistic attitude.

Maybe they need the Midol more than I do. And please note that I spelled correctly.

 

[Rick Courtright]

You know, you could be the first guy who ever did a commercial for Midal.

Hi,

Well, for the "Omigawd, it's not 100% accurate: let's pitch a hissy fit" crowd, that would be "Midol." MIDAL is a German natural gas pipeline... Actually, there are times both could fill a need here, aren't there?

BTW, Bill Cosby might take those "first guy" honors on "Why Is There Air?" (1965) My mother "banned" that album in the house when it first came out... like many here, she tended to take a lot of things way too seriously.

And Gunny, there's absolutely NO doubt about what that something else is! "Money makes the world go around" isn't exactly the newest saying in the book! So let's look at how TV works:

Guys go to work. Why? To get paid. How do they get paid in TV? Commercials are sold for people to watch. How do you get people to watch the commercials? Put a break in between them, and fill that time with something that will hold their interest for a while until the next commercials hit 'em again. What will hold their interest? As individuals, we can look at what's out there and make up our own minds, but in the grand scheme of things, somebody else may well override our choices by way of "the ratings." Do "ratings" tell us it's a good show or not? Nah, they just tell us how many people are watching what so more commercials can be sold... TV's not a medium for the viewer, it's for the advertiser. Plain, pure and simple...

Lather, rinse, repeat?

Rick C