Product: F Troop: The Complete First Season (2006)
Rating: 4.0
F-TROOP IS A TV CLASSIC!!
First, I waited YEARS for this show to be on DVD. it was a Hold-out for some reason onto DVD. They finally released all of Season 1, in order on DVD. Unfortunately there are no extras at all, and there are no 'chapter" breaks in the episodes 9that really sucks). The episodes are in generally excellent shape and its GREAT to see them UNCUT (all of the TV prints on Nikelodeon or syndication were edited by 3-5 minutes!). The first season is the BEST of the two seasons for one reason--MORE HEKAWI INDIANS!!I love the HEKAWIS--they are the funniest Indians I've ever seen on TV. Mel brooks STOLE a lot of this for BLAZING SADDLES. Even better, the first season features the great actor Edward Everett Horton as The Medicine man, Screaming Chicken ("Somebody sick, Need soup"). He's hilarious! he didn't sign on for the second season. Now, the show has elaborate sets for a SIT-COM. They used the old (now demolished) Warner Back lot for Fort Courage and the Town. They used 35mm film, stuntmen, horse wranglers, guns, and an entire second set for "The Hekawi" tribe. Most of the show was shot "on-location" which in todays world would cost millions. When you combine the prohibitive costs of the show and the politcally incorrent , but funny as all hell Indians..this isa show that will never be duplciated. The negatives are the DVD box set has absolutely NOTHING but the episodes on it and the episodes feature the same "gags" and "O "Rourke Enterprises" stories over and over...but there are some truly funny bits and gems in this series. I hope season two has some extras!! PS---I bet none of you know this---but in the original broadcasts of this show in 1965--during the first 13 episodes---there were LYRICS TO THE CLOSING ENDE CREDITS!! That;s right=-there was an entire set of OTHER lyrics to close the show (with the same theme song). I guess they LOST those credits because none of the episodes has the original end credits with the lyrics. I only have ONE poor VHS tape with those lyrics and i am very glad i did NOT toss that tape out before watching this show!!! If anyone knows anything else about the original closing credits with LYRICS..please put up a post!!!