Product: F Troop: The Complete First Season (2006)
Rating: 5.0
"Agarn, I don't know why everybody says you're so dumb!" "Who says I'm dumb???"
F TROOP always made me laugh hard. It's a silly, innocent mid-Sixties Army comedy that takes place on the frontier circa 1867. Season One was originally broadcast in black and white---does anybody remember black and white TV?The Army's F Troop is comprised of a bunch of lovable misfits (a bugler who can't bugle, a lookout who can't see, the only survivor of the Alamo, etc.). They are commanded by Captain Wilton Parmenter (Ken Berry), an unlikely, inexperienced Civil War hero who constantly refers to his Army Manual for guidance, and relies on his Top Sarge for advice.The Sergeant, O'Rourke (Forrest Tucker), is an entrepeneur/grifter whose best pal is Corporal Agarn from Passaic, New Jersey (Larry Storch). O'Rourke's "Enterprises" work closely and secretly with the Hekawi Indians (the inventors of the peace pipe), to sell tourist trap junk to folks passing through Fort Courage, the garrison town which is somewhere on the Great Plains.Captain Parmenter is in love with Wrangler Jane, the local cowgirl, played by Melody Anderson (who was only fourteen---a very mature fourteen---when the show debuted. She was so hot was I was a kid!). The Hekawis are headed by Chief Wild Eagle (Frank DeKova) who is constantly being plotted ahgainst by his Assistant Chief, Crazy Cat.F TROOP is full of gut-busting, belly-laughter bad puns, sight gags, slapstick and classic comedy routines that we've seen a million times before (in 1965, we'd already seen them half a million times). In terms of modern TV programming, its ridiculously unsophisticated, and that's what makes it so great.A few reviewers have complained about the show's political incorrectness. Sure, the Hekawis seem Politically Incorrect with their broken English and bead trading, and, oh yeah, peacefulfulness. I mean---peaceful American Indians on the frontier????---how outrageous! How Politically Incorrect! Oh, shut up.There are complaints about the laugh track. This is what bothers you? The laugh track? Come on! If it wasn't for F TROOP shows like CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM would never have evolved. By-the-bye, I don't think SCRUBS holds a candle to F TROOP. Today's "intellectual comedies" are fine, but I don't always want to think, sometimes I just want to laugh until my sides hurt:Vincent Price as the visiting vampire: Good ev'ning!Agarn: Why do you always say "Good ev'ning!"? It's two in the afternoon!Vinnie: Oh! Excuzze me! I must haf forgotten to vind my vatch!"Agarn: You turned your brother into a crow!Vinnie: No! I call him "Brother" becauzze he iz like a brother to me. You see, I vaz an only child, and he...vaz an only crow."Yeah, its silly and predictable, but IT WORKS. If you used to watch F TROOP as a kid you'll want this, and if you've never seen it, I recommend it for the sheer enjoyment you'll get.