Combat - Season 1, Campaign 2
The further adventures of King Company's second platoon are highlighted in all their blazing action and dramatic impact in this four-disc set, which concludesCombat!'s 1962-63 debut season. King Two undergoes a few changes in episodes 17 through 32--Shecky Greene's Pvt. Braddock is absent from the platoon (Greene quit over pay issues) and Jack Hogan, whose Pvt. Kirby first appeared in "The Forgotten Front" (featured in theCombat! Season One: Campaign Oneboxed set) is now a featured cast member; Emmy nominee Conlon Carter, who would later join the cast as Doc in the third season, appears as an unnamed PVC in disc 3's "Hill 256." The 17 episodes featured here carry the men of King Two to the liberation of Paris, which concludes the season; afterwards, the series would no longer adhere to true chronological events, preferring instead to place the men in mostly unspecific dates and locations within France. The excellent performances of the main cast, led by Vic Morrow and Rick Jason, are well abetted by terrific guest stars, including Robert Culp, Dean Stockwell, and even futureIlsa: She-Wolf of the SSdirector Don Edmonds, and direction by Golden Age TV vets such as Robert Altman, Ted Post, and Richard Donner.The interview featurette "Memories ofCombat!" that was featured on theCampaign Oneboxed set is absent fromCampaign Two, as is episode commentary by Robert Altman and the production photo gallery, but this set features more commentary tracks from cast and crew members. Actor Tom Lowell (Pvt. Billy Nelson) again contributes a track, as do guest stars Joseph Campanella and Ben Cooper and directors Ted Post, Richard Donner, and Sutton Roley. Also returning is Jo Davidsmeyer, author ofCombat! A Viewer's Guide to the WWII TV Series, who lists production trivia and continuity bloopers in the scene selection menu for each episode. As a stand-alone set or with Campaign One, this is solid entertainment for vintage TV fans.--Paul Gaita