Hogan's Heroes - Part 23 / by Mark

Repoooort!  More Hogan...

  • The boys use a work detail to bring in an underground agent--and uranium! Meanwhile, the Nazis are training non-comms for Command training--so Schultz is put in temporary command, over Klink's protests. Schultz gets into his role--complete with a monocle and a bad attitude. To get the agent out with his info, the boys discredit "Kommandant Schultz" with an escape--with Klink's help. The episode seems different--a lot of clearly exterior shots rather than a set.
  • It's "Eight O'clock and All's Well". Hochstedder is looking for underground agents like always--and Stalag 13 is in the middle of it all. So, the boys have to lay low. A new prisoner (Monte Markham) arrives. They check him out, then let him in on the operation. Of course, he's a spy, so the boys grab him then set him up as a dead hero.  Mr. Whipple (Dick Wilson) also makes an appearance as an agent. Markham was all over TV from the 1960s to the 90's--Mission: ImpossibleHawaii Five-OMary Tyler Moore ShowSix Million Dollar ManLove BoatMurder She Wrote--all the way to Fringe.
  • Klink gives the prisoners a recorder to send messages to their families (not sure why, other than to drive the plot). The Gestapo show up--there's a big meeting going on. The boys convince Schultz is a great singer--but to record him with the right acoustics, they need to get into the rec room (where the meeting is happening). Klink catches them--so he can record his string quartet. Meanwhile, the real recorder catches the meeting for "The Big Record".
  • What are the Nazis are storing at Stalag 13--"It's Dynamite" (a big no-no, but they are the bad guys), on it's way to an unknown destination. Schultz is driving the truck, and the boys track him. However, he seems to disappear and then reappear the next morning. The underground finds the dynamite--hidden near important locations (plants, bridges). It's there in case the Nazis lose (scorched earth). Carter plays firechief, creating a diversion at the dynamite cache--along with a hot secretary (Lyn Peters) to distract Hochstedder and get the plans. That will allow the underground to use the dynamite for their own means.
  • Tiger (Arlene Martel) has been captured, and Hogan ignores orders to save her--it's "Operation Tiger". A fake fight creates a diversion to get an underground agent (hey, Mr. Whipple!) into the camp. He tells them Tiger is being transported via train. They stop the train, warn the head man (Frank Marth) that the track is mined, and head him toward--let's say it together--Stalag 13. Hogan gets to her in the cooler--their plan is to get her off the train, then blow it up, so they think she's dead. After some difficulties, they pull it off.  One question--if they are going to blow up the train, why tie up the guards? They are going to die anyway. (I know the reason--the good guys on 60's TV can't be seen killing people directly.
  • The radio-detection truck is back, so Hogan can't communicate with the outside world. Hogan scams Klink about a rich young widow, and convinces Schultz that Klink's staff car has a (now missing) two-way radio. Klink is scared off at the last moment, and the boys take the car into town to meet the underground agent. He gives the info, and they use the car's radio to communicate with London. At the end, Klink meets the young widow--she's quite a catch--in 'The Big Broadcast".      

Remember, you can play along! The DVD box set is available on Amazon.