Author Topic: Baa Baa Black Sheep (Read 3737 times)

Ben · « **on:** February 12, 2018, 11:42:26 AM »

Baa Baa Black Sheep (aka Black Sheep Squadron) recently became available on DVD. I got the season 1 DVDs from Netflix. I have not watched the show since it was first on when I was a kid in 1976.

I forgot how good it was, at least for a 1970s TV action show. I doubt political correctness would allow it to be made today. A few things I noticed watching it the second time around:

1) I'd forgotten about the actual WW2 footage they used in every episode.

2) I'd forgotten how many famous actors, in early roles when they were youngsters, were part of the squadron.

3) Stephen Cannell pretty much copied the music for The A Team (or maybe vice versa - can't remember which series was first).

4) Most interesting for me, which I didn't know the first time around, was that almost all the aerial footage was filmed around the Channel Islands. I would have never known that the first time, but having spent probably a couple thousand hours over the years flying near the islands for work, it has been really cool watching that footage and identifying landmarks that we used to fly over (albeit a few thousand feet lower than these guys did). So far they have used sections of three different islands to represent them flying towards their base island.

5) And of course, those WW2 Corsairs are just plain cool.

MechAg94 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2018, 11:45:44 AM »

It has been a while since I watched those shows. That would be worth picking up.

Fly320s · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2018, 12:11:27 PM »

I loved that show.

I've been on an old TV shows kick recently. Magnum PI, Simon and Simon, etc. Some of them hold up well.

lupinus · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2018, 12:14:57 PM »

It's been awhile, I loved watching that show. I obviously watched it in reruns, forget where it aired. I want to say history channel before it's spot was taken by Swamp Aliens hunting for Bigfoot in Alaska.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

K Frame · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2018, 12:17:18 PM »

"1) I'd forgotten about the actual WW2 footage they used in every episode."

Nothing like the occasional shot of one of Boyington's men "shooting down" an FW-190...

Looks sort of like a Zero.... Close enough!

Fly320s · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2018, 12:17:56 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on February 12, 2018, 12:17:18 PM

"1) I'd forgotten about the actual WW2 footage they used in every episode."

Nothing like the occasional shot of one of Boyington's men "shooting down" an FW-190...

Looks sort of like a Zero.... Close enough!

Those FW-190s had incredible range!

Ben · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2018, 12:18:28 PM »

Quote from: Fly320s on February 12, 2018, 12:11:27 PM

I loved that show.

I've been on an old TV shows kick recently. Magnum PI, Simon and Simon, etc. Some of them hold up well.

I started on rewatching Magnum a couple of years ago, but for some reason got sidetracked halfway through (I think maybe it got removed from streaming). I need to get back to it. I also remember liking Simon and Simon - I should put that on the list as well.

Ben · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2018, 12:21:05 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on February 12, 2018, 12:17:18 PM

"1) I'd forgotten about the actual WW2 footage they used in every episode."

Nothing like the occasional shot of one of Boyington's men "shooting down" an FW-190...

Looks sort of like a Zero.... Close enough!

I recall that they shot a lot of runway footage at Santa Paula airport. That airport is know for vintage aircraft, so some local flyboys likely got their planes thrown into the mix, regardless of authenticity.

just Warren · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2018, 01:06:13 PM »

I remember that show fondly.

Every few episodes it seemed like they were bombing Rabaul.

Which, it turns out, was a thing. The allies didn't want to take Rabaul just contain the forces there. So that was accurate.

However I'm skeptical that you can survive a strafing run by throwing yourself in between the two rows of bullets that are hitting the ground in neat, straight lines.

K Frame · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2018, 01:15:39 PM »

Quote from: Ben on February 12, 2018, 12:18:28 PM

I started on rewatching Magnum a couple of years ago, but for some reason got sidetracked halfway through (I think maybe it got removed from streaming). I need to get back to it. I also remember liking Simon and Simon - I should put that on the list as well.

I LOVE Magnum PI! I wish it were available a lot more widely but for some reason it's not.

Trivia for you... one of Tom Selleck's earliest roles in a major film was a Marine Corps aide in the film Midway.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2018, 01:17:57 PM »

Quote from: Warren on February 12, 2018, 01:06:13 PM

However I'm skeptical that you can survive a strafing run by throwing yourself in between the two rows of bullets that are hitting the ground in neat, straight lines.

You just have to be very, very lucky.

Jocassee · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2018, 03:22:15 PM »

Quote from: Warren on February 12, 2018, 01:06:13 PM

I remember that show fondly.

Every few episodes it seemed like they were bombing Rabaul.

Which, it turns out, was a thing. The allies didn't want to take Rabaul just contain the forces there. So that was accurate.

However I'm skeptical that you can survive a strafing run by throwing yourself in between the two rows of bullets that are hitting the ground in neat, straight lines.

Depends entirely on the point of convergence and your distances from the aircraft when you leave its sights.

230RN · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2018, 04:56:19 PM »

All this is one of the reasons I like over-the-air TV. Lots of old shows --and it's amazing how many times you can spot later-famous actors in them. E.g., Leonard Nimoy was in a lot of the Sea Hunt- Lloyd Bridges shows. I recently saw one old movie where Yul Brinner actually had hair ! :)

Convergence: That was one of the advantages of the P-38. The nose guns all streamed out in the same direction and convergence range wasn't an issue. This is mentioned here and there in various articles.

(Also, takeoff torque didn't matter since the props rotated in opposite directions.)

There have been calls for banning the old war birds from flying in air shows and races in order to preserve the "species." Lotsa luck with that.

The movie Memphis Belle is known for its extraordinary adherence to technical accuracy (I'm thinking of the FW-190 mentioned above) where possible, except crew members were kind of fictionalized. Their model shop worked overtime, building IIRC over 200 accurate radio-controlled models.

I loved both the Black Sheep shows and Magnum, P.I. as well as others of that vintage where Stuff Happens Within A Half Hour, instead of having two actors staring dramatically at each other for forty seconds while some insipid one-chord "music" plays, in order to stretch a rinky-dinky ten minute plot into a whole hour.

:(

Terry, 230RN

grampster · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2018, 05:56:17 PM »

I watched that show when it was on TV originally in the mid 70's. MASH also played either just before or just after. A friend of mine and I used to get together for a boys night out whatever night that was and watch those two shows and drink a little beer smoke a little MJ that he stored in a skull he had brought home from 'Nam. Afterwards we'd play pool on a table he had in his living room. Good times.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2018, 06:19:13 PM »

Curiously, I remember watching the series when it first ran, and I can't understand how that happened. By 1976 I had already been through my first divorce, and I was living in rented quarters. I don't recall watching much television during that phase of my life, but I guess I must have.

Jim147 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2018, 07:40:28 PM »

I had friends that worked the combat air museum at Forbes Field. I met Boyington around 1985 seemed like a pretty neat guy. Not sure what happened to the signed copy of his book.

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2018, 10:16:28 PM »

I remember reading an interview either with Conrad or Boyington where it was mentioned that Boyington didn't like Conrad much and pretty much treated him like a little bitch when he was on set.

just Warren · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2018, 10:42:26 PM »

It's only hearsay but I understand Conrad was an arrogant little bastard.

I've also heard him described as hyper-competitive and a go go go sort which could be confused for arrogance.

Anyway he could easily put people off.

TommyGunn · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2018, 11:32:26 PM »

Quote from: RoadKingLarry on February 12, 2018, 10:16:28 PM

I remember reading an interview either with Conrad or Boyington where it was mentioned that Boyington didn't like Conrad much and pretty much treated him like a little bitch when he was on set.

I used to enjoy BAA BAA BLACKSHEEP. My father was a ex Navy officer, he once met Col. Boyington while in the submarine service at Groton Connecticut. He claimed Boyington was a "drunken bum."
Also, worked with the son of a actual Black Sheep squadron member, who was pretty critical of the errors the tv show portrayed. On tv the squad was stationed on Vela LaCava, but he said it was on Vela LaVela.
ME TV used to run the series....but I don't think they still run it.

HankB · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2018, 12:03:06 AM »

Quote from: TommyGunn on February 12, 2018, 11:32:26 PM

I used to enjoy BAA BAA BLACKSHEEP. My father was a ex Navy officer, he once met Col. Boyington while in the submarine service at Groton Connecticut. He claimed Boyington was a "drunken bum."
Also, worked with the son of a actual Black Sheep squadron member, who was pretty critical of the errors the tv show portrayed. On tv the squad was stationed on Vela LaCava, but he said it was on Vela LaVela.
ME TV used to run the series....but I don't think they still run it.

I sort of remember BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP eventually morphed into BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON and the writing went downhill. (STILL better than nearly all network TV shows today!) It was one of the shows I remember watching and enjoying back when there was more WORTH watching and enjoying on TV than the crapola polluting today's airwaves. I wonder how many minutes of each hour was actual TV show rather than commercials back then . . . .

Someone wrote that they changed the name of the Black Sheep's island base in the TV show "for legal reasons" but didn't elaborate.

Personal trivia note: I remember reading in Boyington's book that he traveled on a transport ship, the Boschfonteine. That rang a bell because I know my Dad shipped overseas on a ship of that name - probably the same one. I showed that passage in the book to my Dad and he said yep, that was the ship. But he didn't remember ever encountering Boyington and probably wasn't even on the ship at the same time.

K Frame · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2018, 07:03:31 AM »

My other favorite "let's use this footage, no one will know the difference!" are the bombing runs "over Rabaul..."

But they're clearly bombing a major modern population center, which Rabaul didn't have.

Ben · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2018, 09:02:24 AM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on February 13, 2018, 07:03:31 AM

My other favorite "let's use this footage, no one will know the difference!" are the bombing runs "over Rabaul..."

Some of the footage that looks like WW2 footage is actually not. It's modern footage shot in black and white. I've seen a couple of opening segments of what looks like historical footage, but with actors for that episode spliced in.

TommyGunn · « **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2018, 10:39:32 AM »

Quote from: HankB on February 13, 2018, 12:03:06 AM

I sort of remember BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP eventually morphed into BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON and the writing went downhill. (STILL better than nearly all network TV shows today!) It was one of the shows I remember watching and enjoying back when there was more WORTH watching and enjoying on TV than the crapola polluting today's airwaves. I wonder how many minutes of each hour was actual TV show rather than commercials back then . . . .

Someone wrote that they changed the name of the Black Sheep's island base in the TV show "for legal reasons" but didn't elaborate.

Personal trivia note: I remember reading in Boyington's book that he traveled on a transport ship, the Boschfonteine. That rang a bell because I know my Dad shipped overseas on a ship of that name - probably the same one. I showed that passage in the book to my Dad and he said yep, that was the ship. But he didn't remember ever encountering Boyington and probably wasn't even on the ship at the same time.

With regards to commercial space, in the 1960s most tv shows ran 50-51 minutes without commercials. 70s and 80s, about 48-50, depending on network and time. Now, most tv shows run a shocking 42-44 minutes, again depending on network and time.

K Frame · « **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2018, 10:44:02 AM »

"Now, most tv shows run a shocking 42-44 minutes, again depending on network and time."

Which is why I DVR almost everything and watch it after the fact, so I can blitz through the bullshit.

Ben · « **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2018, 11:06:27 AM »

Black Sheep episodes run 49 minutes and change.

News:

Author Topic: Baa Baa Black Sheep (Read 3737 times)