"Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976) TV series 1976-1978

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Directors:

Alex Beaton
Robert Conrad

Writers:

Gregory H. 'Pappy' Boyington (book) and
Stephen J. Cannell (created for television by)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | unknown

Release Date:

21 September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Action | War | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

Pappy Boyington is the squadron-leader of a group of fighter pilots stationed on an island in the Pacific...

Plot Keywords:

Fighters | Aviation | Jap Zeroes | Corsairs | WWII

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

John Larroquette	...	Lt. Bob Anderson (12 episodes, 1976-1978)
Steven Richmond	...	Stan Richards / ... (11 episodes, 1977-1978)
Robert Conrad	...	Maj. Greg 'Pappy' Boyington / ... (10 episodes, 1976-1978)
Robert Ginty	...	Lt. T.J. Wiley (8 episodes, 1976-1978)
W.K. Stratton	...	Lt. Larry Casey (8 episodes, 1976-1978)
Dana Elcar	...	Col. Thomas Lard (7 episodes, 1976-1978)
Denise DuBarry	...	Nurse Samantha Greene / ... (7 episodes, 1978)
Dirk Blocker	...	Lt. Jerry Bragg (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jeff MacKay	...	Lt. Don French (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Simon Oakland	...	Gen. Thomas Moore (6 episodes, 1976-1978)
Joey Aresco	...	Sgt. John David 'Hutch' Hutchinson (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
James Whitmore Jr.	...	Capt. James Gutterman (6 episodes, 1976-1977)

Also Known As:

"Black Sheep Squadron" (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

60 min (37 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Indian Dunes, California, USA

Company:

Stephen J. Cannell Productions

Trivia:

Red West was filming a scene on this series when he was told his former boss, Elvis Presley had died. West was given the rest of the day off.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In several of the dogfight scenes, when there is a brief in-cockpit view of the pilot's hands dramatically pushing or pulling at the control stick, none of the (clearly visible) instruments ever move to indicate a climb, dive, or turn.

Quotes:

Capt. James Gutterman: [talking back to a Navy officer] I'm already carrier qualified Mommy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Frost/Nixon (2008)

Somewhat mixed but generally quite entertaining

Set in the South Pacific during World War Two, the series dealt with a squadron of US pilots known as the Black Sheep (called such due to the fact most were misfits and disciplinary cases before joining the outfit). The best part of the series were the aerial combat sequences; using a mix of archived material from the war, newly filmed sequences, and superbly edited tapings of radio transmissions, the producers made it seem like you were up there in the sky with the squadron in the encounters with the Japanese. On the ground, the dramatic scenes were often done just as well; you got to realize that even though the squadron was made up of screwballs they behaved as a unit and worked as a team to make it through whatever came up.

Later episodes in the series tend to be rather lacking in entertainment value. The addition of "Pappy's Lambs" - a group of nurses assigned to the island - was probably meant to help ratings, but at the same time the focus started to swing towards them and away from the war against the Japanese, which had been the backbone of the more successful earlier episodes. The overall writing of the series seems to have deteriorated as the show got towards the end of its run as well.

While mixed in quality through its run, the show is definitely worth watching, if nothing else for the Corsairs that were restored to be used on the show - great aircraft!