Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 5, 2023

It always feels like there's some need to balance timing and tragedy. "How soon is 'too soon?'" is a recurring refrain when it comes to television or cinema depictions of real-life horrific events. Decorated World War II veteran Audie Murphy was understandably reluctant to star in 1955's To Hell and Back, an autobiographical film based on his own memoirs. At only a decade removed from the war, the film became Universal's then-highest grossing film. When Platoon released just a little over a decade after the end of the Vietnam conflict, Oliver Stone's hard-hitting snapshot of the horrors of war certainly hit close to home for those returning veterans who lived it. The question was perhaps never so relevant when both United 93 and World Trade Center debuted just five years after 9/11. All of that is to ask "how soon is (or in this case, was) 'too soon' for Hogan's Heroes, a World War II P.O.W. camp comedy that debuted two decades after the war ended, when most veterans would be entering middle age? The show was a hit, and it was apparently not "too soon" for American audiences who supported the show for six seasons, the longest-running series to emerge from World War II. Of interesting note, it would also be about two decades from the end of hostilities in Korea that the classic TV show M*A*S*H debuted, ran for over a decade, and became one of the great all-time TV shows.

Colonel Robert Hogan (Bob Crane) is one of over one hundred American airmen who are being held prisoner at the Nazi camp known as "Stalag 13." The camp is under the direction of Colonel Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer) who is oblivious to the fact that the American prisoners are routinely thwarting various Nazi battle plans; Klink believes that his camp is held down tight, and in fact there has never been a successful escape or breach under his watch. The camp's, and Klink's, records are spotless, and as such it is home to any number of high-level Nazi meetings and strategy sessions which Hogan and his fellow prisoners routinely intercept and transmit or thwart. It turns out that the problem often lies with Klink's subordinate, Sergeant Hans Schultz (John Banner), a dimwitted Nazi officer who is prone to bribery.

The story mechanics are less important than all of the things happening around the story: the goofball shenanigans, the banter, the setting. And these elements work because they play in stark contrast to the story. Nobody expects shenanigans and wartime internment camp maneuverings to go hand in hand, but here they do, and for six seasons no less. Somehow the schtick never grows old, thanks in large part to the characters and the performances, which are so simple yet so rich and layered that the repetitiveness -- right down to the constant snowy winter setting -- never grows old. What the show lacks in evolution is makes up for in stability and refinement of its craft. Things only improve as the show moves forward, and there's never a dull moment, which is a tribute to the all-around execution considering that the material should grow very old and stale very fast, which it never does because everything that props it up is so good.

The cast is superb. Well-written characters demand well-executed performances, and Hogan's Heroes is certainly home to several outstanding works, including from the two-time Emmy winning Werner Klemperer for his unforgettable portrayal of Colonel Wilhelm Klink, Commandant of the fictional Stalag 13 (Klemperer was also nominated three additional times). Bob Crane was also twice nominated for his portrayal of series protagonist and series namesake Robert Hogan. These two leads ensure a continuity of humor throughout the show, both delivering exceptional work in what would appear to be challenging, but is actually very light and agreeable, work. The performances work because the actors understand and run with the show's tone and style. They fully embrace the tonal direction for the series, refusing to allow even a smidgen of darkness to influence, never mind define, the work. John Banner's work as Sgt. Hans Schultz is uncanny; though he is more of an omnidirectional character, the consistency of work and the finely honed shape he gives the character is nothing less than legendary.

Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The pilot episode is presented in black and white. It looks fine, offering good grayscale balance and solid black levels (especially some nice and deep nighttime exteriors). The image is filmic and grainy, though some flickering is apparent at times, and there is a fairly steady barrage of stray scratches and speckles. Still, the image is impressively crisp and sharp, offering superb detail on the Nazi uniforms, Hogan's leather jacket, details around the camp, and fine facial definition.

The show is in color from episode two forward. The image looks very good with satisfyingly grounded colors, nothing that leaps off the screen but finding enough red punch to Nazi emblems, depth to natural wood colors, and other tones seen throughout the show, including some yellow accents on Schultz's uniform, sweaters and scarves, and so on. Various headquarters areas offer more robust colors, such as blue maps on the wall, for some nice pop and depth. For the most part, however, the show's tonal range holds within earthy colors rather than pop with any kind of radical intensity and pizzaz. Black levels are fine, whites are decently crisp, and skin tones look healthy and natural.

As with the black-and-white premiere, there is a good bit of print damage on display. The good news is that while some flickering, speckles, and scratches remain, they are only at times so intrusive as to be bothersome and detract from the image. By the time the series winds down in season six, the density and frequency of various examples of print damage are reduced. Still, such issues hold for the duration in some form or fashion. Overall, the image is pleasantly filmic and texturally robust, offering quality definition to uniforms, faces, and various environments, especially the camp, whether inside the barracks or outside on the grounds. The picture is very crisp and sharp and when comparing the end product here to how the show looks in the supplements one can see just how great it looks. While there is certainly room for improvement, there's no denying that Hogan's Heroes has never looked better for home consumption.

Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

At best, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack presents an adequate audio experience. The material does not generate much in the way of high yield sonic content. It's a bit flat overall with some disbalance at play, especially with the laugh track, which is very prominent with a mild tinniness about it. Music is a little on the crunchy side, but it is does play with solidly engaged front end width and detail. Dialogue drives the show and it presents with good front-center imaging and suitable clarity.

Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Series includes various extras scattered throughout the set but limited to only a handful of the discs. See below for a breakdown of what is included, and where. Each season ships in its own Amaray case, all of which are packed into a slip box.

Season Two, Disc One:

• Audio Commentary: For "Hogan Gives a Birthday Party:" Sigrid Valdis (Patricia Crane).

Season Two, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentary: For "Art for Hogan's Sake:" Robert Clary.

Season Two, Disc Four:

• Gag Reel - Edited by Bob Crane (1080p, 4x3, 5:26): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Patricia and Bob Crane Wedding Film with Audio Commentary by Patricia Crane (Sigrid Valdis) (1080p, 4x3, 7:17): Home video footage of the wedding performed on a soundstage next to the Hogan's Heroes set.
• Bob's 8mm Home Movies on Hogan Set with Audio Commentary by Patricia Crane (Sigrid Valdis) (1080p, 4x3, 5:58): Life on the set home movies.
• CBS Promo 1 (1080p, 4x3, 0:22): A funny ad for the show.
• CBS Promo 2 (1080i, 4x3, 1:28): Another, longer ad for the show.
• The Lucy Show - "Lucy & Bob Crane" 1966 (1080p, 4x3, 2:37): A segment from the show featuring the Hogan's Heroes star.
• 'Air Force Now' Hogan's Cast Segments (1080p, 4x3, 1:27): Shorts featuring Hogan's Heroes.
• Bob Crane US Air Force Recruitment Spot 1 (1080p, 4x3, 1:06): Crane pitches a career in the Air Force.
• Bob Crane US Air Force Recruitment Spot 2 (1080p, 4x3, 1:01): Crane again talks up Air Force careers, this time for nurses.
• 1965 Richard Dawson and Chad Everett on KNX (1080i, 4x3, 16:16): A radio segment from "The Bob Crane Show" which aired after the Hogan pilot was filmed.
• 1967 Armed Forces Radio Christmas Show (1080i, 4x3): Bob Crane appears in short segments to speak with Werner Klemperer (2:54), Richard Dawson/Larry Hovis (2:05), Robert Clary (1:30), and Sigrid Valdis (1:43).

Season Three, Disc Four:

• Werner Klemperer on The Pat Sajak Show (1080i, 4x3, 6:23): The Hogan's Heroes actor chats about himself and the show in which he stars.

Season Six, Disc Four:

• "The Informer" Extended Pilot with Introduction (1080p, 4x3, 33:22): Various CBS TV stars appear before the pilot episode.
• Promo #1 (1080i, 4x3, 0:33): A brief ad for the show.
• Promo #2 (1080i, 4x3, 0:30): Another brief ad for the show.
• Cip from CBS' Fall preview Show Seven Wonderful Nights (1965) (1080p, 4x3, 5:35): A piece looking forward to Hogan's Heroes.
• Richard Dawson Remembers... (1080i): The actor remembers his time on the show in four segments. Included are The Early Days (15:13), The Cast (16:26), Fond Memories (13:04), and Inspiration for Newkirk (1:53).
• Photo Montage with Hogan's Heroes Theme Song Performed by Bob Crane and His Band (1080i, 2:38): As the title suggests, this cover version is set to rare photos from the show.
• A Conversation with Albert S. Ruddy, Co-Creator of Hogan's Heroes (1080i, 11:58): Ruddy talks about his involvement with the show.

Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Higan's Heroes is a safe show, free of any obvious, overt, or overpowering drama and danger, unlike its cousin, Stalag 17, which blends overt P.O.W. camp humor with a darker facade. There's no such darkness here. While there is certainly the implied darkness of prisoner of war life, the show gleefully overlooks the challenges and horrors of wartime captivity with a decidedly lighter side look at life in the German stalag, and it does so to great success. This is a wonderful little show that delights even through unyielding humor, unchanging setting, and unforgettable characters. This Blu-ray release of Hogan's Heroes delivers very solid, but not perfect, 1080p video, a decently performing 2.0 lossless soundtrack, and a good number of extras which are packed together on just a few of the series discs. Highly recommended!