Release Date: 04/29/2007
Released by: Warner Bros. Home Video

In the 60’s and 70’s, around the time when F-Troop first came out, I wasn’t even a thought in my mother’s mind. So, one would think that shows like this would be entirely new to me. However, thanks to stations like TV Land, I like to think I am well versed in the comedies and sitcoms of yesteryear. Although, F-Troop was something that was entirely new to me, so I opened this DVD box set with a completely open mind, unsure of what I would get.

Looking at the box art I expected a Western, which is somewhat true. The F-Troop is a group of soldiers that seem to be less proficient in the area of mastering the art of their profession and more proficient at working on get rich quick schemes, hustling the local Indian tribes, and acting like a bumbling set of unnecessary soldiers. You end up being glad that these boys are out in the middle of nowhere and that little action is finding them because if it had, the results could have been quite disastrous.

The Complete Second Season was also the final season for this sitcom. It’s important to point out that the show wasn’t bad though in comparison to many of the other shows in its day, it did not truly compare. There was some stiff competition when F-Troop was trying to make a go of a primetime show. While the fans they had wrote letters and tried to keep the show alive, there was little to be done, with rating so low and competition so high.

The show began in black and white, sporting a funny theme song that set them up pretty well and helped audiences get a feel for the show. In the second season, they moved to color and the song was scraped leaving only instrumentals and not setting things up so well for audiences like me.

Lieutenant Parmenter (Ken Berry) is the leader of Fort Courage. He is known for being a little goofy, somewhat naive, and not anything like you would picture a hero to be. He is quite the lady’s man though and has the resident western hot chick, Wrangler Jane (Melody Patterson) trying to corrupt and marry him, a point she makes known throughout the series. Meanwhile, you have the shady businessman, Sgt. O’Rourke (Forrest Tucker) who works with the local Indians. He is there to help the Hekawi tribe sell their wares to the tourists in the area. Occasionally, for political reasons they need to pretend to be enemies, which always leads to some comical moments.

The acting is decent when you are watching the regulars and the guest stars. Some of the other people need some work but the show was good enough to receive an Emmy nod, so that has to be saying something. An interesting side note about the acting, Melody Patterson had just turned 18 prior to the beginning of Season two. Always quite affectionate, it is not uncommon to see her grabbing her man and kissing all over him. Apparently he was less affectionate in season one, though she behaved in the same manner, because he did not want it to seem as if he were pursuing someone so young.

Altogether I cannot help but feel that the show is good but forgettable. As I watched the show I spend a good deal of time laughing, though nothing stuck with me save for one episode. The first episode in a box set of 31 episodes, The Singing Mountie, was enough to make me keep watching. There was something entirely comical to see a man arrive at Fort Courage being pulled by a dog sled and singing in this deep baritone voice. Obviously from out of town, he was visiting to catch and criminal, but he ends up doing more singing to the fair-haired beauty, Jane.

As I have never had the chance to see F Troop on television I can only say that the videos did not appear to be digitally remastered. The quality of the video did not appear bad, but it was obvious that it had not been touched up much, if at all, from those original days of filming. The special features offer a few things fans will want to see including an interview with Ken Berry.

In the end, F Troop: The Complete Second Season is going to be a perfect match for an old fan of the show or for someone who prefers classic television over the shows of today. As someone who never experienced the show, I do not have too many complaints but at the same time I do not feel I’ve become a lifelong fan or that I have been able to take something out of F Troop that I cannot find somewhere else.

Technorati Tags: F-Troop, Old Television, The Complete Second Season, TV Show, DvD Box Set, Review