Thirty Years Ago

Hard to believe it's been thirty years since the death of Bob Crane (nice plug, Brenda -- where'd you get that picture, anyway?)

A lot has been written, blogged and filmed about the way he lived his life and, of course, how he died. I prefer to remember him as the wise-cracking, unflappable and inventive leader of a talented band of POW's fighting their own battles of WWII behind enemy lines. This, as has been written, is his legacy.

During my convalescence I worked through a few seasons of Hogan's Heroes in my DVD collection. I've seen every episode countless times, but I never cease to be amazed at the degree of creativity and originality of the series and its individual episodes. A few production flaws creep in from time to time, but even a "low-grade" episode of HH is 100 times better than most of the garbage that's in prime time today. Oh, and remember when TV shows actually ran a full 25 minutes instead of 18?

Crane, as Col. Hogan, was the centerpiece of one of the most inspired casting calls in TV history. Now, of the original core group, only the Frenchman and the Englishman are left (see here), but their most notable and public achievement will run forever (or at least until DVD's become obsolete).

Bob Crane would be a few weeks shy of turning 80 if he were alive today. I think this afternoon I'll crack open another season in his honor...