Episode 23 - Last One For Dave and Steve

It's a play on the title of the episode as usual, not some retirement announcement...

This might be, at least to me, the best episode of the series.  It is certainly the best episode of season 1.

To quote Steve 'once you get Red West, the character of Hutch is unnecessary,  Joey Aresco is gone.'

Muted Micklin is a bit different, I liked it.

Indeed, Red West showed a side of his acting I didn't know existed.

Col. Lard does what he can here, as does Gen. Moore.

Doug the DJ who did coke on WKRP was one of the pilots this week!

Wait, so was Mr. Carlson!

This is the only episode that has ever brought a tear to my eye.

mp3 download

Episode 22 - S*T*E*V*E and D*A*V*E welcome D*A*N to the podcast

Is this a good title?  Look, I've had worse.

Oh yeah, welcome Dan, of Six Million Dollar Man fame.  

(Also, don't tell anyone, but Dan is kinda sorta famous).

The WASPS were real, they were amazing, and they were brave.  They were finally recognized as veterans in 1977.  Thirty seven WASPS died in the line of duty.

They were not military pilots, so their commander in the episode could not be a major.

The second half of the season has dealt with things more seriously.  

Still, everything is solved by men, but that's with 2025 eyes.  This is pretty progressive for a show from 1977, especially a military one.

I love Andy Micklin.

TJ Sniffinstuff.

mp3 download

Episode 21 - Poor Little Dave and Steve

I like this title.

Nice performances by guest stars this week, especially Soon-Tek Oh.  We're both big fans.

OH look, an episode with a crash an a nun, I think Dan and I have covered an episode like this.

'I am not French, I'm Swiss'.  So was my grandfather, he fought Nazis and Japanese fascists, just saying...

Sorrel Booke is another great guest star this week.

Nice use of footage from 'Operation Petticoat' in this one, but you do see some pink sub at the end, which kind of both gives it away and takes you (if you're me) out of the scene.

mp3 download

Episode 20 - Steve and Dave Have Trouble at Fort Apache

It's that time of the month again.  Wait, that sounds bad...

Lots of use of stock footage this week, much of it over Europe.

The B17 was not that big a deal in the Pacific theatre.

Inter service rivalry is a thing.

So general Moore just leaves....

Col Lard working together with Pappy, as much as he can, is a nice twist.

There's still this sense that everything can be cured with a fistfight, though, I suppose that sort of dispute resolution kind of comes to mind when your job is trying to make sure some other guy dies for his country.

I liked this one, though Masters of the Air it ain't.....

mp3 download

Episode 18 - Steve the Dave Way

New contender for worst title ever!

This one is fun because the actors are given the opportunity to, you know, act.

Jeff MacKay was really good in this episode.  Indeed, as noted this one was full of very strong performances.

It's a Jackie Cooper directed outing, so it will be good.

The importance of war propaganda cannot be overstated.

The hair still bugs me.

This is one of the best episodes of the season.

Communalism vs individualism.

Kenneth Mars was a lot of fun in this one.

Whenever we mention 'Mr. French' I think of the butler on a Family Affair.

mp3 download

Episode 17 - Dave and Steve in the Slot

That may sound, umm, odd, but it only refers to the title of the episode!

RED WEST!

We also get Tommy Hirachi, Pappy's nemesis in the show (not so much in real life).

Some real exploration of Gutterman's PTSD.

Ginty's best work of the series so far.

Wait, you can't solve everything with a punch?

OK, well you can solve some things.

I am warming up to Col. Lard.

This is a crossover episode with WKRP

Andy Micklin is basically a walking trope and Steve and I don't care.

mp3 download

Episode 16 - Steve is Dave's Deadliest Enemy of All

Once I committed to this naming convention for part 1, part 2's title was a gimme.

I think that Robert Conrad really showed some range here.

I don't want to, however, hear his kissing noises.

Rabaul was certainly an important base for the Japanese.

It was eventually just bypassed.

The use of Tora Tora Tora footage was really good in this one.

What's the deal with Bobby Boyle's hair?

I love Gutterman, but sometimes I want to yell at him.

Nurses still in their civvy uniforms..

Part 2 was better than Part 1, just like it was with Rockford!

The actual Pappy is in this one!

mp3 download

Episode 15 - Dave is Steve's Deadliest Enemy of All

It's a two parter, so next time it will be how Steve is my deadliest enemy.

The New Britain campaign and strikes on Bougainville were a thing.

Oh yeah, here is a link to the documentary about the 214 Steve talked about.

Fighter sweeps were too.

So we have some actual historical accuracy here!

Nurses are great, if you are an officer.

Also, why are the nurses in civilian nursing uniforms?

James Whitmore Jr. kills it in this one, but Robert Conrad shows some chops too.

Patterson the red shirt...

mp3 download

Episode 14 - Steve and Dave are the Uni Biz Warriors

Long trip for this title.  I apologize in advance.

Wait, what did you pay for the podcast? Nothing.  I retract my apology.

JAMES DARREN!  I love Jimmy Darren.  I loved him in the Time Tunnel, I loved him in DS9, and he plays 'movie star' really well.  Of course Jimmy died on Sept 3.  If you get a chance, check out the interview with him on the Shuttlepod podcast.  It's excellent.

Hollywood stars did joined the armed forces, as did pro athletes etc.

Who?  Oh, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Miller, you know, no big stars...  This is the equivalent today of say Ryan Reynolds, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and oh I dunno, Taylor Swift joining the armed forces to fight the evil that is fascism.  This shows you how seriously people took this.

Rod getting names wrong, classic.

Everything is solved with toxic masculinity.

What's Nancy's problem?

mp3 download

Episode 13 - Dave and Steve

Easy title this month.

This one is about bullying, and hit home for both of us (you'd never guess the two of us would be bullied, no, kids love weird kids who read a lot...)

I like that it focusses a lot on Larry.

I like that it focusses a lot on Jerry.

Look, I like these guys.

Wartime romances were a real thing.  They were often intense, and often a bad idea.  A lot of guys came home to babies that couldn't have been theirs, and a lot of couples generally had kids outside of marriage, which was not as accepted a thing, generally.  Mostly people moved on.

Some really good dogfighting scenes in this one.

mp3 download

Episode 12 - Steve and Dave are the Cat's Whiskers

Better title this month I think.

Hey this one has not one, but two made up islands!

The 'well if we could just get a mission we won't get court martialled' trope continues.  (Also, is it martialled or martialed?). OK, turns out it must be the double l one right?

This one was broadcast on December 7, 1976.  You may not know this, but, a pretty big thing happened on  December 7, 1941, just saying.

I don't put my feet up on my desk much, but if Admiral Nimitz says it's a good idea I will start.

I really liked how Lard knew something was up because there was too much Scotch on Espartos Marcos.

Pappy's plane changes a few times scene to scene which is pretty funny.

'It's called stock footage David, be quiet'.

That said, much of the dogfighting stuff is great.

You sir, are no admiral Nimitz.

There are, today, listening posts like the show talked about.  This one though seems to detect things using active sonar pings and Morse code...

mp3 downlad

Episode 11 - Dave and Steve on My Mind

This one has some great 70s guest stars.

The New Georgia campaign actually happened!

Pappy and the Black Sheep don't seem to get that in wartime the whole thing doesn't revolve around you.

The lack of military discipline in the show can usually be overlooked, but Steve and I are pretty sure enlisted men don't talk to officers like they do in this episode.

Coastwatchers were a real thing, JFK knew that. Oh so does Peter Frampton.

Generally this one was supposed to make me hate the marine raiders, but, umm, the 214 are just as bad as far as Steve and I are concerned.

mp3 download

Episode 10 - Anyone For Steve and Dave?

I wonder if this episode title would be used today.

We get Pappy drinking aftershave in this one!

Come to think of it, I shouldn't have used an exclamation point there, like, am I excited about alcohol use disorder?

Classic military movie trope of volunteers only in this one.

Classic military movie trop of drawing lots.

Whitmore Jr is really good in this one as usual.

The USS Princeton was a real carrier.

Those extra guys are a bunch of Dales.

Pappy is horrible. in the one.

The Fraser strait on the other hand....

mp3 download

Episode 9 - Dave and Steve are Up For Grabs

Obligatory title comment, this one is not one of my better ones.

Hey this one has a date!

Douglas MacArthur was really good at being MacArthur.

George Takei!

This one is stupid fun.

Nobody would have been that calm, on either side.

There's a magic B25 in this episode that changes livery.

There's stock footage from Tora Tora Tora in this one, and there's of course a Tor Tora Tora connection in this one.

Hey, also, directed by Ivan Dixon!

mp3 download

Episode 8 - A Steve and Dave Circus

Not a bad title this month.

Repeat this with me, there was no Christmas Island campaign.

I wonder if what Pappy proposes is technically a war crime.

Some great stuff about carrier operations this week.  That guy is in a dumb looking shirt and hat for a reason.

US Navy vs USMC rivalry is a real thing.  Inter service rivalries are in general in every country with armed forces.

We get some proper toxic masculinity this week.

We both love Gutterman.

We also get the 'flying misfits vs the US armed forces' this week.  I'm not complaining BTW.

mp3 download

Episode 7 - Presumed Steve and Dave

Bad title.

Wait, Kent McCord and James Hong!

You don't send out active SONAR pings like that.

Also, why did Dobson speak Japanese when the Col speaks English?

There are some really great flight scenes in this one.

I wonder if any of the planes are still around.

Why would they be doing recon over an island they figure has nothing on it?

Some real Manchurian Candidate vibes in this one.

mp3 download

Episode 6 - Prisoners of Dave and Steve

Nice title Dave, why thank you Dave.

This is one of the most highly rated by fans, according to IMDB anyway.

There is a strong 'war, what is it good for' vibe in this episode.

Gutterman is about to snap, even more than usual.

Ping pong/table tennis is not Japanese, though what would he be good at, baseabll?

Hutch shows us the NCO vs officer tension that exists in most militaries.

Wow, the Japanese are about to attack Mexico!

TASK FORCE!

We both like this one a lot, inaccuracies and all.

Pappy Boyington wouldn't commit war crimes.

mp3 download

Episode 5 - Dave and Steve are Jinxes Who May Be High

Obligatory bad title comment.

This one is pretty dark.  We think of Baa Baa Black Sheep as a sort of swashbuckling 'isn't war fun' kind of show.  And yes dear listener, it often is.  But hidden in that brew of bullshit is often some great commentary on war.  This episode is like that.  Poor Doug has no life outside of being an Admiral's son, or being a jinx.

This one also talks about privilege and superstition, two things Pappy would have none of.  He didn't care who you were, as long as you could fly, but of course, he'll take advantage of your position in life.

There are some wild historical inaccuracies in this one that we discuss.

James Whitmore Jr. kills in this episode.

mp3 download

Episode 4 - Dave and Steve Have a Small War

Jesus that's another awful title.

This is all about redemption.  Both Gutterman's and Hooper's.

This one is the classic 'guy gets shot down over enemy territory and has to figure a way out'.  This has been seen in so many shows and movies.  Be it, Star, both Wars and Trek, be it 12 O'Clock High, be it Combat! be it Piece of Cake, Wings (the 1977 one look it up) hell, I think there's a Hogan's Heroes like this!  Still, a good one.

Rene Auberjonois is in this one and he's very good.  There are a  couple of scenes where he really shows his chops.  Spoiler, he's a better actor than Robert Conrad.  Another spoiler, Conrad keeps up.

Why are they on an island off the coast of Labrador?

Pappy was actually shot down of course and ended up in transit on Truk, where they attack on the show, and where at the end of the episode you will hear a real newsreel from the time that pappy is ctually in (you can't really easily make him out from the air, but he talks about it in Baa Baa Black Sheep).

This is, as usual, a fun one.

Whitmore steals every scene he is in, killer performance this week.

mp3 download

Episode 3 - Best Steve Out of Dave

I'm sticking to the episode naming convention I have developed and there is nothing you can do to stop me.

Charles Napier is always fun.  He just chews scenes, and I love it.

I always wonder about two guys just playing straight poker with each other.  Why not just flip a coin?

I would never get Jim Gutterman mad, I'd be afraid he'd snap.  Whitmore did an excellent job with this character.

Bar fights that men bond over.  It's a war movie trope.

Greg and Red both sucker punch each other in this episode.

In a lot of ways, this is the quintessential Baa Baa Black Sheep episode.  It's got Col Lard, Gen Moore, Red fighting Pappy, some great dogfighting, some ground combat.  Oh and lots of drinking and historically questionable bits...

mp3 download