McHale's Navy

I have always enjoyed Mchale's Navy, it has to be one of my all time favourite shows. The show was immensely popular in Australia during the 1960's and has returned regularly since then. The show joins many of those other TV SitComs of that 'Golden Era' of television, such as: Batman, Gilligan's Island, The Addams Family, Gomer Pyle, USMC and many more that kept us amused.

I always made sure I was home from school and seated in time for the show every Monday to Friday to see the wacky adventures of McHale and his crew as they managed to get themselves into yet another 'mess' in their daily battle of wits with their strictly by the book Captain Wallace B. Binghamton and Lieutenant Carpenter.

Ernest Borgnine has always been one of my favourite actors and his portrayal of the long suffering LTCOMDR Quinton McHale was first rate. McHale always seemed to have his hands full trying to keep his 'bunch of eight balls' in line, as well as have to contend with his bumbling Exec Officer, Ensign Parker (Tim Conway).

I thought Ernest Borgnine made the show, being the go-between his men and his stern CO, Capt Binghamton. McHale was always concocting some scheme to get his men off the hook with Binghamton, sometimes himself too, after they got into some mishap or other. Capt, Binghamton was also forever trying to invent some scheme to get McHale and his 'Pirates' shipped out, inevitably this backfired on the good Captain someway or another.

I still enjoy this show, it's as every bit as entertaining now as it was back in those good old days.

"McHale's Navy" manages to present THE PERFECT take on "War-Time Comedy", (eclipsed only by "M*A*S*H"). Some may point to "Hogan's Heroes" as being superior, but while I enjoyed that as a kid, nowadays I cannot get past "Hogan's Heroes"' simple-minded take on The Nazis and sugar-coated fantasy prison camp setting. The Nazis were NOT simple-minded, easily-fooled buffoons, and "Hogan's Heroes" is an insult to the ordeals endured by every Allied POW in WW2.

McHale's Navy" on the other hand,never insults the intelligence of The Viewer by taking too many broad liberties with history. The Japanese in Mchale's Navy are a serious enemy,(save for the harmless "Fuji" the escaped POW given shelter by McHale and Crew).

In "McHale's Navy", The REAL Enemy is..... THE BRASS!

That's where honest War-Time Comedy is meant to derive from,and where it is at it's best. When you spotlight the overly- officious asininity of The Higher Ranks, you get Genuine Comedy. It's a Truth that Ernie Pyle, Bill Mauldin, Floyd Gibbons and Richard Hooker understood; and that Truth is showcased no where better than in "McHale's Navy".

This 1/2 hour comedy show centers around the crew of the PT73, Lt. Cmdr, Quinton McHale (Ernest Borgnine) Stationed in the South Pacific during WW II. The hapless crew and their commander pull of schemes and shenanigans under the nose of their Commander, Capt. Binghamton, played by veteran actor, Joe Flynn. Good fun all around. Watchable today. It is dated however. The Laugh tracks are a little annoying. A 6.5 out of ten.

After years of playing primarily dramatic roles, Ernest Borgnine really shines as the lovable con man Commander Quentin McHale. I loved "F-Troop", but you can see where that show got its inspiration. The supporting cast was also great, especially Joe Flynn playing his usual hot tempered authority figure in Captain Binghamton and Tim Conway playing the role that made him famous, the nerdish Ensign Parker.

This show is so funny you often wonder if we had a navy like this, how did we win the war.

Who can resist the comic talent of Tim Conway? Further, who can resist both Conway and Flynn on the same show to "play off" one another? The result is hysterical. I recently bought this first season, after having seen McHale's Navy (the 1960s movie) and McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force. I had enjoyed them both, but was unaware that the original TV show is now available for purchase.

I am always sad that nowadays, comedians are vulgar and crude and do not need to have ANY talent in order to be popular. True comedy is one of the toughest things for an actor to portray well. Any fool can spew forth obscenities for a cheap laugh, but true comedy requires something more. Joe Flynn and Tim Conway both have that "something more" I am referring to. You will know what I am talking about if you watch any of these old episodes.

What a delightful television show with good writing and decent acting.