The Phil Silvers Show

Like everyone else in those days in the 1950s, i never ever missed the weekly episode of the 'Phil Silvers Show' on television. I recently purchased the 3 disc -18 episodes- set of the 5Oth anniversary of the show, here in South Africa. It was as funny as ever. Sadly, most of that excellent cast have passed on now, but a youthful Dick Van Dyke is in one of the episodes and Alan Melvin -Corporal Henshaw- narrated throughout. It brought back so many memories and sheer joy to watch these episodes of Sgt Bilko, that i sent away to the United Kingdom via e bay, for the full 142 episodes. They have just arrived in the post. OK, some episodes are showing a little wear but overall they are going to provide me with a lot of enjoyment in the days ahead. The comedy of Phil Silvers will never age as far as i am concerned. One thing that i will never ever understand is why they canceled the show after only four seasons when it was top of the ratings. But, perhaps that is why it has remained a classic for fifty years and will continue to do so for the next fifty and more.

In the massive and essential "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy" the editor Mark Lewisohn includes his personal Top 20 Sitcoms of all time on British TV. His Number One is not a British production, but it is a show that has been part of the BBC schedules for nearly 50 years, and is an important element of British television heritage.

"The Phil Silvers Show" - or "Bilko" as it is usually known - has been and remains a sitcom with a unique feature that makes it Number One (or close to that) for lovers of good comedy. That feature is Phil Silvers, who was a comedy performer of undeniable genius. He dominates every moment that he is on that small screen, and even then he is complemented by wonderful performances by a host of other regular characters - Colonel Hall, Doberman, Ritzic, and the rest.

To celebrate 50 years since this historic show began on US TV, a new DVD box-set has been produced. On the three discs there are 21 complete episodes, plus some great extras, including the original pilot show never shown on British TV, revealing commentaries by Dick Van Dyke and other members of the cast, and other Phil Silvers appearances and interviews. A must-have for the DVD collections of all comedy lovers.

This show has been running almost non stop on British TV since the fifties, and so it should. Its one of the funniest shows to have come out of the USA and has probably influenced more British comedians than anything else. Made in the days when a real audience actually laughed in the right places, at a razor sharp cast who appeared to love what they were doing.

On the Collector's Edition DVD, there are 18 episodes from the Bilko television series, a series that won numerous Emmy awards and sure entertained me, my family and friends in the mid-to-late '50s. Silvers starred as the con man of the Army, a sergeant whose love of money and thrill of gambling or pulling some con job seemed to supersede everything else in his life. Yet, as shallow as he often appeared, inside was a compassionate person with a heart (although they wasn't always evident!).

Almost all of Ernie Bilko's schemes worked for awhile but failed in the end, but he was never deterred. He would just look up to the heavens, say "Why me? Why? Why!" and go on to the next scheme the following week.

It wasn't always humorous to see him lying, cheating, conniving, giving false praise to old ladies like Colonel Hall's wife and friends, pulling rank on hapless new recruits, etc., but most of the time it was because we knew it wasn't done maliciously. Almost all of his stunts were designed with one purpose: to gain money, although sometimes he gave it back when his conscience got the best of him.

The cast surrounding Phil Silvers also was outstanding. The names of the characters live on forever in the mind's of Bilko fans like me. I didn't need to watch this DVD to remember names like "Col. John Hall and his wife Nell, Duane Doberman, Rocco Barbella, Rupert Ridzik, Francis Grover, Fielding Zimmerman, Dino Paparelli, Joan Hogan, Henshaw, Fender, Kadowski and others.

To be honest, I didn't find the show 50 years later to be as funny as I had remembered it, but what is? I had such fond memories that I probably elevated it too high on the pedestal. Still, this DVD provided many hours of nostalgia and laughs and when it was over, I was sad to see it end. I just hope they put out another edition on DVD.

I regret that I have only seen a fraction of the episodes of THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW. But those that I have seen confirms the show's reputation as an authentic television classic. Consider the star, Phil Silvers as Sgt. Ernie Bilko. Was there a more lovable conniver? His joy in his scheming was so droll and endearing one couldn't help but root for him. Yet Bilko never wanted to hurt anyone and whenever he learned any plan could hurt someone, he wouldn't go through with it. Silvers' ruefulness at such moments was as delightful as his ecstasy.

Silvers was backed by a delightful supporting cast. Particularly memorable were Maurice Gosfeld as the innocent Private Duane Doberman and Paul Ford as Bilko's flustered superior Colonel John Hall. Joe E. Ross got his big break as the gruff but lovable Sgt. Rupert Ritzik. Producer Nat Hiken would later team up Ross with Fred Gwynne in the police sitcom CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU? And what hilarious, inventive scripts that so deftly served those performers. I'm no prude but I consider such riotous episodes like "The Trial of Harry Speakup" and "The Face on the Recruiting Poster" proof that writers don't have to stoop to raunchiness to generate laughs. The problem with today's television sitcoms is that they often indulge in gratuitous filth.

With so many old sitcoms coming out on DVD today, isn't it about time for DVD episode guides of THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW? Why should DVD users be denied access to, from what episodes I've seen, a wonderful show? Such a treasure does not deserve oblivion.