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Post-55th Anniversary Viewing
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Gilligan's Island
"Voodoo"
Originally aired October 10, 1966
IMDb said:
A witch doctor wreaks havoc on the castaways after he steals a personal item from each of them and then creates voodoo dolls that bear their likenesses.
Gilligan's looking for a lucky rabbit's foot that he lost in a cave full of tribal artifacts that the Skipper is concerned may be protected by a taboo. A witch doctor who's spying on them (Eddie Little Sky) tests his doll of Gilligan, which has the rabbit's foot attached to it, and causes a sharp pain in Gilligan's neck.
The Professor is fascinated by the archaeological significance of the artifacts found in the cave, and the ladies are grateful for the jewelry that was found, but Skipper doesn't even want to look at the items for fear of curses. Meanwhile, the witch doctor sneaks around stealing personal effects from the other castaways...who all gather at the cave to find more artifacts (the Skipper's superstition having been overcome by the promise of payment from Mr. Howell). The witch doctor starts using his full collection of dolls, first taking control of Gilligan's movements, then giving them all hot feet, which sends them running for the lagoon.
The Professor continues coming up with scientific rationalizations despite the evidence of actual burning; then the witch doctor puts him under a paralyzing spell that causes the others to think he's been turned into a zombie. The others try to appease the unseen witch doctor...the Skipper and Gilligan by returning artifacts to the cave; the Howells by leaving money. Ginger tries to break the spell on the Professor with a native dance that she performed in a movie, but it's the wrong dance and she causes a storm, leaving the motionless Professor out in the rain. Finally, Gilligan returns one last item to the cave and finds all the dolls with attached personal items, which he gathers up to give to the castaways. Having his pocket knife returned to him snaps the Professor out of his spell, but not remembering anything that happened while in his trance, he resumes lecturing the others about their superstitions.
In the coda, the Skipper and Gilligan finally see the witch doctor when Gilligan makes a doll of him and sticks a pin in it, which causes him to run screaming into the lagoon.
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Hogan's Heroes
"The Battle of Stalag 13"
Originally aired October 14, 1966
IMDb said:
As the Hammelburg Underground lodges a complaint against Hogan's success, Klink finds himself caught between the Gestapo and the Wehrmacht, each trying to take over Stalag 13.
The prisoners sneak in an underground operative named Greta (Janine Gray), who's there to have words with Hogan about how his sabotage activities are causing the Gestapo to turn up the heat in town, with plans for widescale interrogation of citizens. Hogan informs her that the Wehrmacht is planning to turn the stalag into a rest camp, using some token prisoners as human shields. When the Wehrmacht's General von Kattenhorn (Jacques Aubuchon) visits the Stalag at the same time as the Gestapo's Colonel Feldkamp (Howard Caine, still not locked into the role of Hochstetter), Newkirk and Carter commandeer the general's car while posing as Gestapo soldiers, setting the VIPs against each other. When Hogan learns that Feldkamp plans to begin the mass interrogations, he tries to warn Greta via radio, but she's already been captured. The prisoners make for the tunnel...right in front of Schultz, who obligingly covers his eyes. (If only Bruce and Dick had it so easy with Aunt Harriet...)
Greta is one of the first group of citizens being interrogated, in a farmhouse. Her radio is discovered on the premises, but Hogan and company bust in dressed in Wehrmacht uniforms but hiding their faces with handkerchiefs, claiming to be there to take Feldkamp's car in retaliation, but also freeing the captives to get them out via the tunnel back at the stalag. The Wehrmacht and Gestapo both call for reinforcements, and in an attempt to avoid the crossfire, Klink persuades Kattenhorn and Feldkamp to parlay. Hogan then reveals that both staff cars have been found at the recreation hall. After the VIPs depart in their cars, two explosions are heard in the distance, Hogan passing it off to Klink as Kattenhorn and Feldkamp having double-crossed each other. (The IMF having started as Hogan's operation is looking all the more likely...)
In the coda, Hogan and Greta make up in his office.
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Gilligan's Island
"Where There's a Will"
Originally aired October 17, 1966
IMDb said:
Mr. Howell names the other castaways as beneficiaries in his will. But he then fears they may be trying to kill him for their inheritance, when in reality they are throwing a surprise party for him.
The episode opens on the somber note of Mary Ann crying while picking flowers for an ill Mr. Howell, whom the other castaways are tending to. The Professor has to take his temparature with the ship's thermometer/barometer, but somebody brought two nurses' outfits on the three-hour tour. It turns out that Thurston just has a bellyache, but in gratitude for the others' concern, he decides to write the castaways into his will--a diamond mine for Ginger, a railroad for the Professor, a plantation and fleet of cars for Mary Ann, an oil well for Gilligan, and 40 acres of downtown Denver for the Skipper. The castaways start imagining what they'll do with their wealth. But Howell soon becomes paranoid when everyone avoids him while engaging in suspicious activities, and seeming attempts on his life take place, including an arrow almost hitting him in front of Gilligan; falling into a pit that the girls were camouflaging; and the Professor using a lever to topple a boulder from a cliff, almost smashing him.
Mr. Howell barricades himself and Lovey in their hut, but we see that the castaways are preparing a surprise party--the Professor was looking under the boulder for mushrooms, and the pit was for trapping a wild boar--Food source alert!!! Thurston goes to confront them, but overhears the Skipper talking about slaughtering the boar and thinks the boar is him! After Thurston packs up to live on the other side of the island, Lovey learns the truth and tells the others where he went--with the Professor's first thought being that Mr. Howell may fall prey to an apparently abundant population of other potential food sources. When the other castaways come looking for him, Howell puts his pith helmet on top of a pool of quicksand that his suitcase fell into, and the others--including Lovey--assume that he drowned in it. Thurston eavesdrops as the Skipper officiates at his funeral, is moved to tears at hearing the others expressing their affection for him, and then watches as they all tear up the documents for the properties that he left them. Then he falls from his perch and the others are happy to discover that he's alive.
The castaways proceed with throwing Howell the party, which includes Lovey popping out of a cake.
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Hogan's Heroes
"The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz"
Originally aired October 21, 1966
IMDb said:
Hogan is stymied over how to rescue a captured member of the underground until a potential diversion appears in the form of an old WWI buddy of Sgt. Schultz.
The prisoners are under pressure to spring an underground operative named Becker before the Gestapo can get him to talk, which would expose their operation. An attempt by Carter and Newkirk posing as Gestapo to bluff a Gestapo officer (Peter Brady's real dad, Edward Knight) into releasing Becker into their custody doesn't work, but they learn that the operative is being moved to a hotel in town. Then a General Kammler (Whit Bissell) who's visiting the stalag turns out to be Schultz's old lieutenant, with whom the sergeant is on a first-name basis. Kammler takes a special interest in Schultz's career, which motivates Klink to start kissing up to his subordinate.
Schultz quickly lets the attention go to his head, and the prisoners stage a broad-daylight rushing of the gate by LeBeau so that the sergeant can intervene. Then Hogan gives Klink the idea of having Kammler give the sergeant an award...at the hotel in town. While Schultz is being awarded the Iron Cross, the prisoners, working as waiters, stage a blackout and fire, giving Newkirk and LeBeau the opportunity to slip upstairs and free Becker; and Hogan and Carter the opportunity to douse Klink with buckets of water. When it's discovered that Becker has been freed, Kammler deduces that it's the work of the prisoners and threatens to relieve Klink of his command; but the prisoners stage being captured by a thoroughly drunk, propped-up Schultz.
In the coda, Klink is informed that Kammler has been sent to the Eastern front, restoring his authority over Schultz.
You're diiisss-
miiisssed!
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Ah, good old Skylab, floating up there like a wounded bird.
Not since 1979.
Album rock radio classic from a groovy album full of album rock radio classics.
Three Dog Night. 'nuff said.
Oldies radio classic.
Paul Simon classic.
George's early solo peak more or less ends here, with spotty road ahead.
We're figuring out the secret history of the world.
Or the TV world, at least.
They're in one of those
M*A*S*H-like time bubbles.
I read that they deliberately always had a smattering of snow on the ground to facilitate the episodes being shown in any order...so the entire series may take place during one winter.
I'm just teasing him. I'd like to see it, actually.
The one I watched last night, an expert who was showing him how to use a lasso said, "Y'know you oughta be able to throw that rope, I've seen you onstage swingin' that microphone."
