Best Classic American TV War Shows

By Raymond Lockley

Military shows, like the "NCIS" and "JAG" franchises are very popular of late. But before these shows, there were series that were just as popular despite (or because of?) their run during the Vietnam War. In honor of Veteran's Day, here's my list of the best classic (i.e. from my younger days) American TV shows about the military in wartime:

  1. M*A*S*H, 1972-83
  2. Hogan's Heroes, 1965-71
  3. McHale's Navy, 1962-66
  4. Baa Baa Black Sheep, 1976-78
  5. 12 O'Clock High, 1964-67
  6. Combat!, 1962-67
  7. The Rat Patrol, 1966-68
  8. The Silent Service, 1957-58
  9. The Gray Ghost, 1957-58
"M*A*S*H", of course, is one of the best television series of all time in any category, and was ground-breaking in several ways; so that has to be #1 (even though it is right on the trailing edge of the classic era). But "Hogan's Heroes" is easily my #2: I vividly remember my uncle, who was a grunt draftee in the German army, visiting when this show was on; and although he understood hardly a word of English, he would watch avidly and howl with laughter every time Sgt. Schultz was on the screen, swearing that this was exactly what his sergeant was like.

Honorable mention

There were other military TV shows that were not really about wartime. No list of military classics should fail to mention these great comedies:

To index of lists