SEINFELD BLOG

McHale's Navy - Season One

Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP DISTRIBUTION
EAN: 0826663104189
Format: Box set, Black & White, NTSC
Label: Shout! Factory
Manufacturer: Shout! Factory
Number Of Items: 5
Publisher: Shout! Factory
Region Code: 1
Release Date: March 20, 2007
Running Time: 930 minutes
Sales Rank: 2786
Studio: Shout! Factory
Theatrical Release Date: October 11, 1962

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
From 1962 to 1966,McHale s Navy was the ABC networks must-see comedy series. With an amazing cast, including Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine (Lt. Commander McHale), comic genius Tim Conway (Ensign Parker), the one-of-a-kind comic talent of Joe Flynn (Captain Binghamton) this series remains second only to M*A*S*H as a truly funny military sitcom.


Veteran seaman Quinton McHale is commissioned into the Navy Reserve at the start of WWII. He becomes Skipper of the Torpedo Patrol (PT) Boat #73 stationed on the island of Taratupa in the Pacific. Assigned to his command are six free-spirited, good-hearted swabbies who love to have fun. McHale and his men are constant irritants to their base commander, Captain Wallace B. Binghamton. Binghamton is forever trying to find a way to get rid of McHale and his rule-bending crew, while McHale & Co. are forever scheming to keep him from succeeding. Despite their hilarious party-boy shenanigans and utter disregard for Navy regulations, when duty calls, the crew of PT 73 does its job and does it well.


With its talented stars, great writing and solid supporting cast, including Gavin McLeod (Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat), McHale s Navy is classic television at its finest and funniest.



Bonus Features:

* The Crew Reunion Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Carl Ballantine, Bob Hastings and Edson Stroll reunite and share their memories of the show.

* A special Colorized episode.

Amazon.com:
Something of a cross between M*A*S*H* (it's set in wartime) and Sgt. Bilko (the emphasis in on ensemble acting, with a ringleader and his band of merry pranksters), McHale's Navy isn't on a level with those two immortal sit-coms. But this amiable show, debuting on DVD with all 36 black & white episodes from its first season (1962-63) on five discs, stands the test of time surprisingly well. Not that there's any important new comedic ground broken here. These half-hour episodes are pretty much all about the same thing: Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale (the always reliable Ernest Borgnine), skipper of Navy PT boat #73, and his crew are stationed 'somewhere in the South Pacific, 1943.' They're capable sailors, engaging the Japanese enemy when duty occasionally calls, but most of the time they hang out on their own private island and have a good time--much to the chagrin of their blustery commander, Capt. Wallace Binghamton (Joe Flynn), who's constantly trying to rid himself of the regulation-defying McHale and his fun-loving band of miscreants. In that respect, McHale's Navy is much like Bilko. But unlike the latter show's brilliant Phil Silvers, Borgnine isn't really a comedian; with his unmistakable cackle, the actor's McHale, while not above taking part in a good-natured prank, is a less a Bilko-esque con artist than a regular guy, a kind of cheer- and ringleader intent on looking after his boys. The real laughmeisters on this show are Tim Conway, who brings his whole bag of shticks to the role of the bumbling Ensign Charles Parker, and Flynn, who's consistently hilarious. Among the crew, Carl Ballantine stands out as fast-talking Brooklyn native Lester Gruber; TV lovers will also recognize Gavin MacLeod in his first extended TV role before moving on to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love Boat.

It's always a bit strange to see war scenes played for laughs--the Pacific Theater in World War II was hardly comedy central, after all. But they are pretty funny. And while the Japanese characters are treated fairly stereotypically, it could have been a lot worse, considering the show's pre-political correctness provenance; hell, many of the roles are actually played by Japanese actors, which was not a given (then or now), and in one episode ('Movies Are Your Best Diversion'), they speak un-subtitled Japanese. Fact is, McHale's Navy is just too mild and good-natured to offend anyone. The sole bonus feature is a dull reunion interview with Borgnine, Parker, and some other cast members.--Sam Graham




Rating: - McHale's Navy Season One
The shows are good, however to have to endure a solid five minute advertisment is beyond our endurance. ... Read More

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Rating: - Classic Tv
One of the classic shows from the sixties - a more innocent time for television. A must see - even if you ... Read More

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Rating: - McHale's Navy - Season One
I just love the old TV shows and McHale's Navy is one of the funniest.

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Rating: - McHale' Navy - 1st Season
Great nostalgia! Tim Conway at his best; amazing the racial slurs against Japanese nationals that were included ... Read More

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Rating: - McHale's Navy - Season One
We bought this for my Dad for Christmas this year. It is his favorite gift of all. When I was little, I always watched ... Read More

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