You have questions. I try to have answers.
Is Sean Pertwee related to the actor on “Doctor Who,” Jon Pertwee?
He is. Sean, for those of you tuning in late, plays Alfred on the Batman prequel series “Gotham,” and has been seen several times on “Elementary” as Gareth Lestrade. Jon Pertwee, his father, was the Third Doctor on “Doctor Who”; Peter Capaldi, the current Doctor, is the 12th. Jon died in 1996, but memories of him remain. At Halloween, Sean posted a photo of himself on Instagram dressed as the Third Doctor. The caption said, “Guess Who I’m going as tonight.”
Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, there were several TV series with a World War II theme, some centered on the war with Japan, and some centered on the war with Germany. I’ve been trying to remember them all. I remember “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Rat Patrol,” “McHale’s Navy,” “Operation Petticoat” and “The Wackiest Ship in the Army.” The last one no one else seems to remember. I think Jack Warden and Gary Collins starred in it. Can you help me out on this?
“The Wackiest Ship in the Army,” which, like “Operation Petticoat,” had also been a big-screen movie, aired for a single season on NBC in 1965-66. Warden and Collins starred as the commanders of a schooner during World War II. (According to The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, Army man Warden was in charge when the vessel was in port, and Navy man Collins in charge when at sea.)
But that was just a small part of a wave of World War II military comedies and dramas on the air during that period, especially on ABC. You might also remember “Broadside” (1964-65, ABC), “Combat” (1962-67, ABC), “Combat Sergeant” (1956, ABC), “Convoy” (1965, NBC), “The Gallant Men” (1962-63, ABC), “Garrison’s Gorillas” (1967-68, ABC), “Mister Roberts” (1965-66, NBC) and “Twelve O’Clock High” (1964-67, ABC),
