"Best Military-Themed TV or Cable Series?" Topic

Excluding movies, mini-series, documentaries. Excluding sci-fi and fantasy. Looking for something that you would have watched once a week, like any other regular TV show.

What is the cutoff episode count for a mini-series?

MASH is about the only thing comes to mind.

The Unit
imdb.com/title/tt0460690

If you go back a bit there was Combat starring Vic Morrow from 1962-1967 There were 152 episodes

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat!

Tour of duty, combat, Black Sheep, Ultimate Force (British) Sea Patrol an Australian show.

Combat, McHales Navy, 12 O'clock High, Ba-ba Black Sheep, The Rat Patrol all come to mind, though the last mentioned wouldn't qualify as best.

Forgot Hogan's Heroes

I thought of the same shows saranghkan did. I also barely remember F Troop.

Gomer Pyle, USMC
'Allo 'Allo!
Dad's Army
The Phil Silvers Show AKA Sergeant Bilko

Yea, Combat, Tour of Duty, 12 O'clock High, Black Sheep.

Combat for WWII.

Tour for post-WWII.

M*A*S*H was the only one of the shows mentioned above that I ever watched even semi-regularly. But I remember there were a few shows in addition to those mentioned above, including Operation Petticoat, Soldier Soldier, Spearhead.

Does Sharpe count? There were plenty of episodes – I mostly watched them on Masterpiece Theatre, so sort of regular viewing. OTOH, you did say "no fantasy or sic-fi" 8^)

Best of the lot for me, however, was Blackadder Goes Forth.

Combat!
12 O'Clock High
Tour of Duty
McHale's Navy
Rat Patrol

In that order.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Recently:
Sea Patrol (Australian)
Still watch Mash

As a youngster:
12 O'clock High Very good.

These are poor really but some are quite funny
Combat
Hogans Hero's
McHale's Navy
Ba Ba Black Sheep
Rat Patrol
F Troop

Is Band of Brothers a mini-series or a TV show? I watched it every week, but I suspect the former, not the latter.

A few which spring to mind in no particular order:

Dads Army
Allo Allo
Secret Army (the more po faced version of Allo Allo)
Danger UXB
MASH
Frigate (although they didn't do much actual fighting!)
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
Bluestone 42
Blackadder Goes Forth
Colditz
Tour of Duty on the odd occasion I remembered to watch it.
F Troop

The two I never missed were:
Combat
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat!

The Gallant Men
link

A lot of people don't remember all the guest stars that appeared in Combat episodes:
…In the first season, the then little-known Ted Knight and Frank Gorshin made appearances. Other notable guest stars included Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall, James Coburn, Bill Bixby, Dwayne Hickman, Telly Savalas, Luise Rainer, Charles Bronson, Richard Basehart, Eddie Albert, James Caan, Jeffrey Hunter, Leonard Nimoy, Frankie Avalon, Sal Mineo, Neville Brand, Brandon De Wilde, Tab Hunter, Beau Bridges, John Cassavetes, Roddy McDowell, Walter Maslow, Mickey Rooney, Claudine Longet, James Whitmore, Dennis Hopper, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Weaver, Keenan Wynn, Richard Jaeckel, Fernando Lamas, Ricardo Montalban, Claude Akins, Warren Oates, Nick Adams, Joan Hackett, Jack Lord, Dean Stockwell, Jack Carter, and Chad Everett.

China Beach which of course had Sarg's rules. Remember your weapons were built by thev low bidder or friendly fire isn't friendly.

Ba Ba Black Sheep
Rat Patrol

On COMBAT series---I remember reading that the Sgt was wounded like elevenety million times during the show. It listed all the places he was hit. He should have looked like Frankenstein's monster from stitching up all the "flesh wounds"!!

If the Sherrif of Nottingham's soldiers count:

The Adventures of Robin Hood
Robin of Sherwood

What about Spartacus? He started off a soldier and then was leading the slave army in later seasons.
I watched that every week when I had cable.
It was about as historically accurate as any of the rest of the stuff listed here.

Rome

Girls Und Panzer

Well, if we are going for historical dramas with a bit of war how about Robin Hood, William Tell, The Flashing Blade, The Tudors, Rome, Ivanhoe, I Claudius and The White Queen (even if the 'battles' were laughable).

Private Schulz link
Then Churchill said to Me link
Piece of Cake link
Enemy At the Door link

Combat, McHale's Navy and 12 O'clock High

dads army, tops them all

Victory at Sea
World at War

Spartacus was excellent for the ancient period.

'Soldier Soldier' deserves a very honourable mention.

But top of my list is 'Bluestone 42' – my wife adores it (or perhaps the Lt…) and she usually hates anything military based on TV.

Has no one watched Strike Back? I guess it might be a bit more mini-series like then not.

Oh and what about Turn on AMC? Does that count? Between it and the Sons of Liberty mini-series I am now interested in gaming the period.

Tour of Duty and The Unit were shows I watched consistently, though when I was younger, McHale's Navy and Baa Baa Blacksheep were my favorites.

Does Magnum PI count? Lots of flashback episodes and espionagee stuff going on.

Rob

A-Team?

Combat and Tour of Duty for me too as well!

Combat
Rat Patrol
MASH (first couple seasons)
Roll Out (only lasted one season)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Hogan's Heroes

Generation Kill

What was the one starring Ross Kemp called? Made such an impression I can't even remember the title!

Thanks to Martin for reminding me: Black Adder Goes Forth indeed.

"What's the scale?"

"Er.. one to one sir"

Looking for something that you would have watched once a week, like any other regular TV show.

So …. nothing.

I've just remembered 'Wings'
link

Garrison's Gorillas; Rat Patrol