Okay. McHale's Navy. When I was a kid, McHale's Navy was the kind of filler rerun that your Dad or Grandfather loved, because odds were back then, they had served in the military, and found the carousing shenanigans of Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale and his crew of the PT-73 boat hilarious. The "service comedy" genre had been around for decades, but it saw its true flowering in the years following WWII, when the millions of guys who served in that war were amenable to highly fictionalized, comedic takes on the armed forces. When McHale's Navy premiered in 1962, big-screen examples of the genre still frequently showed up, but television seemed the best place for short, weekly comedic excursions with the genre's established stereotype of the typical American solider: wily, crafty, highly intelligent, always on the make for a beautiful dame, and looking for a good time gambling and drinking in between giving the enemy a hard time - a stereotype your Dad and Grandfather no doubt felt might just be kicking around inside of them, too.

Certainly actor Phil Silvers' TV series from 1955, You'll Never Get Rich (renamed The Phil Silvers Show during its run, and then renamed again as Sergeant Bilko during syndication), was the high-water mark for such service comedies on television. Created by comedy legend Nat Hiken, Silvers' show established the basic framework that service comedies like McHale's Navy (and maybe the very first season of M*A*S*H) would copy: a group of seemingly goldbricking American soldiers, wanting nothing more than a good time, constantly schemed and pulled off elaborate scams to fool their superior officers, in order to keep the alcohol and money and broads rolling in. Now of course, where McHale's Navy differed was the fact that it was set during war time, in enemy territory (Bilko was set during peacetime at Fort Baxter, Kansas). So, allowances were made to show the soldiers actually engaging the enemy in-between the carousing. But watching McHale's Navy (much like the similar Hogan's Heroes), the enemy - in this case, the Japanese - are portrayed in much the same manner as the American soldiers, with their encounters strictly confined to comedic misfires between the two opposing groups.

I don't remember a whole lot about McHale's Navy from when I was younger, other than the image of star Ernest Borgnine grinning ear-to-ear when the series' title came up, and of course, the whining magnificence of co-star Joe Flynn (I still miss that guy). Frankly, I remember the two cheap movie knock-offs they did of the TV series (a specialty at that time for Universal) better than these episodes, because those films still showed up on TV quite often when I was a kid; reruns of McHale's Navy were pretty scarce (or on low-end stations) by the mid-to-late 1970s. Watching McHale's Navy: Season Two now, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up. Not as razor sharp as Bilko was, never achieving the frequent comedic lift-off that fueled that classic series, McHale's Navy still manages to provide a genial, cheery rowdiness to its scamming antics, with the impeccable cast bringing a lot of brio to the sometimes spotty scripts.

And the public must have agreed. In its sophomore 1963-1964 season, McHale's Navy hit its highest year-end rating, 22nd in the Nielsen's (tied, interestingly enough, with Hazel, starring that other Oscar-winner-turned-TV star, Shirley Booth). Comfortably positioned at 8:30pm after soon-to-be Top Ten hit, Combat, and before (at 10:00 o'clock) another new hit series The Fugitive (ABC viewers would desert the 9:00 o'clock offering The Greatest Show on Earth to check out Petticoat Junction and The Jack Benny Show over on CBS), McHale's Navy worked up a good-natured head of steam with audiences to guarantee a further two seasons of adventures before stockpiling enough episodes for a long run in syndication.

Created by one of my journeyman favorites, Edward Montagne (who produced some funny Don Knotts films in the 1960s, along with Andy Griffith's charming Angel in My Pocket, as well as directing Knotts' The Reluctant Astronaut), McHale's Navy keeps a snappy pace going (even if some of the jokes are groans), while cruising on the obvious strengths of the cast. The Oscar-winning Borgnine, one of my all-time favorite actors (I don't care what the role is, he always brings 100% energy to it), is really quite funny alternating between being the head carouser of the group, and the harried commander who constantly has to set up schemes and diversions to fool the brass and to keep his operation going. Borgnine, never afraid to go over the top, is perfectly suited to the outsized comedy here, and it's a joy to see his big, lusty laugh when something goes right, or his eye-popping double takes when a scheme goes wrong. And Joe Flynn, instantly recognizable to kids from the 70s for his numerous roles in light Disney features (he will forever be Dean Higgins of Medfield College to me), is almost supernaturally on-tone with his wheedling, whining, craven career officer Captain Wallace B. "Leadbottom" Binghamton. Flynn, who sounds like a cross between Edward G. Robinson and a whining dog who's been kicked, manages to keep up a stream of Popeye-like mutterings that are both hilariously ineffectual and contemptuous at the same time. He's really a marvel here, and a big, big source of much of the comedic tension for the series. Other cast members are funny, too, including Tim Conway, whose pratfall and mimic skills get a work out here (I've written before about the truly gifted Conway; please click here to read that review), the always humorous Carl Ballantine as Lester, who brings a real Borscht Belt zing to his line readings, and diminutive Billy Sands (formerly of Bilko) as Tinker Bell.

As for the plots for McHale's Navy: Season Two, they're certainly not going to win any awards for originality. The series stays rigidly on message: McHale, desperate to keep his cushy life of gambling and drinking on track despite the inconvenient war, has to come up with an elaborate scheme each and every week to somehow fool Captain Binghamton and his cringing yes-man, Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter (Bob Hastings, in another amusing turn), into not throwing the whole McHale gang into the brig. And while such a formulaic approach may seem repetitive and unoriginal to some (particularly after watching all 36 episodes in a lump sum on DVD), you have to give the writers (including such pros as Danny Simon, Arthur Marx, Arnold Horwitt, Bob Fisher, William Raynor, and Myles Wilder) credit for coming up with new schemes amid the old gags every week. Perhaps that's why McHale's Navy still has name recognition over forty years later; after all, television, at least in the early 1960s, was meant to be welcoming and comforting. Repetition was not only desirable, it was encouraged. Much like the later Hogan's Heroes, the very fact that so many of McHale's Navy's stories are similar perhaps endeared them to kids and adults who were looking for an uncomplicated, easily repeatable experience. On that level, McHale's Navy: Season Two succeeds quite well.

DISC ONE

The Day the War Stood Still (September 17, 1963)
McHale and crew must plot the perfect escape for Fuji when Binghamton arrests him as a Japanese spy.

The Binghamton Murder Plot (September 24, 1963)
Paranoia runs high when Binghamton is convinced the crew of PT-73 is out to kill him.

McHale and His Schweinhunds (October 1, 1963)
In an effort to regain his dignity - lost during a run-in with a Japanese patrol boat - Ensign Parker bravely pursues a German U-Boat.

Is There a Doctor in the Hut? (October 8, 1963)
The crew tries to bamboozle Binghamton into granting them a trip to New Caledonia, where a lucrative business deal awaits. When it's discovered that a beautiful movie star is there on tour, the crosses and double-crosses begin.

To Binghamton With Love (October 15, 1963)
Using the PT-73 to shuttle them to a crap game, the crew gets caught red-handed and winds up in big trouble with the Captain. The only way out is to put together a testimonial dinner for Binghamton - but no one wants to attend.

Have Kimono, Will Travel (October 22, 1963)
While escorting Binghamton to a meeting at Com Fleet, a bomb hits PT-73's fuel tank and the crew is forced to steal fuel from the Japanese. They distract them by putting on a Japanese minstrel show in costume, with Binghamton as the star geisha.

Today I Am a Man! (October 29, 1963)
Colonel Parker is repeatedly bested by a pretty blonde nurse (Joyce Bulifont) who he has his eye on. Totally demoralized, he requests a transfer, but McHale and the crew have other plans for him.

DISC TWO

Jolly Wally (November 5, 1963)
When Binghamton discovers that Ensign Parker's childhood friend is a renowned war correspondent, he promotes Parker to base PR officer.

Scuttlebutt (November 12, 1963)
The PT-73 crew comes to the rescue when Tinker's girlfriend dumps him for a hotshot pilot.

The August Teahouse of Quint McHale (November 19, 1963)
McHale and the boys conspire to get Binghamton off the island so they can plan a Japanese tea party for homesick Fuji.

French Leave for McHale (November 26, 1963)
McHale runs into his old friend Big Frenchy (George Kennedy) who fleeces the crew at a poker game. The con is on when Frenchy steals the 73.

The Happy Sleepwalker (December 3, 1963)
Happy's fear of women is diagnosed as the cause of his sleepwalking, so McHale and the crew scheme to cure him.

A Letter for Fuji (December 10, 1963)
The crew tries to help out a depressed Fuji by offering to post a letter to his girlfriend for him. The only problem is that they have to mail the letter from the Japanese compound.

My Ensign, The Lawyer (December 17, 1963)
Tinker is caught red-handed with the Captain's missing printing press and immediately scheduled for court-martial. All seems lost until Ensign Parker takes his case.

DISC THREE

Orange Blossom for McHale (December 24, 1963)
The beautiful con artist Kate O'Hara (Joyce Jameson) shows up on Taratupa and Binghamton sees a chance to use her to get rid of McHale once and for all.

Creature from McHale's Lagoon (December 31, 1964)
Gruber's last scheme is to make a fortune by planting phony pearls in the island's oysters - creating a rush on the pearl-diving equipment he rents out. Binghamton and Carpenter take the bait.

A Medal for Parker (January 7, 1964)
Ensign Parker's girlfriend Mary has left him for an ace fighter pilot. To get her back, the crew plants a made-up story of his heroism in her local paper and gets Parker a medal for bravery.

The Balloon Goes Up (January 14, 1964)
At last, Captain Binghamton has been transferred to a position on Admiral Rogers' staff. Before he goes, he needs to account - or pay - for $150,000 of missing inventory, which the crew has been trading with Urulu.

Who'll Buy My Sarongs (January 21, 1964)
Gruber and Tinker are at odds over the upcoming sarong sale. The crew takes sides and the competition is fierce.

Evil-Eye Parker (January 28, 1964)
The crew plans a talent show to raise money for a needy orphanage. Nothing short of being hypnotized will get Binghamton to allow the show.

The Great Impersonation (February 4, 1964))
The bumbling Ensign Parker is sent on a special mission to divert assassins when it is discovered that he bears a striking resemblance to a targeted British General.

Urulu's Paradise West (February 11, 1964))
When the Navy asks Binghamton to purchase one of Urulu's islands, he must make amends with his native adversary.

DISC FOUR

Dear Diary (February 18, 1964)
When Binghamton gets a hold of Ensign Parker's diary, detailing all the shady activities of McHale and the crew, he thinks he's finally found a way to get rid of them all.

Bagette Go Home (February 25, 1964)
When the Navy wants to buy a nearby island for a new supply depot, the negotiations get complicated after the daughter of the island's owner stows away on the 73 to be near Virgil.

The Novocain Mutiny (March 3, 1964)
Prisoner of war and crew houseboy Fuji develops a terrible toothache. Secretly getting him to a dentist is complicated by a visit from the Fleet Medical Officer.

Stars Over Taratupa (March 10, 1964)
When a famous director arrives on the island to film a documentary on PT boats, McHale and the crew are determined to star in it.

Comrades of PT-73 (March 17, 1964)
Captain Binghamton sees an opportunity to get rid of McHale and his boys for good when a Russian officer comes to the base looking to take a PT boat and its crew back to Murmansk.

Return of Big Frenchy (March 24, 1964)
When Big Frenchy returns to Taratupa and cons Binghamton and Parker out of a load of supplies, McHale and the crew go after him.

Alias PT-73 (March 31, 1964))
With the Admiral visiting, the crew is restricted to the island and must make an old PT boat look like the 73 in order to sneak off base and rebuild a native village.

DISC FIVE

The Rage of Taratupa (April 7, 1964)
When a swindling rock star on temporary assignment on Taratupa is captured by the Japanese, McHale and his men have to rescue him.

Ensign Parker, E.S.P. (April 14, 1964)
Ensign Parker has a premonition that Captain Binghamton is going to be blown up in an air raid. His attempts to prevent this from happening only gets him into trouble.

The McHale Mob (April 21, 1964)
A mobster movie influences Urulu to play tough guy during treaty negotiations with the Navy. McHale, the crew, Binghamton, Carpenter and even Admiral Rogers fight back gangster-style to get him to change his mind.

Carpenter in Command (April 28, 1964)
Captain Binghamton breaks his leg and leaves Elroy Carpenter in charge of the base. The normally reticent lieutenant lets the power go to his head and the boys are forced top humble him.

Marryin' Chuck (May 5, 1964)
A teapot, mistaken for a cheap trinket, is acquired in a deal by Gruber. By the time the crew discovers it is actually a priceless antique, it's been given to the Admiral's daughter as a wedding gift.

The Dart Gun Wedding (May 12, 1964)
Binghamton's stateside employer wants the Captain to keep his son on Taratupa permanently. In a rare display of solidarity, Binghamton and McHale's crew plot to get rid of the spoiled playboy.

A Da-Da for Christy (May 19, 1964))
Christy's little daughter is about to say her first words and his wife has arranged to have it broadcast to him via ham radio. Trouble begins when the crew tries to pick up the channel on an enemy radio, confiscated during a raid.

The DVD:

The Video:
Unfortunately, the transfers for McHale's Navy: Season Two look pretty rough, with many looking like multiple video dupes (Today I Am a Man! looks particularly awful). As well, compression issues abound, no doubt from cramming too many episodes on one side of the disc. Edge enhancement is pronounced, and contrast values often look burned out. With so many vintage shows from the 1960s looking great on DVD, this is a real disappointment.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English mono accurately reflects the original broadcast presentation.

The Extras:
There are two, 9-minute interviews with Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway included here. Borgnine, looking fit and full of energy, gives some background on how he got into acting, his military career, and how he landed McHale's Navy (evidently, a little kid who couldn't place Borgnine's name - but who did know James Arness and Richard Boone - convinced movie star Borgnine that TV wasn't a step-down, career-wise). Conway, funny as always, also discusses his early beginnings in acting, his military career (evidently, he had been court-martialed several times), and his first big gig with McHale's Navy. It's great to see these two pros discussing their careers with such obvious enthusiasm and affection.

Final Thoughts:
The second season of McHale's Navy offers the same genial laughs and enthusiastic mugging from the expert cast, as were seen in the first season - and that's just the way we like 1960s sitcoms. Having not seen the show in over thirty years, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it's held up. Old pros Borgnine, Flynn and Conway keep the laughs coming, and standardized framework of the plots guarantee if you liked it the first time, you'll like it the 36th time. The only sour note? Those transfers are terrible. I recommend McHale's Navy: Season Two.