re: The Pick Of The Day

For WWII fans (and who didn't love WWII?):



Combat was an hour-long drama series that ran on ABC from 1962-7. It's sort of the original Band of Brothers. Created by screenwriter and war film specialist Robert Pirosh (Oscar winner for Battleground), Combat follows an infantry squad after D-Day as they go through France.



Top-notch writing and innovative production, including frequent use of handheld cameras to simulate actual battle footage, give it a grittiness seldom seen in network TV before or since. The late, great Vic Morrow stars as the tough, no-nonsense Sergeant Saunders.



A few notable episodes:

"The Glory Among Men" -- One of my favorite episodes. The most hated member of the squad is wounded and trapped out in the open. But the Germans don't finish him off -- instead they leave him alive, hoping to draw out the Americans to rescue him. Should the squad risk their lives for someone they despise?

"Anatomy of a Patrol" -- Trying to get a wounded pilot and valuable reconnaissance film back to HQ, Saunders must match wits with a German sergeant every bit as shrewd as he is. The sergeant is played by a very young James Caan, who speaks some rather impressive German.



"The Bridge At Chalons" -- The squad must guard a surly demolitions expert while he blows a key bridge. The guest star is no less than the great Lee Marvin.

"The Enemy" w/guest star Robert Duvall. Duvall's German accent isn't so hot (though it's better than his English one in The 7% Solution) but otherwise he gives a subtle performance as a demolitions expert who has booby-trapped an entire town in advance of the American army taking it. He is captured by Lt. Hanley (Rick Jason) and forced to defuse the bombs he's planted, resulting in a nerve-racking game of cat and mouse, with script and direction taking every possible advantage of the suspenseful premise.



"Survival" -- Directed by Robert Altman, and another of my favorites. Wounded in a fire and separated from the squad, Saunders wanders through enemy territory in a daze. Virtually half the footage has no dialogue, and Altman employs some unorthodox camera angles (shooting into the sun) previously unheard of in TV.