The General Swap

As veteran television writers, producers, and even creators of a service situation comedy (the short-lived "McKeever and the Colonel"), R. S. Allen and Harvey Bullock understood the recipe needed to make an episode. So, for "The General Swap," their second collaboration for "Hogan's Heroes," to the general farcical spices of audacity, absurdity, hilarity, and incredulity they added series-specific ingredients:

---Elaborate ruse by the Heroes, the intelligence and sabotage unit led by Colonel Hogan stationed at Stalag 13, necessary to solve the problem they face? Check.

---High-level obstacle Hogan encounters, in this case, being called a traitor by recently-captured American General Aloysius Barton (Frank Gerstle)? Check.

---Audacious stunts that strain credulity, such as reassembling part of a bomber fuselage in their underground tunnel system, or Corporal Newkirk impersonating Winston Churchill on the radio? Check.

---Odd fixation on high-ranking officers, here with Barton and German Field Marshal von Heinke (John Myhers), after having a captured German general feature prominently in their previous episode, season one's "The Prisoner's Prisoner"? Check.

---Stalag 13 commandant Colonel Klink being flummoxed by Hogan and toadying to General Burkhalter as the butt of a joke? Check.

---Klink's Sergeant of the Guard Schultz both acting the buffoon and looking the other way to the prisoners' hijinks? Check.

Waiter? Check, please. It's not that Allen and Bullock's ingredients don't blend properly, only that you've tasted it all before, that they're simply checking all the boxes for a flavorless "Hogan's Heroes" episode lacking any and all distinction.

Hogan's orders from London are to spring Barton by all means necessary, no easy task given the heavy guard around him. Moreover, unaware of Hogan's covert mission, Barton thinks he's collaborating with the Germans. In desperation, Hogan plots to kidnap von Heinke, en route to Stalag 13 to join in on Barton's interrogation, make him think he's been taken to England (hence the bomber ruse in the tunnels), then arrange for a prisoner exchange--"The General Swap"--endorsed by none other than Churchill himself. Well, Newkirk masquerading as Winnie as Richard Dawson gets to show off his impersonation abilities.

Make no mistake, there are laughs to be had in "The General Swap," the whole caper more or less makes sense as long as you don't think too hard about it, and there's even a lump-in-the-throat salute at the end. But Allen and Bullock ultimately serve up a generic sitcom succotash that begs to be swapped for one with a much more distinctive flavor.

A rather routine Hogan's Heroes script where an American General is captured by the Germans and just so happens arrives at Stalag 13. With the prize catch, Klink has called Field Marshal Von Heinke to be present at this special attraction for the German side of the war. With the American General somewhat of a rude prospect for escape, orders are received from England that the General is to be freed at all cost. Now Hogan must think up a scheme to free the General from the Stalag.

It just so happens that Hogan decides to capture the visiting Field Marshal and propose a prisoner swap. But it will not be easy when Klink gets suspicious about the events.

Not the most exciting or funny show in the lot but it does entertain enough to make for a nice watch. There is a funny scene when Schultz is suppose to be watching the captured plane but gets side-tracked when food is offered. Other than that scene, it is very routine.