Baa Baa Black Sheep (later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron) is a television series that aired on NBC from 1976 until 1978. Its premise was based on the experiences of United States Marine Corps aviator Pappy Boyington and his World War II "Black Sheep Squadron." The series was created and produced by Stephen J. Cannell. The opening credits read: "In World War II Marine Corps Major Greg 'Pappy' Boyington commanded a squadron of fighter pilots. They were a collection of misfits and screwballs who became the terrors of the South Pacific. They were known as the Black Sheep." Image File history File linksMetadata Pappy. ... Stephen Joseph Cannell, known professionally as Stephen J. Cannell (born February 5, 1941), (IPA pronunciation: ), rhymes with channel, is an Emmy award winning American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor from the United States. ... Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born either Conrad Robert Falk or Konrad Robert Falkowski on March 1 in Chicago, although the year is still subject to question), is an American film and TV actor and director. ... Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born either Conrad Robert Falk or Konrad Robert Falkowski on March 1 in Chicago, although the year is still subject to question), is an American film and TV actor and director. ... Monaural (often shortened to mono) sound reproduction is single-channel. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington, USMC, (December 4, 1912 - January 11, 1988) was an American fighter ace. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Black Sheep were a Marine Corps aviation unit, VMF-214, that served in the South Pacific during World War II. The squadron was commanded originally by Gregory Pappy Boyington. ... Stephen Joseph Cannell, known professionally as Stephen J. Cannell (born February 5, 1941), (IPA pronunciation: ), rhymes with channel, is an Emmy award winning American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor from the United States. ...

List of Regular Characters

• Maj. Gregory/Greg 'Pappy' Boyington (Pilot/Commanding Officer VMF-214) (1976-78). Played by Robert Conrad.

• Capt. James 'Jim' Gutterman (Pilot/Executive Officer) (1976-77). Played by James Whitmore Jr.

• 1st Lt/Capt. Lawrence 'Larry' Casey (Pilot) (1976-78). Played by W. K. Stratton. (Larry Casey was promoted to Captain at the end of the season two episode "The 200 Pound Gorilla").

• Lt. Jerome 'Jerry' Bragg (Pilot). Played by Dirk Blocker.

• 1st Lt. Thomas Joseph 'T.J.' Wiley (Pilot) (1976-78). Played by Robert Ginty.

• Lt. Robert 'Bob' Anderson (Pilot) (1976-78). Played by John Larroquette

• Lt. Donald 'Don' French (Pilot). Played by Jeff MacKay.

• Lt. Robert A. 'Bob/Bobby' Boyle (Pilot). Played by Larry Manetti.

• Lt. Jeb Pruitt (Pilot) (1977-78). Played by Jeb Stuart Adams.

• Master GySgt/Warrant Officer/Capt. Andrew 'Andy' Micklin (Chief Mechanic) (1977-78). Played by Red West. (Micklin was promoted to Warrant Officer at the start of the episode "The 200 Pound Gorilla", and was made a temporary Captain by Boyington while sitting in the brig for punching out a major in a bar fight, which Quantico (US Marines HQ) ultimately did NOT approve, resulting in his reduction in grade/rank back to Master GySgt).

• Sgt. John 'Hutch' Hutchinson (Chief/Asst. Chief Mechanic) (1976-77). Played by Joey Aresco.

• Col. Thomas A. Lard (Executive Officer, Espritos Marcos) (1976-78). Played by Dana Elcar.

• Brig/Maj. General Thomas Moore (Commanding Officer, Esprito Marcos) (1976-78). Played by Simon Oakland.

Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born either Conrad Robert Falk or Konrad Robert Falkowski on March 1 in Chicago, although the year is still subject to question), is an American film and TV actor and director. ... James Whitmore Jr. ... Dirk Blocker (born July 31, 1957) is an American actor. ... Robert Ginty (born August 14, 1948 in New York, New York) is an American movie actor and director. ... John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American Emmy Award-winning film and television actor. ... Jeffery Neill MacKay, born October 20, 1948, Dallas, Texas is an American character actor familiar to viewers since the mid 1970s. ... Larry Manetti as Orville Rick Wright. ... Red West (born 1936 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter. ... Dana Elcar Dana Elcar (October 10, 1927–June 6, 2005) was an American television and movie character actor. ... Simon Oakland (28 August 1915 - 29 August 1983) began his career as a violinist (a vocation he would enjoy his entire career as an actor), and began acting in the late 1940s. ...

List of Recurring Characters (same or different actor, 2 or more appearances)

• General Claire Lee Chennault (Commander, AVG) (1976). Played by George Gaynes.

• Admiral Chester Nimitz (1976). Played by Byron Morrow.

• Admiral's Aide (Unnamed) (1976). Played by James Lough.

• Nurse (Unnamed) (1976). Played by Sharon Gless.

• Col. Mathis (1976). Played by Peter Donat.

• Lt. Robert 'Bob/Bobby' A. Doyle (1976). Played by Jake Mitchell.

• Lt. Freddy (1976). Played by Anthony Charnota.

• Huckabee (Flying Tigers Pilot) (1976). Played by Lance LeGault.

• Dr. James 'Jim' Reese (1976). Played by John Lawlor.

• Medical Lt. (Unnamed) (1976). Played by James Murtaugh.

• Nurse (Unnamed) (1976). Played by Sandra Kerns.

• LCDR Delmonte (Head Nurse) (1976). Played by Janice Carroll.

(note: the above characters only appeared in the premire episode, Flying Misfits, which is sometimes broken up into a two episode viewing, or as a single 90 minute movie. Also, Lt. Doyle's character was replaced by actor Larry Manetti during the series). George Gaynes (George Jongejans) (born May 16, 1917) is a Finnish-born American actor. ... Byron Morrow (born 8 September 1911 in Chicago, died 11 May 2006) was an American television and film actor. ... Sharon Marguerite Gless (born May 31, 1943) is an American actress, whos primarily on soap operas, movies and television. ... Peter Donat (born 20 January 1928 in Nova Scotia, Canada) is an actor best known for his roles in American television. ... Lance LeGault (b. ... John Lawlor is an American actor. ... James Murtaugh is an American film and television actor. ... Sandra Kerns is a movie and television actress who worked in some of the worlds most popular tv shows in the 70s and 80s before taking time out to start a family with husband and world-renowned stuntman Hubie Kerns Jr. ... Larry Manetti as Orville Rick Wright. ...

• IJN Capt. Tomio 'Tommy' Harachi (Pilot) (1976-78). Played by Byron Chung.

• Lard's Secretary (Pamela) (1976-77). Played by Jill Jaress.

• First Commando/Capt. Ishima/Japanese Officer (1976-78). Played by Marcus Mucai.

• Maj. Red Buell (Pilot, Former Commanding Officer, VMF-214) (1976-77). Played by Charles Napier.

• C-47 Pilot (unnamed) (1976-77). Played by Kin Shriner.

• Japanese Sentry/First Japanese Pilot (1976-78). Played by Matsuo Uda.

• Japanese Plotter/Second Japanese Pilot (1978). Played by Michael Yama.

• Japanese Guard/First Japanese Lt. (1976-77). Played by Cory B. Shoizaki.

• Third Commando/Ensign Kira (1977). Played by James Saito.

• Lt. Ted Carter (Pilot) (1976-77). Played by Frederick Herrick.

• LCDR Gladys Hope (Head Nurse) (1977). Played by Anne Francis.

• Nurse (unnamed) (1977). Played by Sandra Lewlyn.

• Richards/Eddie (1977). Played by Johnny Fain.

• Tall Nurse (unnamed) (1977). Played by Jacquelyn Gaschen.

• Rouva (Coastwatcher)/Looey (1976-78). Played by Muni Zano.

• Lt. Caroline Holden (Nurse) (1977). Played by Linda Scruggs Bogart.

• Lt. Nancy Gilmore (Nurse) (1977-78). Played by Nancy Conrad.

• LCDR Dottie Dixon (Head Nurse) (1977-78). Played by Katherine Cannon.

• Lt. Alma Peterson/Pretty Nurse/Lt. Susan Ames (1977-78). Played by Brianne Leary.

• Unknown Nurse/Lt. Ellie Kovaks (Nurse) (1978). Played by Kathy McCullem.

• 2nd Commando/Japanese Lt. (1976-77). Played by Jim Ishida.

• Japanese Mechanic/Japanese Officer (1976). Played by Dale Ishimoto.

• Japanese Capt/Submarine Commander/Japanese Admiral (1976-77). Played by Lloyd Kino.

• Doc Roberts/Sgt. Dutch Savage (1976-78). Played by John Durren.

• Salior/Lt. Davis (1976-77). Played by Tim Haldeman.

• Navy Lt./Marine Capt. (1976-77). Played by Curtis Credel.

• Col. Tokura/Lt. Miragochi (1977). Played by Soon-Tek Oh.

• Lt. Samantha Green/Moore (Nurse) (1977-78). Played by Denise DuBerry.

• Sgt. Daniels/Radio Operator/Cpl. Stan Richards (Mechanic) (1977-78). Played by Steven Richmond.

Byron Chung as Mr. ... Charles Napier can refer to: Charles Napier, an American actor General Sir Charles James Napier, a British soldier Admiral Sir Charles Napier, a British naval officer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Kin Shriner (born December 6, 1953 in New York, New York, USA) is an actor, best known for playing Scott Baldwin on both daytime soap operas General Hospital (1977-1980, 1981-1984, 1988-1993, 2000-2004) and Port Charles (1997-2000, 2001). ... James Saito (born March 6, 1955 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor of stage, motion pictures and television. ... Anne Francis Anne Francis (born September 16, 1930, in Ossining, New York) is an American actress, famous for her role in the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet (1956) and as private detective Honey West in the television series Honey West (1965-1966). ... Katherine Cannon (born September 6, 1953) is an American actress known for her role as the school teacher Mae Wooward in the tv series Father Murphy. ... Brianne Leary is an American actress. ... Dale Ishimoto (April 3, 1923 - March 4, 2004) was an American actor of Japanese descent. ... Soon-Tek Oh (born 29 June 1943 in Japan) is a Korean-American actor. ...

Plot

"Pappy" Boyington is the squadron-leader of a group of fighter pilots stationed on an island in the Pacific, during World War II. Pappy often intercedes in altercations at the base, but everyone seems to pull together when they are assigned missions in the air. "Pappy" liked to drink and fight a lot when not flying missions, and owned a Bull Terrier named 'Meatball' (which he claimed to belong to General Moore in 'Flying Misfits', but General Moore said 'he wouldn't own a ugly mutt like that.')

The series premise was very loosely based on a portion of the real-life military career of Gregory Boyington, known as "Pappy" due to his "advanced" age compared to the younger pilots under his command. (He was 30 when he took command of VMF-214.) The premise is misleading in that the "Black Sheep" were not misfits or screwups. Boyington, who was a technical advisor for the series, commented that this was "fiction based on reality" and that no regular character in the series except for himself actually existed. Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington, USMC, (December 4, 1912 - January 11, 1988) was an American fighter ace. ...

Popular character John 'Hutch' Hutchinson (Joey Aresco) was killed off in the episode "Last One for Hutch" and replaced as chief mechanic by GySgt. Andy Micklin (Red West), who had joined the squadron a few episodes earlier in "Devil in the Slot". Some viewers wonder why Red West appears on cover of the Volume 1 DVD collection (due to the fact he wasn't in the pilot episode, but Red West joined the cast during season one, so he rightfully would be entitled to such placement). Red West (born 1936 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter. ...

Critical reviews

The day of the show's debut, The Washington Post called Baa Baa Black Sheep a "war-is-swell series [aimed] at anyone who remembers World War II as a rousing, blowzy, fraternity turkey-shoot."^[1]

Production notes

Although the title Baa Baa Black Sheep comes from a nursery rhyme, the song heard at the beginning of the opening credits is actually the chorus to The Whiffenpoof Song, the "official" song of Yale University, written in 1909 as a parody of Rudyard Kipling's poem Gentlemen-Rankers. William Wallace Denslows illustrations for Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, from a 1901 edition of Mother Goose The black sheep, according to Denslow Baa Baa Black Sheep is a nursery rhyme, set to a variant of the tune for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Alphabet song. ... Established in 1909, the Whiffenpoofs are an all-male vocal ensemble at Yale University, and the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the nation. ... This article is about the British author. ...

The name of the island where the real-life Black Sheep were stationed was Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands of the southern Pacific, known as The Slot; this was changed to Vella la Cava in the series for legal reasons (the same was done for the Rear Area Allied Command island of ('Espiritu Santo') (Espritos Marcos). The Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California provided an adequate substitute backdrop for flying scenes. Filming of airfield scenes was primarily done at the now-closed Indian Dunes Airport in Valencia, California. Occasionally, modern trucks can be seen passing in the background. ... Categories: Oceania geography stubs | Solomon Islands ... Espiritu Santo (Spanish: Holy Ghost) is is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu. ... The Channel Islands of California, also called the Santa Barbara Islands, are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... A typical stretch of Valencia Boulevard. ...

Some air-battle scenes were actually short clips from the 1969 film Battle of Britain, and German markings on the planes can clearly be seen. Other flying scenes pioneered the technique of mounting cameras on helmets worn by pilots, thus providing a pilot's-eye view never before seen in films featuring single-seat aircraft. Due to reflections from the Plexiglas canopies, many close-ups were shot with the canopies removed. Combatants United Kingdom Including combatants from:[1] Poland New Zealand Canada Czechoslovakia Belgium Australia South Africa France Ireland United States Jamaica Palestine Rhodesia Germany Including combatants from Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength 754 single-seat fighters 149 two-seat fighters 560 bombers 500 coastal 1,963 total...

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair fighter planes were leased to Universal Studios by private owners. Many scenes showing repairs on the aircraft were filmed during actual preventative maintenance. "Japanese" aircraft used in the series were actually American planes, which had been modified to resemble Japanese planes for the film Tora! Tora! Tora! and later purchased by collectors. The Grumman J2F Duck float biplane belonged to legendary stunt pilot Frank Tallman and his Tallmanz Aviation museum in Santa Ana, California. Tallman often stated that this was his all-time favorite plane to fly, with the Corsair in a near-tie. Tallmanz provided or arranged for most of the aircraft used in the series. Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. ... The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War (and in isolated local conflicts). ... For the Melvinss album, see Tora Tora Tora (album) Tora! Tora! Tora! is a 1970 American-Japanese film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the series of American blunders that unintentionally improved its effectiveness. ... The Grumman J2F Duck was a single-engine amphibious biplane. ... Frank Gifford Tallman (b. ... Location of Santa Ana within Orange County, California. ...

During filming of the series, Gregory Boyington met Masajiro "Mike" Kawato, the one-time Japanese fighter pilot who claimed to have shot him down in 1943. It was later asserted that Kawato's claims were not true. Though Kawato's personnel records show that he had, in fact, been involved in the aerial battle, details that he provided of the action indicated that he had been involved in a different part of the fight.^[2]

The pilot episode was shown as a stand-alone TV movie "Flying Misfits" through the 1980s and 1990s.

Fiction versus reality

At an aviation history symposium in 2002, members of the real VMF-214 were asked about the authenticity of the TV series.^[3] Retired Colonel Henry A. McCartney said the list of errors was too long to repeat. Among other things he observed, "On the show they had these marvelous conversations on the radio when I hardly ever remember a radio that worked." Speaking of flying technique, he opined that the movie pilots made "transport" landings on the main wheels whereas "A real Corsair pilot three-pointed that airplane if he had any self respect." However, during the timeframe of the series the Corsair was in fact landed as shown, due to design problems with the early landing gear oleo struts. LCDR William N. Leonard, serving alongside the Marine Corsair squadron on Guadalcanal during 1943, reported that Corsair pilots landed "fast and tail high to remedy the bounce" (but he clarified: "you land full stall, then raise the tail and run-out on the main gear") ^[4]

It should be noted that three-point landings in the Corsair were one factor in the above-average number of landing accidents experienced by units flying the F4U (especially early models), and were prohibited in a number of squadrons. Aware of this history, wheel landings are used by most private owners to protect the rare and valuable warbirds.

Other panelists noted the show's absence of gunsights, oxygen masks, and gloves (note that several episodes do show the pilots wearing gloves while in their aircraft, however, the use of oxygen masks, essential above 10-15,000ft were rarely shown).

Another retired officer smiled when he said, "If we'd had what they did on that show--decent chow, quonsets instead of tents, and hot and cold running nurses, I'd still be out there!" While the nurses are unrealistically portrayed, the series shows the pilots to be in tents (the officers' club is in a Quonset) and several episodes featured complaints about the food by one character or another.

Critics have noted that the planes used in the series had a number of different paint schemes. In fact, this is authentic. There were several paint schemes used by the Marines and the Navy during this period, and as newer planes replaced losses, they would arrive with the colors and markings which were in effect at the time that the plane was last painted. In addition, planes were transferred between units as needed, and painting was a low priority, thus a single flight might have planes with markings from two or three squadrons.

Other inaccuracies include the haircuts worn by the pilots. United States Marines have always been noted for their crew cut hair or high and tight hair, and pilots especially prefer short hair due to the discomfort created by long hair under flying helmets. One pilot in the final season wore his hair in a long, late 1970s style intended to attract younger viewers, but which would not have been tolerated by any Marine commanding officer. A U.S. Marine sporting a high and tight, crew cut hairstyle A crew cut is a type of haircut in which the hair is cut fairly short. ... The high and tight can be any of several very short hair styles most commonly worn by men in military service, predominantly in the United States. ...

Likewise, the attitude openly displayed by Sergeant Micklin toward Major Boyington would have resulted in a rapid change of chief mechanic, and any officer who engaged in a fistfight with a sergeant to prove who was in charge would have been relieved as unfit to command.

Some subtle details were surprisingly accurate. The episode "The War Biz Warrior" featured a visit to the Black Sheep by a movie star, based on the real-life Ted Williams, who left major league baseball to fly Corsairs in the Pacific. During the visit (largely a publicity stunt, unlike Williams' real-life tours of duty) Boyington mentions that "kill flags" were only put on for publicity photos -- and removed before combat sorties -- because they attract extra attention from the enemy. Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002), best known as Ted Williams, nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame and The Thumper, was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball. ...

DVD Releases

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released the first season in two separate DVD releases: Universal Studios Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Video or MCA/Universal Home Video) is a home video company founded in 1979. ...

• Baa Baa Black Sheep, Volume 1, released May 24, 2005, contains the show's two-hour pilot and first ten episodes.
• Baa Baa Black Sheep, Volume 2, released July 3, 2007, contains the remaining 12 first-season episodes.

• It is unknown when Baa Baa Black Sheep, Volume 3 (which contains all the episodes of Season 2, and is the final volume), will be released.

is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

References

1. ^ Shales, Tom. "'Black Sheep': Oh, What An Unlovely War", The Washington Post, 1976-09-21. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. 
2. ^ "Kawato Masajiro: The man who didn't shoot down Pappy Boyington", The Warbird's Forum. (retrieved April 11, 2006)
3. ^ "CORSAIR!", Dayton Daily News, 2002-09-12, p. Z3-10. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. “The Gathering of Corsairs and Legends at the Indianapolis Air Show in Mount Comfort, Ind. . . . Numerous Navy and Marine pilots who few Corsairs in combat attended the show, where they participated in a symposium and signed autographs.” 
4. ^ Tillman, Barrett [1979]. Corsair: the F4U in WW II and Korea. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 17. ISBN 0870211315. OCLC 5713587. 

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Dayton Daily News (DDN) is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... Barrett Tillman (b. ... OCLC Online Computer Library Center was founded in 1967 and originally named the Ohio College Library Center (OCLC). ...

See also

• Black Sheep
• Pappy Boyington
• Black Sheep Squadron
• F4U Corsair

Black Sheep may refer to many different things: // English language Black sheep is a derogatory colloquial term in the English language meaning an outsider or one who is different in a way which others disapprove of. ... Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington, USMC, (December 4, 1912 - January 11, 1988) was an American fighter ace. ... The Black Sheep were a Marine Corps aviation unit, VMF-214, that served in the South Pacific during World War II. The squadron was commanded originally by Gregory Pappy Boyington. ... The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War (and in isolated local conflicts). ...

External links

• Baa Baa Black Sheep at the Internet Movie Database
• Baa Baa Black Sheep at TV.com
• About The Whiffenpoof Song and Baa Baa Black Sheep theme song - includes full lyrics