F Troop the wakiest western ever

The wackiest western ever

Those of a certain age will recall F TROOP which was a satirical Western television sitcom. The series evolved around Native Americans and U.S. soldiers in the Wild West during the 1860s. There were only 65 episodes on ABC from September 14, 1965, until April 6, 1967, The first season was broadcast in black-and-white, and the second season was in color. Fans were disappointed when a third year of the show did not manifest.

F Troop offered tongue in cheek satire, unlike today's television programming that leaves nothing to the imagination. Innuendo, burlesque, physical comedy/wacky stunts, and slapstick entertained viewers every week. Those who tuned in enjoyed the wacky show and show and it had pretty good ratings. The inside jokes often made absolutely no sense but most times were hilarious.

Rewritting history

There were parodies of history as well as historical people that did not always stick to the facts. The F TROOP versions were pretty colorful. There were also indirect references to the 1960s culture such as having a "Playbrave Club" instead of a Playboy Club. There was also a rock and roll band that performed 1960s songs. The action took place at Fort Courage which was a fictional Old West Outpost located on the WARNER BROTHERS property.

The plot

Ken Berry portrayed Captain Wilton Parmenter who was the commanding officer of the operation. His subordinates are Corporal Randolph Agarn (Larry Storch) and Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke (Forrest Tucker) They are in cahoots with the local American Indian tribe, the fictitious Hekawis who are led by Chief Wild Eagle (Frank de Kova).

The troops were continuously attempting to expand and conceal their shady business deals which are referred to as "O'Rourke Enterprises". Initially, rations and pay were drawn for 30 men at Fort Courage, although only 17 of them are actually accounted for. The other 13 were said to be Indian scouts who only came to the camp at late night and left before dawn.

Melody Patterson controversy

Melody Patterson portrayed Wranger Jane who wanted to marry Captain will. She was very possessive of her man and many viewers probably don't know that she snagged the role when she was only 16 with a fake birth certificate. Her castmates were much older as love interest Ken Berry was 32, Larry Storch was 42 and Forrest Tucker was 46. When producers found out her real age they were troubled but Patterson's maturity caused them to allow her to remain in the role. Wrangler Jane and Wilton were in a relationship and viewers probably had no idea about the 16 year age difference.

Cancellation

According to Wikipedia the Producer of F TROOP, William Orr did not decide on a third season because of the expense of producing the series in color during season two. Allegedly Forest Tucker said SEVEN ARTS,(the new owners of WARNER BROTHERS) thought it was wasteful for so much of the Warner Ranch to be utilized by a single half-hour television program.

The cast after the show

After F TROOP was canceled Forest Tucker and Larry Storck worked together again in In 1975. They created a live-action children's comedy called THE GHOSTBUSTERS for CBS. It was about two goofy, bumbling, fumbling, detectives and a gorilla who investigated the paranormal. Ken Berry gained fame in MAYBERRY RFD and later MAMAS FAMILY. Frank de Kova was on Gunsmoke and often portrayed Mexicans or Native Americans in other programs. Melanie Patterson had a role in the 1971 horror flick BLOOD AND LACE.

Sadly there is only one living member from the stars of F TROOP still with us today. Frank Dekova died of heart failure in his sleep in October 15, 1981 at age 71. Forrest Tucker died from lung cancer at age 77 in October 1986. Melody Patterson passed away from organ failure at age 66 in 2015. Ken Berry died in 2018 at age 85 from heart problems. Larry Stork is still living and is 98 years old.

Although this television series was only on the air for 2 seasons it left a fond impression on baby boomers and their parents. If you are a fan you can still enjoy this comedy western today. Locally you can watch F TROOP on WZBJ24 at various times on weekday evenings. You can also enjoy the series on the PEACOCK streaming service.