The Lansing vs Burke Versions (sorry...been done before but)

While DVR-ing this fine series and not having seen so many episode for literally decades (well like 50 years! ouch), it's startling how different the Quinn Martin made the Lansing and Burke versions of this show.

While the rumors have circulated for half a century over why Lansing left the show, it seems to me the reasons are there pretty much for us to see in the product produced with Burke that came after.

Yes, it was an earlier timeslot. Yes, while Lansing was a handsome, hard edged kind of alpha male warrior, Burke was "prettier" and more animated and social a warrior.

I have not seen Season 1 with Lansing in its entiriety yet, but it does seem they set out to make a tv series that was very very close to the original film.

Very authentic, serious, moving war stuff. Lansing was just the man for that role. He was just about the leadership and the business of running the squadron and it's as though he sort of became a monk-like figure, lonely at the top (like in the film--we never saw Gregory Peck chasing chicks off duty).

The first series was such a serious meditation on the whole bombing event and the challenges of leading that new form of war that Gen. Savage was undertaking. There was no fluff in Season 1. It was serious drama.

I think that's what Quinn Martin ditched after one season--a serious meditation on war and leadership that closely followed the original film. To ditch that concept he had to ditch the serious monk-like leader Savage.

So on a complete retool, Quinn ditches Lansing and what replaces him is this dashing more sociable Joe Gallagher. Sure, he's a tough squadron leader, but he's like some dog in heat a lot of the time--and right off the bat starting in ep 1, series 2. Where did he find the energy after all that killin' over Germany mate?

But it was really shocking how right out of the gate in Season 2, suddenly there's a sexy chick in "guest starring" at the beginning and before we get to Part III, Joe has snogged her at LEAST once! He even finds chicks when he's on enemy terrority and they ditch their partisan togs for him and dress up in sexy tight dresses and heels and climb over rocks in them!

Mon dieu. Goodbye serious meditation on war and hello Gallagher's Wartime Flings. He's got a damned new chick in every episode!

He seems constantly to be saying to General Britt, "Oh sure I can come to that briefing tonight, but I have a date. I'll have to call her and cancel."

Somebody decided all these "guest star" women had to be the hotties of the time in H-wood. Ian Balin was one of the few woman guest chickies who was a serious actress rather than just Gallagher eye candy.

It was the retool of all time. 12 O'clock High Meets the Loves of Randy Joe Gallagher Who Never Met A Woman He Didn't Want to Snog Before the Epilog.

Too bad. They didn't have to go that way. But guess they wanted ratings and they thought hot chicks for Joe to shag every ep was the way to go.

It could have been so much better if they'd kept to the original quality theme.

They need to rename seasons 2 and 3: "The One where Joe Gallagher Snogs the Ops Lieutenant." "The One Where Joe Gallagher Snogs the Norwegian Partisan Fighter." "The One Where Joe Gallagher Snogs The French Exile..."

Geesh.