F Troop is an American sitcom full of satirical comedy about U.S soldiers and Native Americans living in close contact at the fictional Fort Courage. It’s set during the wild west period of the 1860s.
The show first aired on ABC on September 14, 1965, running for two seasons before it concluded on April 6, 1967, with a total of 65 episodes. The first season was broadcast in black and white, but by the second they had switched to color.
The show’s opening credits claim Richard Blue created it. However, the Writers Guild of America eventually gave Seaman Jacobs, Ed James, and Jim Barnett credit. It was directed by Charles Rondeau and Leslie Goodwins, among others.
Writers include Arthur Julian, who single handedly wrote 29 of the 65 episodes, also appearing in a few cameos in the show. Others include Stan Dreben, Howard Merill, and the comedy duo Tom Adair and James Allardice.
F Troop is centered at the site of Fort Courage, a fictional United States Army outpost in Houck, Arizona, set at the end of the American civil war from 1865 to 1967.
The heroic Wilton Parameter (Ken Barry) is given command of Fort Courage, which is essentially a dumping ground for the army’s least inspiring men. He comes up against Sgt O’Rourke (Forrest Tucker), who runs an illegal business enterprise.
Wilton has to deal with the local Native Americans, the occasional monk, battles, and his attraction to Wrangler Jane Angelica Thrift (Melody Patterson).
The other main characters are Cpl Randolph Agarn (Larry Storch), Hannibal Dobbs (James Hampton), and Chief Wild Eagle (Frank DeCova).
The western series relied heavily on character-based humor consisting of verbal and visual gags and comedy. The show has been considered a hilarious western spoof that should have aired for at least a few more seasons.
The show had excellent actors, a great premise, hysterical gags, and a great production value, which left many fans stunned at its premature cancellation.
Theories suggest the budget for producing the show in color was to blame, while others say it was due to the space it required on the Warner Ranch to shoot such a small 30-minute episode.
Only two seasons were produced, yet, F Troop did enjoy a successful second life in syndication. The show was a fan favorite on Nick at Nite in the 1990s and on TV Land from 1997 to 2000, despite only having 65 episodes.
In the UK, reruns commenced in October 2017 on Sky TV channel Forces TV, whereas in America, Circle has carried the show since 2020.
F Troop has remained a classic sitcom despite its short run time and has gained itself a cult following over the years thanks to its simple humor and characters that can’t help but make you laugh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_kWqmsx1-4
