NOW HERE IS a title that we'd given up on writing about. It appears until recently, no one seemed to have heard of it. Could it have been a figment of our imagination, a dream, a piece of undigested pork, perhaps? But alas, no, for here it is!
WE DON'T HAVE much in the way of factual material to offer. So, we'll have to use our powers of recollection and bring what we must call anecdotal experiences in formulating our review. That's all we have, memory; which of course, can be both a blessing and a curse simultaneously.
THE PROGRAM WAS shown via syndication here in Chicago. It was shown over Channel 5, our NBC wholly owned subsidiary. The call letters were WNBQ; now having changed to WMAQ. It was telecast in the pre-nightly news slot, 9:30 PM.
THE SHOW WAS produced only 11 short years after the ending of all hostilities in World War II; so, not surprisingly the anthology series featured stories based on real experiences of the enlisted men in that conflict. Inasmuch as our Armed Forces were expanded to their maximum size via the Selective Service Act (aka the Draft), the very appropriate title of "CITIZEN SOLDIER" was chosen.
THE SERIES HAD no great, spectacular or panoramic battle scenes that had been come the custom in so many theatrically released films of the day. Nor did the series need them; for it was the telling of the individuals' stories that was the heart and soul of this series.
THAT'S NOT TO say that the series looked cheap; because its frugality was not detrimental to its appearance. The uniforms, costuming of the native Europeans and the (limited) use of military vehicles, all added up to the look of absolute realism.
WE HAD HEARD somewhere that, although this was an American production, that it was filmed at some locations in Europe. We have nothing in the way of any printed material to refer to as substantial evidence. Here's hoping that some further information will surface of real value.
WE DO HAVE one more bit of anecdotal info to impart before we go. That would be referring to an interview that Bob Denver (Gilligan, himself) offered up in an interview done on some now unknown daytime game show done years ago. We recall that he referenced CITIZEN SOLDIER as having been a series on which he had some of his earliest work.
AND HERE WE thought that we'd dreamed up this whole title!
WE DON'T HAVE much in the way of factual material to offer. So, we'll have to use our powers of recollection and bring what we must call anecdotal experiences in formulating our review. That's all we have, memory; which of course, can be both a blessing and a curse simultaneously.
THE PROGRAM WAS shown via syndication here in Chicago. It was shown over Channel 5, our NBC wholly owned subsidiary. The call letters were WNBQ; now having changed to WMAQ. It was telecast in the pre-nightly news slot, 9:30 PM.
THE SHOW WAS produced only 11 short years after the ending of all hostilities in World War II; so, not surprisingly the anthology series featured stories based on real experiences of the enlisted men in that conflict. Inasmuch as our Armed Forces were expanded to their maximum size via the Selective Service Act (aka the Draft), the very appropriate title of "CITIZEN SOLDIER" was chosen.
THE SERIES HAD no great, spectacular or panoramic battle scenes that had been come the custom in so many theatrically released films of the day. Nor did the series need them; for it was the telling of the individuals' stories that was the heart and soul of this series.
THAT'S NOT TO say that the series looked cheap; because its frugality was not detrimental to its appearance. The uniforms, costuming of the native Europeans and the (limited) use of military vehicles, all added up to the look of absolute realism.
WE HAD HEARD somewhere that, although this was an American production, that it was filmed at some locations in Europe. We have nothing in the way of any printed material to refer to as substantial evidence. Here's hoping that some further information will surface of real value.
WE DO HAVE one more bit of anecdotal info to impart before we go. That would be referring to an interview that Bob Denver (Gilligan, himself) offered up in an interview done on some now unknown daytime game show done years ago. We recall that he referenced CITIZEN SOLDIER as having been a series on which he had some of his earliest work.
AND HERE WE thought that we'd dreamed up this whole title!