The Big Broadcast

Series:	Hogan's Heroes
Episode:	The Big Broadcast
Original Airdate:	December 06, 1970
Production Number:	5784-160
Written by:	Bill Davenport
Directed by:	Jerry London
Produced by:	Edward H. Feldman, William A. Calihan & Jerry London

Regular

Prisoners

• Colonel Hogan - Bob Crane
• Corporal Louis LeBeau - Robert Clary
• Corporal Peter Newkirk - Richard Dawson
• Sergeant Andrew Carter - Larry Hovis
• Sergeant Richard Baker - Kenneth Washington

Camp Personnel

• Kommandant Wilhelm Klink - Werner Klemperer
• Sergeant Hans Schultz - John Banner

Semi-Regulars

• Major Wolfgang Hochstetter - Howard Caine
• Fräulein Hilda - Sigrid Valdis

Guest Stars

• Bertha - Yvonne E. Dardenne
• S. S. Man - Jay Sheffield
• Hercules - James Sikking
• First Officer - Willard Sage
• Second Officer - John Crawford
• Guard - Buck Young

Synopsis

Hogan uses Klink's car radio to sneak a message to London when a pair of radio detection trucks enters the area.

Story Notes

• This is the one hundred and sixtieth produced episode of the series, but is the one hundred and fifty-sixth to be shown on television, and is also the twelfth episode shown for the Sixth Season.
• The name Hercules is an obvious allusion to the hero of Ancient Greek Mythology.
• The Underground uses a torn 7 of Spades playing card as a recognition code.
• In this episode we learn the name of the Hofbrau's chief competitor - the Ratzgeller (Rat's Cellar).
• Schultz reveals that he has developed his own black market connections.
• This is the only episode in which Klink gets the girl at episode's end (the new owner of the Ratzgeller).
• This is the only episode in which Baker dons an SS uniform as a disguise.

Timeline Notes and Speculations

• This takes place in 1944, given the rocket references and the presence of Hochstetter.

Quotes

Sergeant Schultz: Did you see how I fooled that stupid trooper and told him there were only cleaning rags in the box?

Bloopers

• Hochstetter plans to requisition 100 of Klink's soldiers at Stalag 13 for his own uses. As there are only 80 or so guards at the camp, plus whatever support staff is needed, that would have left Stalag 13 virtually unguarded.
• When Hogan is telling Schultz how they took Hochstetter's radio and put it in Klink's car, Schultz' reaction is so over the top that Newkirk breaks character, starts to laugh, and has to cover his face with his hand!
• Not so much a blooper, but Hogan's easy gaslighting of Schultz is too incredible. Schultz would know perfectly well that Klink's staff car had no radio transmitter-receiver, and he'd call Hogan's lie.

External links

• The Big Broadcast at [Käfig voller Helden]
• The Big Broadcast at the Internet Movie Database
• The Big Broadcast episode capsule at Webstalag 13
• The Hofbrau

Previous episode: Operation Tiger

Next episode: The Gypsy