Summary
- F Troop was a Western-comedy that only lasted two seasons despite being a fan favorite.
- The show featured physical comedy and a talented cast but was likely canceled due to production costs.
- F Troop’s unique take on Westerns and endearing characters deserved more than just two seasons.
For some, there is no worse feeling regarding media than having your favorite TV Show canceled. This is particularly true when it comes as a surprise, whether with the show still succeeding or ending mid-story. Sadly, many TV shows end too soon, which has been the case since the dawn of TV. Not everything will live on in longevity, even when it is, by most measures, a success. One such show that only lasted two seasons and got canceled while still being a fan favorite is the western-comedy F Troop.
We will reflect on the short-lived TV show, what made it stand out, and why it was eventually canceled. One thing is certain: F Troop deserved more than just two seasons for various reasons.
F Troop Plot and Cast
Initially airing for two seasons on ABC from 1965 to 1967, F Troop got its name as a play on words following the misadventures at an army outpost at Fort Courage during the 1860s. The lead character, Captain Wilton Parmenter, who oversees the post, landed his job after ‘successfully’ leading a cavalry charge to victory after accidentally heading in the wrong direction and lucking out.
Accompanying Captain Wilton Parmenter was a slick conman in Sergeant Morgan Sylvester O’Rourke, and a slightly dimwitted sidekick, Corporal Randolph Agarn. Jane “Warngeler” Angelica Thrift was the strong-willed and boyish romantic interest to Parmenter. The comedy, defined by its character-driven and physical comedy (slapstick, gag), followed the four through their daily tasks, including interactions with the local tribe.
Captain Wilton Parmenter was played by Ken Berry, who carved a career in television, following up F Troop with Mayberry R.F.D. (1968–1971) and Mama’s Family (1983–1990) alongside a successful career on the musical stage. Captain Wilton Parmenter was played by Forrest Meredith Tucker, a vaudevillian performer who would go on to amass over 100 credits across TV and film. Corporal Randolph Agarn was played by Larry Storch, a comedian who made his mark on television, including voice acting work on the show Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales. Melody Patricia Patterson, who played Jane Thrift, is best known for her role in F Troop and the horror film Blood and Lace. Behind the scenes, she “doubled” for the legendary golden-era Hollywood icon Joan Crawford.
The cast was rounded out by James Hampton as the talentless Bugler, Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs, Joe Brooks as the almost blind lookout ‘Trooper Vanderbilt,’ Bob Steele as the wisened and battle-wounded ‘Trooper Duffy,’ Frank de Kova as the chief of the Hekawi tribe, Chief Wild Eagle, and Don Diamond as ‘Crazy Cat’ the goody subordinate to Wild Eagle.
Why F Troop Only Made It Two Seasons
While the reason for F Troop being canceled and not given a third season has not been made explicitly clear, there has been speculation based on word of mouth and supposed statements from insiders. The alleged statement by Forrest Meredith Tucker makes the most sense when considering that the ratings and reception for the show were reported to be positive (Nielsen rates for the time are not available, so again, this is speculation.)
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The unconfirmed statement pointed to Warner Bros.’s new owners, Seven Arts, discontinuing production due to the cost and resources. This included the large lot used for a 30-minute program and the transition from black and white to color for the show’s second season. This was purportedly relayed to Tucker by Producer William Orr, but there is no source for any of this online. Still, this seems likely when taken at face value, as the cost of production has often sunk a show’s longevity.
Adding to this speculation, in Tom Lisanti’s book Drive-In Dream Girls: A Galaxy of B-Movie Starlets of the Sixties, Melody Patterson mentioned in an interview in the book that the cast was coldly given pink slips shortly after Jack Warner suffered a stroke and lost control of the production company he was once heavily involved in. Her excerpt from the book:
The studio was really his alone to control and he hadn’t diversified at that time, when he got sick and then died, everyone got the pink slip–from his son-in-law, who was the head of the television department, to the lowliest grip. The studio basically shut down for a while. (
Drive-In Dream Girls
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Why F Troop Deserved More Seasons
Looking back at F Troop from a modern perspective, the ’60s show is not without its faults, notably the casting of Frank de Kova and Don Diamond as indigenous tribe members. This element is the most egregious example of poorly aged comedy. Still, there are many instances throughout where the show relies heavily on making a mockery of different groups and people. We are not making a case that the show needed more seasons while viewing it in a modern-day context, and the unfortunate truth is that kind of comedy was par for the course of the era and hard to pin down on any individual involved in the program.
The fact that the show was cut short, likely due to costs, did leave many people wanting more, with the sitcom having created an endearing cast of regular and returning characters whose lives seem cut abruptly short. This includes the relationship between Wilton and Jane, one of the best comedic couplings of the time. The TV series was also considered unique in an era where Western dramas dominated the previous era and kept a stronghold in the 60s with the likes of Daniel Boone and Bonanza, parodying and staying loose with historical facts and genre tropes.
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F Troop did see a healthy second life in syndication, often a mark of a program’s potential for longevity if not having been cut short. This included a slight resurgence of the shot on the popular Nick at Nite (a late-night retro showcase) in the 1990s, among other networks. Considering the late resurgence in popularity and the show’s unique take on Westerns for the era, with many billing it as one of the best-written sitcoms of the ’60s, F Troop undeniably deserved more seasons.
Where to Watch F Troop
F Troop
- Release Date
- September 14, 1965
- Cast
- Forrest Tucker , Larry Storch , Ken Berry , James Hampton , Frank DeKova , Bob Steele , Don Diamond
F Troop is a product of its time, and not everyone will find the comedic charm in some of its more questionable choices. The show needs to be enjoyed in the context of when it was released. That said, the show was a short-lived standout of ’60s television, and it is certainly worth revisiting or checking out for the first time for those who swoon at ’60s TV nostalgia. F Troop is available for rent on Apple TV+, YouTube, Amazon, and the Play Store.
Rent F Troop on Apple TV+
