Bilko

This is very old comedy that was made in black and white. It stars Phil Silvers as Sgt. Bilko who is a bit of a rogue and always out to make a few dollars for himself. Bilko is always scheming, gets caught, but always comes out on top. There is no bad language at all in this comedy and absolutely no violence. The humour works because of the characters and the situations they create.It is a visual and verbal humour so you need to listen carefully, especially to some of the asides. You are always expecting Bilko to mess things up but you know that he will get into a mess but will get out of it in the end. The canned laughter in the background can be ...  Read the complete review

One of my earliest comedy recollections is watching BILKO at home with my Mum and Dad - in black and white of course. I did not appreciate it in those days - a) I was too young and b) anything your Mum and Dad like you CAN'T like can you? But I've got some tapes of those old shows and from time to time they crop up at around 11pm on Beeb 1 or BBC 2. If you havent got a clue what I'm talking about - next time you see it advertised give it a look. Basically Sgt Ernest Bilko is a forerunner to the likes of British TV comedy creations 'Arfur Daly' and 'Del Boy'. Bilko is in the US Army, stationed in Kansas at Fort ...  Read the complete review

The Phil Silvers Show - aka -Bilko, Sgt.Bilko that is! If you love the usual american comedy shows/sictoms, but haven't seen Bilko, then why oh why have you not? It was made in the late 50's, and so is in *gasp* - black and white!! and has exactly the same type of humour as todays hits - (it is usually on BBC2) If you have seen the 90's remake with Steve Martin, granted it is a bit funny, but nothing compares to the original! It is so good, I cannot describe it! Bilko is a balding man, who thinks he is a catch with the ladies. He constantly is looking to make a quick buck, (usually from poker games), and is always getting in trouble with ...  Read the complete review

It is often said that some of the old programmes are the best. Although this was made in black and white it shows Phil Silvers at his best as a Army Sargent who is the nicest kind of con man you can meet. He will do anything to try to make a buck, using his squad as the willing, and sometimes unwilling cohorts and victims. Based at Fort Baxter we see how Sargent Bilko can turn the most innocent looking situation into a money making opportunity, unfortunately these schemes will often fail with hilarious results, even when they look set to be the one to succeed. He is supported by a cast of talented and funny actors and actresses from the slow and naive ...  Read the complete review

The Phil Silvers show was a masterpeice of comic production, the quality and timing of the scheming Ernie Bilko's antics are a joy to watch. This show is about Master Sergeant Ernest Bilko, a gambling, entrepreneurial, wide boy who is always looking for a new money making scheme. He Virtually runs Fort Baxter, the bumbling Colnel Hall is continually run around in circles by Bilko. Although Bilko is a bit of a rogue, he's a loveable one. He always does the right thing in the end, certainly not a conman. Just that he's got aspirations of wealth that will never come to fruition. Although produced from 1955-59 the staging of the ...  Read the complete review