John Gabriel was originally cast as the academic character, a high school teacher. On March 4, , the B he was flying as the navigator was shot down, killing the copilot and breaking both of Johnson's ankles. TNT aired it at some point in the s and also aired the colorized season one. Contrary to some descriptions, the pilot contained no detailed accounts of the characters' backgrounds. Most of the slapstick comedic sequences between Hale and Denver were inspired by Laurel and Hardy , particularly when Hale breaks the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera, expressing his frustration with Denver's clumsiness, as Oliver Hardy often did.
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