Watch The Rat Patrol

The Rat Patrol was an action-adventure television series that aired on ABC from 1966-1968. Set during World War II in North Africa, the show followed the exploits of four men who made up a special forces unit known as the "Rat Patrol." The four soldiers, Sergeant Sam Troy (played by Christopher George), Corporal Jack Moffitt (played by Gary Raymond), Private Mark Hitchcock (played by Justin Tarr), and Private Tully Pettigrew (played by Lawrence Casey), were tasked with disrupting German operations in the desert. They were aided in their mission by their expertise in desert warfare and the use of a specialized four-wheel drive vehicle mounted with a machine gun.

The Rat Patrol was created by Tom Gries, who came up with the concept after watching an episode of Combat! that featured a vehicle-mounted machine gun. The show was produced by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, who had previously worked on shows such as Hawaii Five-O and The Mod Squad.

The show was a hit with audiences, thanks in large part to its thrilling action sequences and the chemistry between the four leads. The show was also notable for its use of actual stock footage of tanks and other vehicles, which helped add to the realism of the show.

One of the most prominent members of the cast was Eric Braeden, who played the role of Hauptmann Hans Dietrich, the commander of the German forces in the area. Braeden's portrayal of Dietrich was noteworthy for its complexity; while he was undoubtedly the show's villain, he was given more depth than the typical one-dimensional villain found in many other television shows of the time.

Another notable aspect of the show was the fact that it was shot on location in Spain. The desert landscapes of Andalucia were used to stand in for North Africa, giving the show a distinctive look and helping to make it stand out from other shows of its era.

Despite its popularity, The Rat Patrol only ran for two seasons. There were several reasons for this; for one thing, the show was expensive to produce, thanks in no small part to its use of real tanks and other vehicles. Additionally, the show faced competition from other popular shows like Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.

Despite its relatively short run, The Rat Patrol remains fondly remembered by many fans of classic television. Its blend of action, adventure, and realism helped set it apart from other shows of its era, and its legacy can still be seen in some of the action shows that followed in its wake.

The Rat Patrol is a series that ran for 2 seasons (61 episodes) between September 12, 1966 and on ABC