Vladivostok AFB

Vladivostok AFB

Vladivostok AFB is an American sitcom that aired on PBS-5 from 1978-1983, developed by Joe Goldberg* at Melrose Television.[1]

The show, set from 1942 in season one up until 1947 in season 4. centers on a group of employees at the WFRA’s “Armed Forces Broadcasting” in Vladivostok, sending commercial radio broadcasts like news, sports, entertainment to comfort the troops while serving on the harsh Eastern front. Naturally, mishaps occur as they deal with harsh weather, confusing orders from their WFRA superiors AND local RKKA regulators, and drama between the staff, not to mention having to maintain live broadcasts during a harsh war, as they try to help the troop morale and in a way, the entire war effort the best way they can.

The program was noted as being a distinctly ensemble cast-driven show, much in the vein of other popular comedies of the era like Taxi Drivers[2] and MASH. MASH was a particular influence on Goldberg, who based the show on his experiences running the Santo Domingo AFB station during the Congo War, broadcasting across the Atlantic.

While there had been WW2 based sitcoms like McHale’s Navy and Camp Cherokee[3], the tone of the show leaned more towards the more transgressive comedy of the late 70’s, which caused some trepidation, as some felt the subject of WW2 was not suited for that sort of comedy.

The ensemble cast would include:

Harold J. “Doug” Douglas (Ted Danson)- a former station manager from Cleveland, recruited after enlisting to use his skills to organize the station best he can. Responsible for choosing programming for the station (including having to organize music as up to date as possible). Relaxed and sardonic, often skirting the line with Army higher-ups over choices like bawdy music and comedy routines

Maria Berman (Gilda Radner)- Commissar at Vladivostok AFB, and former executive at the International Broadcasting Federation. Stern and serious, but only because she cares deeply for the staff and the cause. Initially has a frosty relationship with the calmer, younger Midwestern Douglas, but eventually, through the seasons, the two would get into a relationship.

Spartacus Lincoln (Cleavon Little)- A Revolution vet, jazz musician and DJ from Charleston. Both runs the AFB music program and conducts the in-house orchestra. Also provides the technical support for much of the station.

John Roberts (Ed O’Neill)- A Hollywood actor who, instead of being sent to the front as he had hoped, instead does the male lead scripts for the dramas and reads out the news. Embittered initially as he had wanted to shoot Germans, but slowly sees the effects of his work when soldiers praise his work, and he drowns out German propaganda on the front.

Doris Plank (Lesley Ann Warren)- A glamorous former actress who provides the female lead for the in-house dramas, sings occasionally with the live orchestra. Vain, snobby, but secretly kind hearted.

Fu Wu Ying (James Hong, recurring Seasons 1-2, main cast season 3-4)- Chinese language Radio Moscow broadcaster, broadcasts from AFB. Formerly a broadcaster for the frenemy Radio Moscow station. As part of his new deal with AFB, does various other character voices for the Roberts-Plank dramas. Cantankerous, dislikes the Americans, but grows more accustomed to them as the series goes on.

Yakov Chekov (Yakov Naumovich Pokhis[4], main cast season 3-4)- Eccentric Russian language broadcaster for Radio Moscow, brought in for more Russian language content. Sort of the Russian John Roberts, as someone who does the male drama leads, and becomes Roberts’ rival.

Katarina Maximovna (Alla Pugacheva, main cast 3-4)- A Soviet actress turned radio star, does the Russian language female leads, and even sings with the orchestra. Briefly has a relationship with Roberts, but decides to leave him for her ex, a soldier on the front.

Seasons 1-2 were largely focused on the difficulties of running a station at that time, especially with the difficulties of wartime transportation and providing quality entertainment (several episodes deal with trying to get music or dramas that weren’t already broadcast or trying to deal with crises that could result in dead air), the constant fears of Nazi invasion and the tension between the staff and the local Soviets who occasionally get upset at American broadcasting. Leading the charge is exiled Chinese broadcaster Fu Wu Ying, a bigwig at the local Radio Moscow station.

In part because of the controversy over the content, the stations merge in season three, with Fu Wu Ying now broadcasting from the station.

Historical events are integrated throughout, from Season 1, episode 4 “Man O’Steel” discussing how to properly discuss Stalin’s death, to Season 3, Episode 12 “Drill” showing how emergency broadcasts were done during a drill involving potential Japanese bombings.

The first series theme song would be “Sing, Sing, Sing”, by Benny Goodman. However, in a strange move by PBS management, an original contemporary soft rock song would become the theme, causing confusion over its own period setting.

While much of the series is set during the war, Season 4, the final season was set at the end of the war and its aftermath, including the bombing at the Korean Straits and Operation Damocles, where the station becomes more focused on military and emergency broadcasting, with several episodes about the employees essentially pushed out except for Doug, who has to deal with more direct military action.

After the end of the war, the final few episodes deal with the conversion of Vladivostok AFB to a civilian station. Because of their popularity, Roberts and Plank are offered the chance to star in a Hollywood production. Fu Wu Ying is recruited by the newly formed Mandarin language Radio Beijing (an anachronism, as Radio Beijing was not founded until 1949) to be their main announcer. Yakov and Kat remain as the new stars. Doug is offered a job running a new television station in Metropolis, while the new Soviet management wants him to stay due to his success. Berman, remaining as an American liaison, encourages Doug to go to Metropolis. The final scene of the series is their goodbye, their relationship ending. For now.

The series received mixed reviews during its run, and relatively little attention. However, over time, the show has garnered a cult following, especially with the series becoming a hit on syndication. Two spin-offs would be created: 1988-1991’s I Left My Heart in San Francisco , featuring Danson reprising his role as Doug, this time running a TV station during the Horn War, and 1990-1998’s Good Morning Beijing , starring James Hong reprising his role, now in 1960 Beijing, running the station he had been assigned to in the finale, and having to deal with a younger, more aggressive generation that was quick becoming a counterculture in socialist China, dealing with the various events of the 1960’s in China, such as their participation in the Comintern space program and the anarchist occupation of the Forbidden City. The show would also come to inspire a revival in more “ensemble” sitcoms, which became common in the aftermath of the Second Cultural Revolution and lower-stage communism.

[1] Established in 1970 as the television division of Melrose, established by Mary Tyler Moore, Grant Tinker, and Fred Silverman.
[2] Taxi
[3] 1963-1968 TV sitcom, centered on the titular POW camp in Oklahoma, centering on the local Proletarian Guardsmen in charge of running the camp. A mix of Hogan’s Heroes and Dad’s Army
[4] Known OTL as Yakov Smirnoff. *[WPA]: Works Progress Administration *[NBI]: National Bureau of Investigation