F Troop Television Show: A Look Back at the Beloved Western Comedy

The F Troop Television Show, a comedic Western that aired on ABC from 1965 to 1967, holds a special place in the hearts of many television enthusiasts. The show’s unique blend of slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and memorable characters resonated with audiences, making it a moderate success during its initial run. Set in Fort Courage, a remote U.S. Army outpost during the 1860s, F Troop followed the misadventures of Captain Wilton Parrett, Sergeant Morgan O’Rourke, and Corporal Randolph Agarn, along with the Hekawi Indian tribe led by Chief Wild Eagle.

ABC’s fall 1966 schedule encountered significant challenges, impacting several shows, including F Troop. The lineup consisted of “Batman II,” “F Troop,” “The Tammy Grimes Show,” “Bewitched,” “That Girl,” and “Hawk.” “The Tammy Grimes Show” struggled in the ratings and was quickly replaced by “The Dating Game,” which helped bolster the performance of “Bewitched.”

Mid-season adjustments saw “Bewitched” move to the 8:30 pm slot, followed by “Love on a Rooftop,” “That Girl,” and “ABC Stage ’67.” This shift further improved “Bewitched’s” ratings, unfortunately at the expense of “F Troop.” “Batman” also underperformed during the 1966-67 season, leading ABC to consider a shortened renewal and potential schedule changes.

Amidst this programming shuffle, ABC greenlit “The Flying Nun,” starring Sally Field, and began promoting it to advertisers. The network’s high hopes for “The Flying Nun” led to its placement in the coveted “F Troop” time slot, contributing to the latter’s cancellation.

While “F Troop” maintained respectable ratings, typically averaging between 13.0 and 15.0 households, it consistently lost viewers following “Batman,” dropping 3.0 to 4.0 households each week. This inability to retain the “Batman” audience factored into ABC’s decision.

Beyond ratings, production costs played a significant role in “F Troop’s” demise. As a single-camera, half-hour Western with elaborate sets, a large cast, numerous extras, and frequent stunts, the show was expensive to produce. It’s believed that ABC was not covering the full production costs due to the show’s performance. The financial strain, coupled with the programming challenges, ultimately sealed the show’s fate. The network also felt that the show didn’t align well with their strategy of targeting female viewer demographics on Thursday nights.