Col. Klink has passed away!

[Pavan]

TV Land Salutes Werner Klemperer; Tribute on December 11th Celebrates Emmy-Award Winning Actor's Enduring Character, Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes

TV LAND HOGAN'S HEROES
TV Land airs Hogan's Heroes weeknights at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT and will do a tribute to Werner Klemperer on Monday, December 11 from 8-10p ET/5-7p PT.

NEW YORK, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- TV Land will celebrate the memory of
actor Werner Klemperer, who passed away on December 6 at the age of 80, with a
four-episode Hogan's Heroes block showcasing some of Klemperer's best-loved
and most memorable performances as the bumbling, fumbling Col. Wilhelm Klink.
The TV Land salute will air on Monday, December 11 from 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001207/NYTH126 )
The memorial tribute presents some of Klemperer's finest moments as the
Commandant at Stalag 13, a WWII German POW camp. The acting role, one of many
in a career that spanned nearly fifty years, earned Klemperer Emmy nominations
for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy for
each of the six years he appeared on Hogan's Heroes. Twice -- in 1968 and
1969 -- he walked off with the honor. The sitcom, which had an unlikely
setting of Nazi Germany, was one that Klemperer agreed to appear on only if
Klink never succeeded in his schemes, which he didn't. Son of the renowned
Jewish-German conductor, Otto Klemperer, Werner and his family actually fled
Germany just as Adolf Hitler came to power in the 1930s.
"We are all deeply saddened at the passing of Werner Klemperer," said
Larry W. Jones, Executive Vice President & General Manager, TV Land. "Having
worked closely with Werner, first during TV Land's launch in 1996, we all
forged a close bond with he and his wife, Kim. The entire TV Land staff will
miss him greatly and our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this
time."

TV Land's salute to Werner Klemperer includes:
8 pm Will The Real Col. Klink Please Stand Against The Wall ep # 105
8:30 The Missing Klink ep # 107
9 pm The Antique ep # 130
9:30 Klink's Escape ep # 144

There were many episodes that revolved around the Colonel Klink character. One had him in need of getting into good physical condition in order to pass a physical exam. If he failed the physical it was in Hogan's words, "Goodbye dad I'm off to Stalingrad."

If it were not for Werner Klemperer I don't think Hogan's Heroes would have been as sucessful as it turned out. His facial expressions he made as he was being humiliated by Burkalter, Hocksteddar, visiting German officers and Hogan were always funny. Everyone dumped on the guy and maybe that's what helped to make his character someone viewers could relate to and root for. Hogan couldn't make Klink look too good or he would be promoted. If he made Klink look too bad he'd have been given a tranfer eastward.

[burlivespipe]

Originally Posted by Alan

If it were not for Werner Klemperer I don't think Hogan's Heroes would have been as sucessful as it turned out. His facial expressions he made as he was being humiliated by Burkalter, Hocksteddar, visiting German officers and Hogan were always funny. Everyone dumped on the guy and maybe that's what helped to make his character someone viewers could relate to and root for. Hogan couldn't make Klink look too good or he would be promoted. If he made Klink look too bad he'd have been given a tranfer eastward.

I completely agree with this old post. Werner Klemperer's performance as the bumbling, bald-acious Klink MADE Hogan's Heroes a very good comedy... without WK's skills and the good writing around his character, this 'situation comedy' centring around life in a prison camp during WWII would have been shamed off the air. If you take that concept and pitched it without knowing how Klemperer would turn the camp commodant into a clown, I dare say none of those involved with the series would have been able to salvage their careers!
Having scanned through this thread, i'm surprised that there isn't more love for WK... I can understand the titulation over Crane's story but without Klink's drolling "HHHHOOOOOOOGGGGAAAAAANNNNN!" and Schultz's "I know nuthing!" this show wouldn't have lasted a month...