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The Phil Silvers Show Season 2 Episodes
Season 2 Episode Guide
36 Episodes 1956 - 1957
Episode 1
Platoon in the Movies
Tue, Sep 18, 1956
When the Motor Pool at Fort Baxter is chosen as the location to shoot an army training film about the care and maintenance of the humble spark plug, Sgt.Bilko cooks up a scheme to shoot his own film.
Episode 2
It's for the Birds
Tue, Sep 25, 195630 mins
Bilko discovers one of his platoon is an expert on birds. He signs Pvt. Honnegan up for 'The $64,000 Question' TV show. Honnegan is a smash hit on his specialized subject of birds, until he is struck by an unexpected case of amnesia.
Episode 3
Bilko Goes to College
Tue, Oct 2, 1956
Bilko tries to get even with a crooked bookie by placing a 1000-1 bet on Schmill College football team to beat the championship team from rival college Notre Dame. Using reverse psychology Bilko brings his devious scheme into play.
Episode 4
The Girl from Italy
Tue, Oct 9, 195630 mins
Bilko, Henshaw, and Barbella visit New York to see My Fair Lady on Broadway. Ernie acts out the play in real life as he schemes to make a recent immigrant more desirable so Rocco's brother will want to marry her.
Episode 5
The Face on the Recruiting Poster
Tue, Oct 16, 1956
Mike McCluskey is assigned to Bilko's platoon. Bilko tries to get McCluskey's face on the new Army recruiting poster, but Doberman unwittingly winds up being picked as the best-looking soldier on the camp.
Episode 6
Bilko's War Against Culture
Tue, Oct 23, 195630 mins
When Colonel Hall introduces a new cultural program at Fort Baxter, Bilko's men are lured away from his gambling ventures. It's not long before Bilko finds a way to incorporate gambling into the cultural classes.
Episode 7
The Song of the Motor Pool
Tue, Oct 30, 195630 mins
Bilko hears Paparelli singing a song and is convinced he's found a new song for the motor pool. He enters the platoon into an army song contest. But it soon becomes clear that Paparelli's song might not be a new find after all.
Episode 8
Bilko's Engagement
Tue, Nov 6, 195630 mins
Sgt.Bilko and Pvt.Kadowski send gifts to their girlfriends and Ernie asks Duane Doberman to deliver the packages. Duane mixes the packages up and chaos ensues.
Episode 9
A Mess Sergeant Can't Win
Tue, Nov 13, 195630 mins
Bilko hears that Rupert Ritzik is leaving the army and attempts to lose $400.00 to him to help set him up in civilian life. Ritzik takes a series of bets with Bilko but Rupert's bad luck means that no matter what the bet Bilko always wins - until that is Bilko bets him that his name is not Rupert Ritzik!
Episode 10
Doberman's Sister
Tue, Nov 20, 1956
It's Fort Baxter Day at the camp. It's tradition for the platoon to date each other's sisters. Doberman's sister is without a date. Bilko can't find anyone to date Duane's sister, that is until he invents the mythical Musselman's Law.
Episode 11
Where There's a Will
Tue, Nov 27, 195630 mins
When Bilko's pal Greg Chickering is cheated out of his inheritance by his devious relatives, Bilko cooks up a scheme involving a parrot, a treasure map and a whole host of nefarious characters, to help Pvt.Chickering regain his fortune.
Episode 12
Bilko's Tax Trouble
Tue, Dec 4, 195630 mins
At the Bureau of Internal Revenue Bilko's file is mistakenly actioned for investigation leading Bilko to swamp their offices with receipts and records for his activities during 1953. He needs to show that he didn't have any undeclared profits and so has to set about balancing his books. This leads him to; having to convince Paparelli that he really did go to Atlantic City; conning Colonel Hall into buying himself a loving cup; and an impromptu New Year's Eve Party for the entire platoon - just 3 years late. With the help of the WAC Team in Colonel Hall's office and a couple of army accountants from payroll Bilko clears his name....just.!
Episode 13
Mink Incorporated
Tue, Dec 11, 195630 mins
Bilko sets up a mink farm at Fort Baxter. All he has to do is get the mink to breed. When all attempts fail he enlists Doberman's help. Duane imitates the symptoms displayed by the mink to a doctor and Bilko soon realizes he's been conned.
Episode 14
Sergeant Bilko Presents Ed Sullivan
Tue, Dec 18, 195630 mins
Ed Sullivan puts an Army talent spot on his TV show. Chaos ensues when Bilko is convinced he's been chosen to star in a big production number on the show. It's not long before Bilko has all of the production team ganging up on Ed Sullivan.
Episode 15
Bilko Gets Some Sleep
Tue, Dec 25, 1956
Bilko is having trouble sleeping. A psychiatrist advises Bilko to reform his ways and stop gambling. However, it's not long before the whole camp becomes unsettled as they believe Bilko is simply cooking up a new set of schemes.
Episode 16
The Blue Blood of the Bilkos
Tue, Jan 8, 195730 mins
When Bilko hears that his friend Sgt.Bensonhurst has not been invited to his own son's wedding, Ernie sets out to convince the Wingate family that Sgt.Bensonhurst is much more than just a humble sergeant in the US Army.
Episode 17
Love That Guardhouse
Tue, Jan 15, 1957
Ritzik wins $1,700, and Mrs. Ritzik asks Col. Hall to lock him in the guardhouse to keep him away from Bilko. Keen to get his hands on the money, Bilko tries everything to get himself locked up.
Episode 18
Bilko Presents Bing Crosby
Tue, Jan 22, 195730 mins
Bilko hoodwinks Bing Crosby's manager into having Bing drop by at Fort Baxter. Ernie stages a concert but gets word that Bing won't be able to visit after all so he tries to pass off a lookalike as the real thing.
Episode 19
Bilko Goes to Monte Carlo
Tue, Jan 29, 1957
Bilko invents a new gambling system. When word spreads about the system, aided by the air force Bilko heads for Monte Carlo armed with a bankroll and a weekend pass.
Episode 20
Bilko Enters Politics
Tue, Feb 5, 195730 mins
Mayor Burke refuses to build a service center for the men at Fort Baxter. Bilko has Doberman run against him for Mayor, in the hopes that if elected, Mayor Doberman will use his influence to approve the service center.
Episode 21
Bilko's Television Idea
Tue, Feb 12, 1957
Comedian Buddy Bickford visits Fort Baxter, looking to make a comedy about the army and he's come to the camp for research. Bilko tries to convince Bickford that the army comedy is old hat and he's found the perfect vehicle for him.
Episode 22
The Son of Bilko
Tue, Feb 26, 1957
Pvt.Perkins is assigned to Bilko's platoon and Bilko becomes a father-figure to him. Perkins is a practical joker his antics upset the whole platoon. Bilko turns the tables on Perkins and puts his own elaborate practical joke into action.
Episode 23
Rock 'n Roll Rookie
Tue, Mar 5, 1957
Elvin Pelvin is drafted into the army & the brass decide to send him to a quiet, backwater army base. They choose Fort Baxter and Bilko spots the chance to make some serious money when he is offered $10,000 for a new Elvin Pelvin recording.
Episode 24
Bilko's Black Magic
Tue, Mar 19, 1957
Pvt. Lester Mendelsohn is rescued from a Pacific island & assigned to Bilko's platoon. Lester learns that he's due over $7,000 in back-pay. When he loses the money to Grover and Ritzik, Bilko sets out to win back Lester's cash.
Episode 25
Bilko Goes South
Tue, Mar 26, 1957
Roseville is freezing and Bilko enters the platoon into a singing contest. First prize is a trip Florida. The platoon arrives in Miami and is treated like royalty. Could it be that the singing contest is what they have really signed up for?
Episode 26
Bilko Goes Round the World
Tue, Apr 2, 195730 mins
Movie mogul Mike Todd runs a competition to promote 'Around The World In 80 Days'. The prize is $20,000 to anyone who makes it in 80 hours. Bilko is a cert to win the money until a kid at the airport is mistakenly taken in Bilko's place.
Episode 27
The Mess Hall Mess
Tue, Apr 9, 195730 mins
There's a contest for the best original American recipe & a $50,000 prize. Bilko uses a French chef's secret casserole recipe and enters it in the contest. But the so-called secret recipe was actually in the Army cookbook all along.
Episode 28
The Secret Life of Sergeant Bilko
Tue, Apr 16, 195730 mins
A journalist comes to Roseville hoping to expose security leaks in the army. Bilko sees money to be made and scams him by showing him hundreds of supposed 'top-secret' documents.
Episode 29
Radio Station B.I.L.K.O.
Tue, Apr 23, 1957
The local radio station closes & Bilko hijacks the station frequency and sets up his own radio show. When a microphone is left switched on in Colonel Hall's house all of Roseville are hooked on the antics in 'John's Original Wife'.
Episode 30
Bilko the Marriage Broker
Tue, Apr 30, 195730 mins
Lt.Wallace takes command of Company B & makes the lives of Bilko and his men a nightmare. Bilko thinks things might ease up if the Lt. has a woman in his life. It's not long before the real reason behind the Lt.'s behavior is revealed.
Episode 31
Bilko Acres
Tue, May 7, 195730 mins
Bilko thinks the Army plans to expand Fort Baxter and buys the adjacent swampland with the Platoon Welfare Fund. The Army really plans to downsize the camp and Bilko tries to sell the newly-named Bilko Acres until he finds oil on the land.
Episode 32
The Big Scandal
Tue, May 14, 1957
After getting hypnotized and dropping himself in it Bilko teaches himself hypnosis. But rather than hypnotizing Ritzik for a bet he mistakenly hypnotizes Private Doberman into believing that he is in love with the Colonel's wife, Nell. Nobody realizes that it is Doberman under Bilko's spell. Nell is due to spend the weekend away visiting friends but Bilko believes he has stumbled upon an illicit affair and sets out to discover who is trying to steal the Nell away from the Colonel. Little does he suspect just who is attempting to elope!
Episode 33
Bilko's Perfect Day
Tue, May 21, 195730 mins
The fates have aligned and it's the one day in his life when nothing can go wrong for Sgt.Bilko - but will the Old Sarge realize in time and get the chance to place that one big bet?
Episode 34
The Colonel Breaks Par
Tue, May 28, 195730 mins
To get the Colonel off the base Ernie talks him into entering an army golfing tournament. The only problem is that the Colonel is a terrible golfer. Bilko enlists the help of champion golfer Sam Snead - with some surprising results.
Episode 35
Show Segments
Tue, Jun 4, 195730 mins
The cast meet in Lindy's restaurant to watch scenes edited out of previous shows. Nat Hiken felt these outtakes were too good to end up on the cutting room floor and compiled them into what is possibly television's first 'clip show'.
Episode 36
His Highness Doberman
Tue, Jun 11, 195730 mins
Doberman is in love but the young lady's parents disapprove & Duane is thrown out of their house. Bilko decides it's time the parents see the real Duane Doberman and cooks up a scheme that sees him being passed off as a member of royalty.