Line #2 Trivia/ThePhilSilversShow


1	* ActingForTwo:
2	** In "Bilko's Double Life", Phil Silvers also plays a multi-millionaire who looks exactly like Bilko.
3	** We see Doberman's sister in one episode, also played by Maurice Gosfield.
4	** Paul Ford, who played Colonel Hall, also plays a lookalike hired by Bilko for one of his schemes in the series finale.
5	* BeamMeUpScotty: A rare instance of the show's ''title'' being the thing that this trope applies to; the show is quite often referred to as "''Sgt. Bilko''" instead of its actual name. Even the home video releases of the show generally imply this to be the title, with "''The Phil Silvers Show''" usually tucked away somewhere else on the cover.
6	* {{Corpsing}}: During "The Court Martial", the chimp wanders off and starts playing with a telephone (this wasn't in the script), so Phil Silvers ad-libbed the line "Just a minute sir, I think he's calling for another lawyer!" The rest of the cast can be seen struggling not to laugh.
7	* TheDanza: Creator/GeorgeKennedy -- yes, ''that'' George Kennedy -- worked as a military advisor for the show. He was seen in the background for 14 episodes as [=MP=]Sergeant Kennedy.
8	* FountainOfExpies: Sgt. Ernie Bilko would be the inspiration for numerous military con-men and fast-talkers, including [[Radio/TheNavyLark CPO Jon Pertwee]], [[Series/McHalesNavy Torpedoman's Mate Lester Gruber]], and perhaps even [[Series/{{MASH}} Cpl., later Sgt. Maxwell Q. Klinger]].
9	* HostilityOnTheSet: Maurice Gosfield was hired because he was a natural for Doberman -- a small, dumpy character, wearing a suit stained with food to his audition, and submitting a list of acting credits that were mostly fake. His castmates, however, didn't regard him as a natural ''performer'', as he had difficulty remembering or delivering even the simplest lines, and his belittling, pompous off-screen attitude increased as the show grew more popular. Phil Silvers mused years later that "he thought of himself as Creator/CaryGrant playing a short, fat man", and had "delusions" that he was naturally funny without the writers' help, even considering himself the most talented member of the cast.
10	** The cast sometimes grew annoyed with Paul Ford, who while a respected Broadway performer, often had trouble remembering his lines and would frequently blank out where the cast would need to improvise around him. Ford's kindly offscreen demeanor however kept everyone from ever becoming too upset at him.
11	* IAmNotSpock: Sgt. Bilko is far more famous than Phil Silvers. Reputedly on his death bed Silvers' mind began to wander and he started to think he was Sgt Bilko.
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13	!!The Movie:
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15	* IronyAsSheIsCast: Creator/PhilHartman was fond of impersonating Paul Ford, even though he acknowledged it was obscure for younger audiences. He even did the impression of Ford as Colonel Hall for his SNL audition (with help from his friend Creator/JonLovitz (then already a cast member) doing a Bilko impression). So of course, when they did the movie, Phil Hartman gets to participate, but he doesn't get to play Colonel Hall.
16	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Music/BradFiedel would have scored ''Sgt. Bilko'' if Music/AlanSilvestri's schedule couldn't accommodate it.

Context Trivia / ThePhilSilversShow