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It's been so long since I've seen the original movie, I can't say how well if at all the series follows the characters and ideas, but in 1988 after three TV movies meant to reboot it as I guess a franchise (assuming it wasn't just a sucessful TV movie that spawned another and another), a short-lived series called "The Dirty Dozen: The Series" came and went.
The movies used Richard Harvey and John Cacavas. I might review those later.
Out of the fourteen episodes made, there's about half a dozen on youtube.
For the series they used Doug Timm (I have no idea if he was the sole composer -- I've been slowly updating the series IMDb page as I find more episodes), a talented composer who's life was cut down short when he was murdered in his home (the details are best left unsaid, due to the sexual nature). Old news articles report it was a couple and one says that only one of them got life in prison.
"Code Name - Romulus" (episode one, but not the pilot)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FECn1DRvvAY
https://ok.ru/video/183568239165
Highlights:
About 1:40 in: a soft opening with woodwinds and brass leading into some heroic action music with french horns and strings as Yugoslavians invade a NAZI mining operation.
About 8:20 in: some slow tense music as NAZI's approach, with heavy snare taps and rolls with pronounced timpani hits and of course brass. With a breifly moderate heroic opening as the Dirty Dozen parachute in.
10:55 in: some ligher material as the Dirty Dozen move out after getting some help from the Yugoslavians, which turns out to be kids fighting for their own country's freedom.
22:50 in: a flute and some soft french horn, leading to some mroe tense, although brief, material as one of the Yugoslavians kids is neaking around a NAZI training camp.
25:00 in: some action material as some NAZI's storm the Yugoslavian's camp.
33:11 in: some more action-y material with snare, timpani and brass.
And finally 44:20 in: a lighter happier rendition of the theme music as the Dirty Dozen set up the finishing touches to their mission.
Special mention made to the two NAZI officers at about 2:53 in, who -- when shot -- sound like they're laughing about it. "HA HA!"
And the truck that exploded in mid air for no reason before actually hitting the ground.
"Colonel Mustard in the Library with a Luger" (episode two)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PBp_7dhQZk
https://ok.ru/video/183569287741
Highlights:
About 17:00 in with some menacing brass and snare taps as an elite group of NAZI German assassins are practicing.
20:50 in: Timm arranges his theme music as an upbeat merry take as the Dirty Dozen pull one over on the good guys.
About 25:00 in: an upbeat variation on Timm's theme, with snare tapping away underneath.
About 34:30 in: another upbeat variation of Timm's theme, with timpani and a solo trumpet taking the lead.
And finally, about 35:30 in, there's a long -- and I mean long (like ten minutes) action piece that's steady with highlights, including a heroic take on Timm's theme during a battle with the head NAZI of the group and the Dirty Dozen leader. Kind of reminds me of Dennis McCarthy's livelier action material with brass from the Star Trek spin-off series, like D.S.9.. Timm would have made a kick-ass Trek composer, in my opinion.
Eh, I'm not sure what to really say about the series. It tried, I'll give it that, it's kind of fun, I'll give it that, too, but overall it's a misfire I feel. Some miscasting, sub par acting, mediocre writing littered throught, and it felt more like an attempt to make a 1980's action series than make somethign special like the original film (that much I at least remember). The best thing going for it was undoubtedly Doug Timm.
Sadly, there's only like two more episodes that are complete, so after I do them, I'll be down to partial episodes.
If you like brass, snare and quality action music, this is probably for you.
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Interesting. I dont think the Uk television ever saw it? Maybe on Vhs like the follow-up films? One of them had Savalas as Reismann didnt it? And one i recall was about raiding a train?
Dont ever remember seeing a series about it tho.
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"Danko's Dozen" (the pilot)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIcFjm2Vj8w
https://ok.ru/video/3360229690088
Highlights:
The driving militaristic brass and snare music that opens the pilot, with the first statement of Timm's theme music, as Allied Forces battle on a bridge in Italy.
About 18:50 in: a spirited piece with woodwinds and moderate snare drumming leading the cue and a solo brass instrument playing over it (I couldn't readily identify it, though I think it's a tuba). Timm's theme comes in around the end, for the longest statment yet.
23:10 in: another spirited cue with woodwinds, using Timm's theme.
38:38 in: a montage cue as the Dirty Dozen leader explains to his men what they'll be doing, with subdued snare and brass.
About 1:13:13 in: a long action cue with plenty plenty of brass and snare, with one short but tense highlight.
And finally 1:29:25: a subdued heroic and somewhat upbeat take on Timm's theme that also closes out the episode.
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Justin
who are the tv series dirty dozen? Anybody but anybody go on to other stuff and make a name?
In those t.v films, aside from the existing DD cast, i only remember Ken Wahl in 1 film and Vince Edwards in the other.
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I don't readily recognize anybody.
According to a line in the pilot which references one of the TV movies where Lee Marvin repraises his role from the original film, it's a direct spin-off from the film. Marvin's character was injured or killed (I forget which) and a new leader for a new group of Dirty Dozen was needed.
The pilot is actually better than the series.
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This tv series always remind of another series, Garrison's Gorillas.
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For sure, lee was too ill for the 2nd film, hence Telly savalas, but i cant remember if he played Reisman or a different major altogether. I think they managed to sign up Borgnine and Jaeckel for the films.
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"Baby Brigade" (episode evelen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Q6muiujUo
Highlights:
13:48 in: a dramatic piece with snare and brass, that starts out like it's going to do the show's theme, but takes a twist and ends up in some of the dramatic material Timm has used before.
36:13 in: dramatic music starts building with of course brass and snare taking prominent lead, finally unleashing into frantic action material.
There were aother nice moments in the score, but there were too many cuts back to the baby they were resuing to have a cohesive whole.
This is the final [mostly] complete episode, though a few minutes were missing. The remainder will be partials.
The end credits are not on any of these, so I don't know who composed them, though I presume Timm did.
"A Quiet Weekened in the Country" (episode five; partial -- an edit job of parts of the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2rx3T-ILDo
Highlights:
The opening: as the Dirty Dozen is escaping from some place. There's snare and brass in action mode, sounding sometimes like Ron Jones' ST: TNG work.
3:30 in.
3:55 in: a bunch of exciting and patriotic action material as some Scots face off against National Socialists (AKA: NAZI's). There's an added flavor of bagpipes. There's a sad ending to it with what I think is a cor anglias.
"Charge of the Dozen" (episoside six; partial -- an edit job of parts of the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMvg5aL7V9I
https://ok.ru/video/183570467389
Highlights:
1:25 in: a catchy chase cue with quick string note changes and a repeating theme on brass, aided by snare.
4:46 in: some exicting action material with plenty of brass bursts and a section that offered something different than the normal scoring: some tambourine and piano.
There some other eciting music, but the video is edited up and some the qaulity is so bad I won't even bother linking to it.
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Didnt think itv4 was going back in the late 80s, Cindylover, or was it a later re-run?
Never spotted that, anyway. Good shout.
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Must have been asleep that week! 
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Doubling back breifly for one episode I missed:
"The 13th Man" (episode four; partial -- two long clips from the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaOIU0CJ9ng
Highlights:
Pretty much the whole thing.
"The Dirtiest Show on Earth" (episode seven; partial -- edited parts of the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXhHJ5EMjN8
Highlights:
The edits were too all over the place to mention anything.
"Remember St. Luc" (episode eight; partial -- edited parts of the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJLF8NF9q_A
Highlights:
The opening: we get what I think is out first taste of Timm's darker more low key material.
There are other nice bits throughout, but again the edits ruin the experience.
"Heavy Duty" (episode nine; partial -- edited parts of the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdBCSdr17A0
Highlights:
The opening: some more action material.
Actually, most of the clip is action scoring. If you've enjoyed it thus far, you'll enjoy it still.
"Don Danko" (episode ten; partial -- edited parts of the episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loG5UplyFmY
Highlights:
About 3:50 in: some exciting action material with brass.
7:29 in: more exciting action material with brass. They don't score TV series like this anymore.
This is the final partial. There were forteen episodes, but I think only eleven aired, so there are still unheard Timm scores out there.
I might do the TV movies next.
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You should, justin, be good to have a thread with them all recorded.
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Only the third and final TV movie is up now. The quality is not that great.
"The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission" (John Cacavas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO5ZxdG1ExQ (NEW load as of June 8, 2022)
Highlights:
6:30 in: an upbeat snare drum-lead piece.
9:39 in: some choppy strings and woodwinds for a light-hearted piece as a new Dirty Dozen are chosen.
24:16 in: a short bouncy piece while the Dirty Dozen are running for exercise.
About 28:50 in: a long cue with snare and brass as the men train for the mission.
45:25 in: a steady peice with a snare and timpani in unison with brass playing over it as the Dirty Dozen try to sneak passed a National Socialist check point.
53:25 in: a suspense piece with ligher moments.
1:06:35 in.
And a nice closing cue; I'll just give the time stamp where I think it gets good: 1:17:10.
I don't know where it was recorded, but it's got that weird echoy sound some scores recorded in Canada during that time have.
I guess there isn't anything necessarily wrong with the score and it does it's job, but it's just not up to the standard Doug Timm set that year for the series. I like Cacavas' work -- he's been a plesant discovery, but here it just didn't sound meaty enough, dramatic enough, and was just a little too light at times. Take for example the end credits music, which sounds like a "Major Dad" TV movie (if one had ever been made).
Special note: the Dirty Dozen includes Ernie Hudson and Erik Estrada. Not bad choices, but the whole thing is rather lackluster, so any chance they had to shine was squashed by the script.
If any of the other TV movies are loaded, I'll review them when that happens.
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Nice jim,
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And a release is now unlikely. Posted today by Roger over at the Intrada forum:
"We were actually going to do these and had transferred some tapes. Then we made a ghastly discovery -- many of these were recorded in Canada"
A reminder: the Canadian re-use fees are just too high and they won't play ball.
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Some more episodes popped up. Is there enough interest for more reviews?
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