What Is The Plot Of Garrison'S Gorillas?

'Garrison’s Gorillas' is one of those shows that makes you go, 'Wait, why isn’t this more famous?' It’s a WWII drama with a twist: the protagonists are all criminals. Lieutenant Garrison leads this ragtag team of convicts—each with a specific underworld skill—on dangerous missions in exchange for reduced sentences. The plot’s basically a blend of war movie and heist flick, with episodes focusing on stuff like stealing enemy codes or rescuing POWs. The team’s dynamic is the real draw, though. These guys aren’t buddies; they’re stuck together, and the friction makes every mission unpredictable. The show’s a product of its time (don’t expect gritty realism), but it’s got a quirky charm that’s hard to replicate today. I love how it plays with the idea of redemption—these aren’t noble soldiers, just guys trying to survive their own mistakes.

Ever imagine what would happen if you tossed a bunch of crooks into WWII and told them to fight Nazis? That’s basically 'Garrison’s Gorillas' in a nutshell. The show’s premise is so simple but brilliant: a military officer handpicks four prisoners—each with a sketchy talent—and turns them into a covert ops team. There’s Goniff, the pickpocket; Casino, the safecracker; Chief, the brawler; and Actor, the… well, actor (his skills are oddly useful for espionage). They’re all serving life sentences, but Garrison offers them a chance at parole if they survive these suicide missions. The fun part is watching these guys, who’d normally be at each other’s throats, grudgingly work together while cracking snarky one-liners.

The show’s a time capsule of late 60s TV—episodic, action-heavy, but with flashes of depth. Unlike modern series, there’s no overarching plot; each episode is a standalone adventure where the team infiltrates some Nazi stronghold or steals secret plans. But what makes it memorable is the chemistry between the Gorillas. They’re not heroes—they’re scoundrels with skills, and that dynamic keeps things fresh. Also, the show’s low-budget charm is endearing. You can practically see the cardboard sets wobble during shootouts, but the writers lean into the characters’ flaws so hard that you forgive the cheesy production. It’s like watching your grandpa’s favorite action flick—corny but full of heart.

Garrison's Gorillas' is this wild, underrated gem from the late 60s that feels like a proto-'A-Team' but with way more grit. The show follows a squad of convicted criminals—each with their own shady expertise—who get recruited by Lieutenant Craig Garrison during WWII. Their deal? Pull off high-risk missions behind enemy lines, and they might just earn their freedom. There's the con artist, the safecracker, the strongman, and the actor (who’s weirdly good at impersonations), all led by Garrison, the only straight arrow in the bunch. The tension between their shady pasts and the war effort gives the show this edgy vibe, like you’re never sure if they’ll double-cross each other or actually come through. It’s got that classic 'mission of the week' structure, but the characters’ backstories and the occasional moral dilemmas keep it from feeling too formulaic.

What’s cool is how it blends heist tropes with war drama—imagine 'Ocean’s Eleven' meets 'Band of Brothers,' but with way fewer resources and way more desperation. The episodes often hinge on the Gorillas’ specific skills, like cracking a Nazi vault or bluffing their way into a fortress. It’s cheesy by today’s standards (those explosions look like firecrackers now), but there’s a charm to how raw and character-driven it is. Plus, the show doesn’t shy away from darker moments, like when the team has to confront the consequences of their crimes mid-mission. I stumbled on it during a deep dive into vintage TV, and it’s stuck with me as this weirdly ahead-of-its-time mix of action and moral ambiguity.