Richard Dawson was a bit of a lightning rod. Long before he was kissing every woman in America on Family Feud, he was the sarcastic, pickpocketing Corporal Peter Newkirk. If you grew up watching reruns of Richard Dawson Hogan's Heroes, you probably remember him as the smooth-talking Englishman who could forge documents or pick a lock faster than you could say "I see nothing."
But the reality of his time on that show was way more complicated than the laugh track let on.
People forget how weird Hogan’s Heroes actually was as a concept. A sitcom about a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp? It sounds like a disaster on paper. Yet, it worked. And for Dawson, it was the big break that almost didn't happen because of his accent.
Why Richard Dawson Hogan's Heroes Success Was Never Guaranteed
Dawson wasn't even supposed to be British in the original script.
Initially, the producers wanted him to play an American. Dawson, being Dawson, told them he couldn't do a convincing American accent. He pushed for Newkirk to be a Liverpudlian, riding the wave of the British Invasion and the massive popularity of The Beatles. It was a smart move. He brought a specific kind of "Mod" energy to a show set in the 1940s, which is part of why the character felt so fresh to audiences in 1965.
Working on that set wasn't always a picnic.
While the chemistry on screen looked effortless, the dynamics behind the scenes were often strained. Robert Clary, who played LeBeau, was a real-life survivor of the Holocaust. He had been in Buchenwald. Imagine the mental gymnastics required to film a comedy in a simulated stalag every day. Dawson respected that, but he was also a man with a massive ego and a burning desire to be the star. He didn't just want to be part of an ensemble; he wanted to be the guy.
The Tension Between Hogan and Newkirk
If you look closely at the middle seasons, you can see the shift. Bob Crane was the undisputed lead. He was Colonel Hogan. But Richard Dawson Hogan's Heroes fans started sending more and more fan mail to the guy playing Newkirk.
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Dawson was funny. He was sharp. He was a master of impressions.
He often ad-libbed bits that made it into the final cut, much to the chagrin of the writers who wanted to stick to the script. This creates a weirdly high-energy performance compared to some of the more stoic actors on the show. You see Newkirk constantly moving, fidgeting, or doing a bit in the background. He was hungry for the camera's attention.
Eventually, the friction became too much.
By the time the show was winding down in 1971, Dawson was ready to go. He felt the character had hit a ceiling. He was tired of being the sidekick. He had already started eyeing the game show circuit, appearing on Match Game and proving that his quick wit was better suited for unscripted television.
The Darker Side of the Stalag 13 Set
We can't talk about this era without mentioning Bob Crane’s private life. It's the elephant in the room. While Dawson was focused on his career trajectory, Crane was spiraling into the lifestyle that would eventually lead to his unsolved murder in 1978.
Dawson and Crane weren't exactly best friends.
They were professional colleagues, but they lived in different worlds. Dawson was a family man at the time—married to British sex symbol Diana Dors—while Crane was obsessively documenting his sexual escapades with then-new video technology. This contrast created a strange vibe on set during the later years. Dawson reportedly found some of Crane's behavior off-putting, which might explain why they didn't collaborate much after the show ended.
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The "Newkirk" Legacy and the Jump to Family Feud
When you look at Richard Dawson Hogan's Heroes through a modern lens, Newkirk is the blueprint for the "lovable rogue" archetype. He wasn't a soldier in the traditional sense. He was a con man in a uniform.
That charm is exactly what led to his second act.
Without the popularity he gained on Hogan's Heroes, he never would have landed the hosting gig on Family Feud. He took the persona of Newkirk—the wit, the slight arrogance, the "man of the people" vibe—and dialed it up to eleven. He became a household name not because of his acting, but because of his personality. It's a rare transition. Most sitcom stars fade away. Dawson just changed lanes and drove faster.
The Real Impact of the Show
- It humanized prisoners of war in a way that, while lighthearted, kept the era in the public consciousness.
- It provided a platform for actors like Werner Klemperer (Klink) and John Banner (Schultz)—both of whom were Jews who had fled the Nazis—to reclaim power through satire.
- It proved that Richard Dawson was more than just a character actor.
Honestly, the show is a miracle of casting. If you swap out Dawson for a generic American actor, you lose the "Ocean's Eleven" feel of the group. Newkirk provided the specialized skill set (theft and forgery) that made the missions actually feel like capers rather than just military maneuvers.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
A lot of people think the show was criticized by veterans at the time for making light of the war.
Actually, the response from former POWs was surprisingly positive. Many wrote to the studio saying that humor was the only thing that got them through the camps. Dawson often spoke about how he took the role seriously despite the comedy; he wanted Newkirk to feel like a guy who was using his street smarts to survive a hellish situation.
The show wasn't mocking the victims; it was mocking the captors.
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By making Klink and Schultz look like buffoons, the show stripped the Nazi machine of its' terrifying aura. Dawson’s Newkirk was essential to that—he was the one constantly making a fool of the German guards with his sleight of hand.
How to Revisit Richard Dawson Hogan's Heroes Today
If you’re looking to dive back into the series, don't just watch it for the plots. They’re repetitive.
Watch it for the character work. Look at the way Dawson handles props. He’s always doing something with his hands—cleaning a hat, shuffling cards, or "liberating" a watch from a guest. It’s a masterclass in staying active in a scene.
You can find the series on various streaming platforms like Pluto TV or MeTV, and it still holds up surprisingly well. The jokes are fast, the timing is impeccable, and the chemistry between the "Heroes" is genuine, even if they weren't all grabbing drinks together after work.
Next Steps for Fans and Researchers:
- Watch "Auto Focus": For a deeper (and much darker) look at the environment surrounding the show, watch the 2002 film Auto Focus. It focuses on Bob Crane, but it captures the era’s Hollywood culture perfectly.
- Check out Richard Dawson’s early stand-up: Before the show, he was a club comic. Finding clips of his 1960s routines shows you exactly where the Newkirk persona originated.
- Read Robert Clary’s Memoir: From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes provides the necessary perspective on why this comedy was actually a profound piece of television for its' time.
Ultimately, Dawson’s legacy is tied to his ability to be the smartest person in the room. Whether he was helping Hogan blow up a bridge or asking a contestant to "Name something you find in a glove box," he was always in control. Newkirk was just the beginning of that journey.