Where Was Black Sheep Squadron Filmed? An Engrossing War Drama Series!

The Second World War, which was fought between the Axis and the Allied forces from 1939 to 1945, shaped the world in many ways. Millions of people died in the battlefields, and millions were murdered in the concentration camps in Europe. When America entered the war, its main objective was to end it. In this article, I’ll discuss the series and tell you where was Black Sheep Squadron filmed.  The series Black Sheep Squadron (1976) recounts the story of an American marine attack squadron who did their best and made a big difference.

Black Sheep Squadron, which is also known as Baa Baa Black Sheep, follows Major Gregory and his marine attack squadron who fought on an island in the Pacific during the Second World War. The war drama series stars veteran actor and singer Robert Conrad in the main role and other television actors like W K Stratton, Simon Oakland, Dana Elcar, James Whitmore Jr, Dirk Blocker, and Robert Ginty.

Now, getting back to your primary concern about where Black Sheep Squadron was filmed, the war drama series was filmed in California, United States of America.

Created by Stephen J Cannell, the war drama series Black Sheep Squadron was released in the United States on 23rd September 1976 on NBC. After the first season’s success, the creators and producers decided to go for a second installment, which was released on 6th April 1978. However, let’s get into the details of the filming locations. 

Where Was Black Sheep Squadron Filmed? Black Sheep Squadron Filming Locations!

Stephen J Cannell’s Black Sheep Squadron was a big success back in the 70s. There were not many TV shows like this during that time period. The classic war drama series captured the mundane lives of the soldiers and their lives in combat. The series received mixed reviews from critics who praised the show’s storyline but weren’t entirely satisfied with the portrayal of some of the characters. 

Besides the United States, the war drama series was a big hit in Germany. The entire series was exclusively released on DVD. Apart from being a renowned television producer, Stephen J Carnell was also a writer, actor, and novelist. He directed several war drama and crime drama TV shows. Black Sheep Squadron got a rating of 7.6 on IMDb. However, let’s find out where Black Sheep Squadron was filmed.

California, United States Of America 

The classic war drama series Black Sheep Squadron was filmed in California, specifically at the Indian Dunes Airfield in Santa Clarita’s Valencia neighborhood. Indian Dunes is a 600-acre movie ranch owned by the Newhall Land & Farming Company. The ranch is close to the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park.

Indian Dunes features various landscapes, including flat plains, hills, densely wooded forest land, and riverbeds, making it an ideal location for filming different types of productions. It is one of the favorite filming spots of many filmmakers in California.

Television shows and movies like The Fall Guy, The A-Team, The Incredible Hulk, The Color Purple, and Escape From New York are some of the most popular productions that took place in Indian Dunes. The war drama series China Beach was the last show that was filmed here. 

Apart from filming at Indian Dunes, the production team also shot a portion of the series at Universal Studios, which is situated at 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California. One of the biggest movie studios in the world was opened in 1912 and is presently owned by NBCUniversal. 

Universal Studios is home to numerous well-equipped soundstages, a vast backlot area, and production facilities, offices, restaurants, cafeterias, and many more. Some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Jaws, Apollo 13, The Mummy, and King Kong were filmed here. 

Plot Of Black Sheep Squadron (1976) | Squadron VMF-214 Vs. The Japanese!

The story of Black Sheep Squadron is set during World War II and follows Major Gregory Boyington, played by Robert Conrad. Major Gregory is a pilot and the commanding officer of his marine attack squadron VMF-214, often called The Black Sheep Squadron. He and his squadron were stationed at the island of Vella la Cava in the Pacific. 

When the war rages in Europe, this fearless American marine attack squadron fights till the end and fulfills its objective. Squadron VMF-214 fought from 1943 to 1945. The Japanese were a powerful enemy, and dealing with them was not an easy job. The Americans ultimately gained victory after fighting constantly for two years in the Pacific. 

Final Words

If you like watching war drama shows like Band of Brothers, then I’m sure you’ll love Black Sheep Squadron. Shows like this are also fun to binge-watch, and you get to learn many things. If you haven’t watched it yet, then make sure you start binging on it soon. Having said that, if you want to read more interesting articles on filming locations, then keep an eye on the Oldflamescandles website.