Set in a strange, campy 1960s interpretation of World War II, Danger 5, an Australian action comedy, is the kind of show where cocktail recipes and freeform Santana-esque jamming play important—no, vital—roles. The plot is simple: Hitler is alive and well, and Danger 5, a ragtag team of international spies with terrible aim, must stop him.
Dario Russo and David Ashby, the creators, borrow from 1980s horror flicks, and the best of the 60s ethos: free love abounds, cigarettes are near-mandatory, and women are second-class citizens.
An example of the absurdity: “Lizard Soldiers of the Third Reich” from the first season (currently streaming on Netflix) finds the gang heading to Antarctica to the lost prehistoric world of Dr. Josef Mengele and his Nazi-dinosaur minions.
In an interview, Russo cites Mel Brooks as an inspiration for why he chose Hitler as the show’s target: “The only way to get even with anybody is to ridicule them.”
When asked if he’d consider setting the gang after Kim Jong-un, perhaps a more contemporary target, instead, Russo said he’d have to ask his dad, who’s busy currently playing the Führer.
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