Terence Knox on Tour of Duty: ''Authenticity takes first seat with us.''
Television shows are known for their fictional nature mixed in with realistic situations. Sometimes, the premise of a series is based on real events, and when it's something like war, writers, actors, and everyone involved have to be more cautious.
"Authenticity takes first seat with us," Terence Knox, star of Tour of Duty, told The Associated Press in 1987. "You can make a few errors in a hospital show or a police show. I was on St. Elsewhere, and it was as true as you can get, but there were still a few errors. Something as sensitive as Vietnam, you don't want to make errors."
The actor played Sgt. Zeke Anderson and believed the show had the opportunity to do "some great stories" without resorting to "sensational tricks."
"Our show's set in 1967, when the camaraderie of the troops was at a peak, and there wasn't an overwhelming feeling by the GIs that the whole country was against their efforts. So it's possible to do a series in a steadfastly unpolitical manner. The thing that's been said by all the veterans is they didn't give two whips about the politics when they were in 'Nam. They thought only of taking care of one another and keeping each other alive," he added.
Tour of Duty was Knox's third television series.