A long-lost Navy sitcom that starring edNavy vet and comedian Don Rickles is getting has resurfacinged after nearly 40 years.
The TV show "CPO Sharkey," a salty satire on Navy life, was not available on any format until May 19, when Time Life released a three-disc collection that includes the 15 half-hour episodes from season one in 1976. The set also includes a classic clip of Johnny Carson, with "The Tonight Show" cameras in tow, as he crashed the "CPO Sharkey" set after he learned Rickles accidentally broke Carson's famed cigarette box the day before.
The NBC comedy show features the series, which ran from 1976-78, provides a satirical look at Navy life. In this set, the unapologetic and sometimes abrasive Chief Otto Sharkey, who whips his raw recruits into shape amid minor league mutinies and a trip to Tijuana, where his sailors land in jail for cheering the bull at a bullfight.
True to the nature of the show's iconic star, beneath each "shark attack" resides a heart of gold that wants only the best for his sailorsmen.
Navy Times asked five questions of Rickles, 89, spoke to Military Times shortly before the release of "CPO Sharkey."
A. I was a seaman first class and served two years on the USS Cyrene [a motor torpedo boat tender that served as an escort around New Guinea and Leyte]. I got to know a lot of really good people on that boat, a lot of good memories. But that is not what I signed up for. One day we were out shooting the guns, and all you hear is this loud "Boom! Boom! Boom!" and I told the guy in charge, "Hey I can entertain, you need to send me over to Special Services." You know what he said to me? "Keep firing!"
Q. No doubt there are many serving today who dream of reaching stardom. What advice would you give them?
A. Keep firing!
Q. Why is "CPO Sharkey" worth watching nearly 40 years later?
A. I'm sure it will bring back good memories for the older vets. Of course, they don't forget anything. I still have guys ask me if I remember something I said to them on [USS Cyrene]. Are you kidding me?! I was honorably discharged back in 1946! But I am really happy to see that it is getting out there. That was a special time for me, really a lot of fun. We addressed some of the issues happening at that time, but you know, it has a lot of humor that isn't tied to a specific time. Navy life has some common threads and you will see them in there. 
Q. Most in uniform were born after your stand-up and the "CPO Sharkey" show. How does it feel that they don't know you as "Mr. Warmth," but as Mr. Potato Head from the "Toy Story" trilogy?
A. I am very blessed to have been able to do this for so long. I turn 89 years old tomorrow [May 7]. I have met a lot of great people along the way and been blessed to be a part of these different things. No one of them is better than the other; each one has its own beauty. But if you like Potato Head and you're in the Navy, you'll love CPO Sharkey.
Q. Is there anything you would like to say to men and women in uniform?
A. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. Appreciate the people beside you. They are going to be more important to you than you realize. And may God bless you all, our prayers are with you.
Bonus fact: Chief Otto Sharkey wasn't Rickles' only military part. He portrayed Quartermaster 1st Class Ruby in the 1958 film, "Run Silent, Run Deep" and an Army NCO in the 1970 movie, "Kelly's Heroes."
