"SAS Rogue Heroes" new drama on the BBC

Just watched the first episode and let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea!
Can someone tell me how a WW2 drama and listening to AC/DC go together

 

goodness me
badly acted tosh

 

The acting was not exactly convincing nor the sets.
Was Morale really that bad.
Unshaven British Officers and NCO's in Cairo. In the desert maybe.
It seems that the only thing they had to go on was that photo of the SAS Jeeps that crops up everywhere.
As for dancing the "Jitterbug" so early in the War !941/42 I don't think so.
Bari December 1943.
I‘m writing from an armchair on the edge of a dance floor of the Allied Officers Club in the port at which I landed.
The band is blaring away in a foxtrot, the floor is crowded with dancers, nurses and officers.
They did have their moments though:
March 5th a group of experienced South African Officers were welcomed into the Regiment as reinforcements
Lt Adams, Collett, Gifford and Knipe.
Knipe was prone to be somewhat wild and eventually invited to return to his own national forces after getting roaring drunk, throwing a large pot plant over the balcony in the Officers Mess onto the table of some top brass sitting below.

 

I watched a bit of the "Steam Engine Called "Victoria" film or "North West Frontier" on Talking Pictures TV instead. 35 mm film in "Eastman colour" looks a great deal better, even on a digital freeview set with a very small flat screen, than modern "films" for television. Modern "films" just look odd to me: far too cold, lighting very odd, sound all over the place, often inaudible. I hope someone enjoyed the SAS programme.

 

Fifteen minutes was enough for me!

 

The Stukas travelling at warp speed did not help the realism.
Its a shame really, but expected with most modern re takes on history.

 

"Fighting Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy", did we really make those distinctions at the time?

 

Read an interview with the guy acting Stirling in the Guardian, and that was enough to make me miss it.

All the best

Andreas

 

"Ladies Present"
Even though the SAS officers were described as the sweepings of the universities and lower public schools in the publicity build up for the series, I am fairly sure Stirling was still a Gentleman and unlikely to use the F word in conversation with a Lady.

 

Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire is hardly a lower Public School.

F

 

Contrary to an earlier post there are six episodes in the series; all available now to watch online: BBC iPlayer - SAS Rogue Heroes - Series 1: Episode 1

I am unsure if you are outside the UK the BBC will allow access.

Personally I found it mildly interesting, well filmed and being a drama has fiction added e.g. the black RAF NCO pilot for the parachute test flight (not that he may be real, just unconvinced).

 

mentioned earlier was a series from 2017 with 3 parts

 

Watched the first episode. Started off pretty dire but seemed to improve. Definitely not one for the purists but I’m keeping an open mind for the next episode. As we’ve said before, if this cartoony entertainment means a few people look into the real stories afterwards, it’s keeping the memories alive.

 

You are right mate I normally think that it keeps memories alive.

lets hope it improves(you can watch all episodes on iplayer so might give the 2nd episode a go)

 

I thought there would be no chance of seeing the 1967 BBC2 adaption of Evelyn Waugh's "Sword of Honour" trilogy again but it transpires that you can get DVDs of the same from Canada.

Robert's Hard to find Videos

Which is relevant to the characters behind the documentary based on Ben Macintyre's work ( which I did see ) ( I'd rather watch "Pingu" than endure the new "Peaky Blinders" version of the story of the SAS ) because Evelyn Waugh hurt his leg learning to parachute and was given leave by Lt Col Stirling which Waugh spent writing "Brideshead Revisited."

The Sword of Honour trilogy is a much better series of books than Brideshead and the monochrome 1967 tv version starring Edward Woodward is superb. It was made with virtually no sets at all and is all based on dialogue largely taken from the novels.There is a brief sample here:



For further information regarding Waugh and Stirling see here:

Captain Evelyn Waugh and the Special Operations Executive (SOE). - Free Online Library

 

I'm with you. Obviously there are inaccuracies and the style isn't to everyone's liking, but I quite enjoyed it. I thought the scenes in Tobruk were pretty good. I've only seen the first episode, but I'm looking forward to the rest. AC/DC is good with anything.

 

It is the obsession with being scruffy and everyone being on first name terms that gets my goat. A Guards Officer would be nothing less than immaculate at all times - his orderly would see to that. There was always a massive deference to officers by Other Ranks - not 'Enlisted men' as used in the programme, and to very senior officers in particular. The guard on the gate at GHQ scene with Stirling was unbelievably stupid. The soldier would never have spoken to an Officer in that way. The Auk, Ritchie, Stirling scene at GHQ was useless.

And as for saluting in narrow corridors - a soldier would simply brace up as he passed.

F

 

BBC audio / podcast tie in...

BBC Sounds - Obsessed With... - Available Episodes

1 min intro...

Obsessed With... - Obsessed With... SAS Rogue Heroes - We're Obsessed With... SAS Rogue Heroes - BBC Sounds

Join Spencer Matthews and Pierre Novellie as they unpack the new action-packed BBC series, SAS Rogue Heroes, with the help of military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Based on true events, the show tells the unbelievable origin story of the SAS during World War Two. But this isn't history as you know it. From the creator of Peaky Blinders, the show is star-studded and adrenaline-fuelled — a fitting tribute to the fearless, maverick soldiers who inspired the series. Spencer and Pierre will be unpacking the series episode by episode, sorting the facts from the fiction as they go. They will also be chatting to cast members and military experts to bring you exclusive insights into how this entertaining true story was brought to life.

Episode 1 etc. Obsessed With... - Obsessed With... SAS Rogue Heroes - SAS Rogue Heroes: Episode 1 - BBC Sounds

Episode 2 - Obsessed With... - Obsessed With... SAS Rogue Heroes - SAS Rogue Heroes: Episode 2 - BBC Sounds

Fearless, determined, a bit crazy… Pierre and Spencer discuss the qualities of the best SAS recruits as they get into episode two of SAS Rogue Heroes with the help of military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Spencer and Pierre also sit down with Ben Simmons, military advisor for the series, and cast member Theo Barklem-Biggs, who plays Reg Seekings, to talk about how the cast were put through their paces to prepare for filming.

Episode 3 - Obsessed With... - Obsessed With... SAS Rogue Heroes - SAS Rogue Heroes: Episode 3 - BBC Sounds

As the SAS head off on their first mission, Pierre and Spencer are joined by military historian Lucy Betteridge Dyson to try and understand why things went so wrong, so quickly. They will also be getting into the SAS’s game changing partnership with Long Range Desert Group and chatting about the man, myth and the legend: Paddy Mayne.