anyone going to watch "over there"?

therise21

Active member
just wondering if anyone is going to watch this show. looks like it could be pretty good if they dont over-do it. think its on wednesday at 10 or something. and also can people who are serving tell us if its an accurate description or if its been dramatized.
thanks, matt
 
therise21 said:
just wondering if anyone is going to watch this show. looks like it could be pretty good if they dont over-do it. think its on wednesday at 10 or something. and also can people who are serving tell us if its an accurate description or if its been dramatized.
thanks, matt


*cough* this is an international forum, so what really is the point of this? it's fustrating that you dont even think it neccisary to tell us even a little bit about the programme.

mini rant over
 
Possibly they thought that if you didn't know what they were talking about you would look it up yourself? It is nice when people site things for you, but it sorta is a DVD talking about war things... and this is a Military forum...

Oh yeah, and it's also quite frustrating that i can't read your username. Is there some type of glow behind it? Firefox hates stuff like that... ((checked it on IE - yep it's firefox. Blech they need to get that fixed or something!))



http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=16845 <- Would this be a accurate description?
 
this article will help people out on what over there is about. Take note of the water purification specialist complaining about flash backs. All of us in combat arms got a ruse out of his comments :lol:

TV goes to war in Iraq
USATODAY

By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY
CHATSWORTH, Calif. — The darkened adobe hut offers relief from July's searing heat, but there's nothing cool about what's happening inside. As a U.S. Army unit grills an Iraqi family while searching for an American hostage, a soldier gets his feet tangled in wires connected to what could be a bomb.

"What do I do?" the private, known as Smoke, nervously asks his sergeant.

Is it a bomb? What is the Arabic-speaking family saying? Are they lying? The tense scene, from an upcoming episode of FX's new war drama Over There (premieres July 27, 10 p.m. ET/PT), depicts the life-or-death uncertainty the young troops face in Iraq.

Uncertainty — ratcheted down several notches — is a watchword for Over There itself, the first TV series to depict a war while fighting goes on. The drama is tangled up in potentially explosive questions: Is it too soon or too much? Is it believable? How will it be received by a divided public?

"This isn't about politics, policy or a particular administration," says famed producer Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue, L.A. Law), who created Over There with lead writer Chris Gerolmo (Mississippi Burning). "It's about war. There are significant universal themes that are common denominators in any war."

Over There will focus on the personal and not the political, although characters will express their views. "What we're trying to do is tell honest and true stories about young people under pressure," says Gerolmo, who directed the pilot (available on DVD Aug. 2).

The much-discussed series, one of entertainment's first takes on the war, faces challenges:

• Engaging viewers as real fighting continues, the future unknown.

• Trying to get the war details right. A Marine serves as an on-set adviser; writers' research includes books, news articles, movies, blogs and soldiers' e-mail.

• Showing the humanity of soldiers and their families, reflecting their bravery, commitment — and flaws. There's honor and nobility, but also ethnic bias, poor judgment and fear.

• Exploring the complex issues of women in combat, attitudes toward Muslim U.S. troops, hurdles confronting injured soldiers and military families' lives.

Over There follows an Army unit on its first Iraq tour, at an unspecified time before the January elections. It connects the lives of young soldiers, a mix that includes blacks, whites, a Latina and an Arab-American, with their loved ones stateside. In the premiere, the men and women engage in a firefight with insurgents, who are accompanied by an al-Jazeera correspondent.

FX president John Landgraf, who had the idea for a series on the Iraq conflict, says war is rarely the focus of series TV, despite being "a deeply compelling, complicated emotional sphere" rich with drama potential.

Tour of Duty and China Beach, which left the air in the early 1990s, depicted the long-concluded Vietnam War. M*A*S*H, which began during Vietnam's later stages, was considered a commentary on that war through the buffer of Korea.

Museum of Television & Radio curator David Bushman senses that viewers might be more receptive to a contemporary war drama than they would have been during the fractious Vietnam era.

The rise of niche cable networks that needn't appeal to all viewers changes the dynamic, too, he says. "It's a different time politically, socially and on television."

On a blistering afternoon in this Los Angeles suburb, five actors in Army uniforms rehearse stealth movements through a smoky, windswept Iraqi village set. The technical adviser, Marine Staff Sgt. Sean Bunch, guides the actors in military technique.

"It's like you're sneaking up. You're looking in windows and doors," he tells Erik Palladino (ER), who plays the squad leader, Sgt. Chris Silas, aka Sgt. Scream.

"Then he'll look back and wave you up. Then you're like this, (crouching) against the wall," the Iraq war veteran tells the others, whose characters are mostly known by nicknames: Dim (Luke Macfarlane, Kinsey), Angel (Keith Robinson, American Dreams), Smoke (Kirk "Sticky" Jones, Flight of the Phoenix); and Tariq (Omid Abtahi, Running with Scissors).

"Going into the sixth episode, we're starting to get a natural feel for when something's not feeling right," Palladino says, referring to Bunch's training, which included a five-day, pre-shooting "boot camp."

Another consultant, Sam Aylia Sako, provides advice on Iraqi culture and language.

In early episodes, Over There dives into a rash of hot-button sub-topics. Female soldiers in a combat situation; a unit member's prejudice against an Arab-American soldier; a U.S. interrogator's treatment of a prisoner; a soldier smoking a joint before going to war.

"They're not so much topics as textures," Bochco says. "Our topic is men and women in harm's way in a war. Textures characterize and specify which war."

Bochco, who weathered controversy over language and nudity when NYPD Blue launched, doesn't believe flaws tarnish the characters.

Over There will veer from the fight to follow topics that get less attention: the recovery of a soldier whose leg is blown off and a look at families back home.

"I don't think a lot of the news outlets examine the effect of war on a family," says Macfarlane, whose character has a wife and 7-year-old stepson. "I know they do their stories, but in a real kind of way, how do you deal with the pain of" potential loss.

Producers did not seek cooperation from the Pentagon, which can provide access to bases and equipment but also seeks script approval. Why not?

"Without going too close to that question, we wanted to be free to tell the most honest and real stories," Gerolmo says. At the same time, he'd be happy if soldiers responded positively: "We want to do justice to the lives of these kids and their loved ones."

Army Maj. Todd Breasseale, who has worked with studios on numerous projects, says the military is always concerned about how soldiers are depicted.

"Any time there is a portrayal of the military and we had nothing to do with it, there's an issue of 'How is this going to develop?' " the Army spokesman says.

Over There is getting a lot of early attention — a boon for a new TV series — for many reasons: a volatile topic; the involvement of Bochco; and the rise of FX as an edgy, critically acclaimed brand.

Blood, violence and profanity shouldn't be a problem for advertisers because FX viewers know what to expect from the cable network after The Shield, Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me, says Brad Adgate of ad-buying firm Horizon Media. Avoiding a strong political viewpoint about the war is the key to success, he says.

Commercial spots are sold out for the premiere, says Bruce Lefkowitz, chief of Fox cable ad sales.

Military experts who haven't seen Over There's pilot can't assess it, but their expectations indicate the viewing experience could be a national Rorschach test. Some expect anti-war sentiment, based on Hollywood's reputation or if the show, for dramatic reasons, focuses only on the most violent moments. Others say sympathy for the soldiers might stir pro-war feeling.

Other than a letter-writing campaign by the wife of a Kentucky soldier who says it is disrespectful to present the show during the war, FX executives say they know of no other pre-premiere protests.

Those working on the show wouldn't discuss their personal views of the war, other than blanket support for the troops. But they know their fictional drama will be a magnet for discussion of the real conflict.

"Right now, we're able to work and be anonymous because it hasn't hit the airwaves, but I know the political debates are on the way soon," Robinson says.

Some veterans see 'good'; some see 'misperceptions'

By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — A group of Iraq war veterans offered a review of FX's Over There (premieres July 27): It's a good show, but a number of details are inaccurate.

Four veterans of Iraq, now assigned to the U.S. Army's Santa Monica, Calif., recruiting station, watched the first two episodes Saturday.

"It was pretty good, pretty interesting. But there were some misperceptions about the stuff we'd do," said Staff Sgt. Juan Carmona, 26, who hails from Puerto Rico and served in a field artillery unit at the start of the war. He'll watch again.

The soldiers appeared drawn in by the drama of scenes, such as a car bomb at a checkpoint. They took issue with episodic details, such as the movements and shooting practices of the Army unit; the operation of the checkpoint; vehicle movements, especially a truck pulling over so far to the roadside that it risked hitting a mine; the need for more soldiers in a unit; and the delay in informing a soldier's wife of his injury — and by phone, not in person.

All said the soldiers were too clean in the pilot. Producers are adjusting that.

There were laughs, as when a tough-guy soldier talks about "capping" an enemy, and nods of recognition when a sergeant uses a vehicle door mirror to shave; a soldier needs to go to the bathroom during combat; another hopes to become a professional singer; and troops talk of pregnant wives and young children back home.

"It's bringing flashbacks," said Sgt. David Garcia, 23, who worked in water purification in Iraq, when he saw a soldier using bottled water to brush his teeth. Garcia, a reservist who grew up in Inglewood, Calif., said he could relate to the "don't mess" attitude of Smoke, an Over There soldier who grew up in nearby Compton.

Sgt. Robert Mason, 33, of Bennington, Vt., who went to Iraq in 2003, said Over There had the most accurate presentation he has seen of troops' uniforms. Troops had the right weapons, too.

But the welder/machinist thought the soldiers were too disorganized. "Our soldiers are trained much better. Things are much more organized."

Cpl. Shelby Dreier, 21, of St. Joseph, Mo., who saw action twice during four months of infantry service in Iraq last year, said the combat focus left out soldiers' other activities, such as construction or just throwing a Frisbee with Iraqi children. But Dreier said he understands the dramatic pull of "blood and killing."

"As a show, it's good," he says. As for the depiction of soldiers' lives, "it's typical."

Co-creator Steven Bochco says Over There is trying to capture the spirit of war, not the exact detail. "You have to take license here and there."
 
sorry i didnt give a description, but you probably wont be able to watch it anyway. you might want to see a doctor about that cough.
 
sorry about that man, got a bit carried away last night, actually the post deleted by the mods was partially an appoligie for getting so carried away.


PLEASE! just remember that extra info is good, and that there are many on this board who do not live in the states, the info that Doody & crazy provided were awesome...cheers
 
therise21 said:
you might want to see a doctor about that cough.

I so had that typed - just because the whole *cough* for being... whatever but not like *cough*JOrdan is crazy*cough* is just a huge pet peeve for me...

Hey, we try to help out and provide better ways to solve things - but we all know how it is to be frustrated - and we all also have our pet peeves.
 
Watched it and it seems like it will be good entertainment.

It'll be more sensational than the life of an average infantryman I'm sure, but even as entertainment it'll be a better view on the war then the average American gets from it's news-media.

My favorite line, "We didn't come here for oil, we came here to kick your ass!"
 
I must say, that show was terrible. Though I did like how the first scene went (doing it), maybe I missed the part where they explained why the girls were in combat? Well anyway, to sum it up I didnt care for it.
 
FutureDevilDog said:
I must say, that show was terrible. Though I did like how the first scene went (doing it), maybe I missed the part where they explained why the girls were in combat? Well anyway, to sum it up I didnt care for it.

At least one of the girls was a driver, I assume the other one was with her.

I think it'll get better fleshed out in the next episodes. The first episode is always so difficult to make because you've got to make it fabulously interesting to keep the audiance, but you have to introduce all the characters too since the audiance doesn't know anything about anyone. I think they did a good job but obviously we can't tell till' a few episodes whether or not it'll be good.
 
I watched it because the Wife recorded it, thinking I'd want to see it. Heh.

I didn't like it. Won't watch it again. I also viewed it with a recently returned OIF vet. His reaction was the same to a large extent but with a little more emotion , understandably.

It seems to me to could take the cast of any of the hundreds of WWII movies leave out the rah rah for the flag and apple pie and the same cast comprises this "squad".

Lets see.

The Gruff and Combat vet Sgt.

The hard charging HS Athlete with dreams of playing College Ball (who gets wounded in the leg, never saw that coming)

The college educated intellectual musing about the meaning of war.

The Choir Boy.

The Street tough.

Throw in the two females. A driver and mechanic because this is the New Army. Cast one in an almost bad light on two occasions.

Give everybody nicknames.

IMHO the writers rehashed the old cliches put them in Iraq and thats about it. Not the cutting edge they claimed. More like Combat meets the Insurgents.
 
I agree.. terrible show. I figured that out in the first five minutes... a squad of privates all assigned to a new squad leader. Walking up to the building like its no big deal.

The nicknames, the females, the typical stereotype... this one lasted 20 minutes for me.

Glad to see it didn't get better as it went along...
 
Out of the 7 guys I work with on the night shift, 5 of them said they wached Over There. Everyone of them said they changed the channel after the first 5-10 minutes citing the fact that the show was not even close to how things are really like "over there." The E-6 said the only thing that was accurate was a video sent to a soldier from his wife showinf her with another man.

Just wanted to share some food for thought on the show.

SGT Doody
 
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