British/ANZAC/Commonwealth Band of Brothers

Do you think the BBC will ever make a 10 part miniseries on any British Unit?
Band of Brothers and The Pacific and soon Masters of the Air have all delved deep into American lives during world war 2. And it is somewhat appropriate, in 1940 america had the smallest armed forces of all developed nations, by the war's end they became a military superpower. However, the British Empire was still a global force. Britain had 1/4 of the world population, and thus their army was also formidable.
So why hasn't the BBC (which has made great programming like Doctor Who, Luther and Parade's End) haven't commission any 10 part miniseries? We (BBC) could focus on El Alamein and the desert Campaign against Rommel or Slim's 14th Army. We could focus on the 1st Parachute Brigade (Red Devils). If audiences felt like having something "modern, the British Commandos as well as SOE/SAS (i don't know much of the difference, except SAS were in the desert) ) and British Intelligence contributions with the French Resistance would also be able to tell some stories.

So Why hasn't BBC commission any HBO style 10 part miniseries?
Is it because of the Lack of books?

It you could make it happen, which British/ANZAC/Commonwealth unit would you want to eulogized with an awesome 10 part miniseries?

 

Rats of Tobruk.

 

THat would be good, but there's already the Battle Of Britain Movie made in 1969. Dad's Army was a comedy about the home guard. As a colonial, what else would you like to see? I think a remake of Kokoda would be great. My fantasy series would be a Band Of Brothers type miniseries for a british equivalent of Easy Company. Slim's 14th Army come to mind. It had British, ANZAC and Ghurkas. Something to show that the empire sacrificed itself to save freedom.

 

I think i read that 8th Air Force is getting the BOB treatment next isn't it? Would love to see something Commonwealth oriented but i don't see the Beeb having the cash themselves and i don't really see HBO sticking up the cash for a trans-puddle oriented jolly. Hope i'm wrong though.

 

The short answer is no. the BBC will not, because it would not be sale-able in the USA without American heroes.

I think the British Government should fund such a project. Band of Brothers was such a good drama series that it has been used for the last decade by the British Army to train soldiers in the core values of the British Army. While I have every respect for Cap[taion Winters and the boys from, Easy Company I think there is something shameful about adopting some other country's everyman heroes and neglecting one's own.

There are plenty of well sourced accounts of units with every bit a distinguished history.

"The War the Infantry Knew" by Dr J C Dun n is an excellent account of the story of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh Fusiliers from the beginning to the end of the First World War. It has everything: heroes bumblers, war poets. This should have been somewhere in the BBC commemoration of the Centenary of the Great War.

The 9th battalion the Durham Light Infantry would have been a good contender for Band of Brothers treatment. Possibly spanning two world wars. Their WW1 service covers much of the war and the tae of Boy Bradford VC. In WW2 they seem to have been in many of the key battles including the Arras counter attack, Dunkirk, Noerth Africa, Primasole Bridge in Sicily - oh and while the end of Saving private Ryna was fictional, 9 DLI really did fight off swarms of German tanks attacking from three directions at Lingevres, the village they captured on 14 June 1944.

 

Rather the BBC had nothing to do with the actual production, it might then be historically accurate and not just a diatribe against the empire.
I've been waiting for something like this since watching Combat! as a kid. Doubt it will happen though, for the same reason that a lot of re-enactors preferring being GIs; the British Army isn't glamorous enough for them.

 

Would be great if they started now, then they could release it on the centennial 2014. Or maybe even Armistice Day. Maybe ITV could do it, since they do Downton Abbey.

It shouldn't be a diatribe against the empire, but they will make it out to be. The Second World War was the last "finest hour" of the British Empire which was 1/4 of the world's people. India would gain independence after fighting, Australia and Canada would become more independent (though, they were since 1931.) That's why i recommended the Forgotten Fourteenth. It included Australians, British, Ghurkas and Burmese. However, in the new climate (Scottish Independence possibility, EU) an ETO sereis that is more "British Centered" would help give britons a sense of national pride.

 

The BBC has produced two excellent unit histories, one was about Walmington on Sea Home Guard and one on the Royal Artillery Concert Party. We Brits wouldn't like to make one as it could be misconstrued as showing off.

 

That's good. In my view the BBC should make a ww1 and ww2 series. They could go with the Pacific Treatment (have a rotating cast of 3 main characters and a few accomplices) which is ideal if they wanted to find a way to have a character in germany at the end of the war, or the Band Treatment where they follow a whole company, platoon or squad throughout their war.

 

They wont make anything if theres no chance of a love interest...maybe some nurses? I'd love ABC to produce a series around the pacific and the RAAF...island hopping, having to make their own fields and huts...(islander girls too!) A bit like Black Sheep squadron, except Australian...but our trading partners (Japan) would dissaprove... : (
Australians pretty much anywhere...Africa, Crete, Italy, Pacific etc etc...We had a series Z Force about special ops in PNG and islands...Sullivans went from the start of the war, right through to the end...Weirdly, we tend to make far more about WW1 than 2...probably because it was then that we began our own identity apart from the British at that time...

Anything with an Aussie in it is going to be interesting... : )

 

Hahahahahahaha. Thanks pal, i needed a good laugh!

 

Australia was independant since 1901.

The reason "Band of Brothers" works, is that it follows a band of men from the very beginning through several major events of the war in the West. It also tries very hard to stick to the truth.

"The Pacific" was a much less successful story, because of the scope and breadth of the Pacific theatre.

I'd really want to avoid anything on a similar scale. I'd be much more interested in following several 3-part mini-series covering distinct campaigns, and those that participated in them, than try to squeeze out another lengthy epic story.

Part of what made those stories tick, was the number of veterans still alive to share in their own words, their recollections, or whose stories remained in books and writings.

One candidate would be the 2AIF: fighting in Greece, Crete, Egypt, & New Guinea. I don't know how many veterans still survive, and/or how many have written books.

 

Finally someone who remembers "It aint half hot mum"!
"Meet the gang, cause the boys are here...the boys to entertain you! B O.. B O YS...Boys to entertain you!"

 

Discussed this a few times, here & elsewhere.
Sadly, much as I'd love to see a 'Band of Tommies in the Desert' sorta thing, I don't think it'll happen any time soon. The budgets for these HBO things are vast, so the market has to be certain.
I can see a smaller scale local drama or three over the next year with the WW1 centenary (though I'm already getting a bit tired of the WW1 centenary, even though it hasn't happened yet).

 

Any other candidates that are very good? Why not a miniseries on British SOE or SAS. Then you could appeal to all those ww2 buffs and espionage buffs

 

Z Force...The great Jack Thompson...

 

Shuuuutttt upppppppp !!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I am that old.

 

There is a film being made about the Wartime Wanderers - a football team which joins the army. This is great stuff. The Americans make a film about the very best of the US Army all elite paras. The British make a film about the TA Artillery from Bolton!

Here is a piece on the history. Today is the 70th anniversary of the death of Harry Goslin, their leader. . http://www.theobservationpost.com/blog/?p=685



Here is the film website. https://sites.google.com/site/wwfeature/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkNvWOJc_v8

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/10565337.Film_tells_the_story_of_Bolton_Wanderers__war_heroes/

 

Shoulders back, lovely boy. Fine pair of shoulders...show 'em off, show 'em off!