***** CONTAINS POSSIBLE MILD SPOILERS *****
CIVVIES is a completely over the top melodrama about some veterans from The British Parachute Regiment who find peace unbearable . It had the potential to be a fairly good drama but the fact that the writer , director , and actors have had no military experience really shines through , the former paras salute a comrade who is arrested and led away to start a probable life sentence . What`s wrong with that ? well the paras are out of uniform and have no head dress . Even someone in the army cadet force can tell you that in The British Army weather in uniform or out never ever salute without head dress . They do it in the American Army though , I know this because I`ve seen lots of Hollywood movies and it`s obvious the military advice for CIVVIES came via Hollywood . The soldiers here are parodies of all those marines found in butch John Wayne films except they talk with British accents , they have drink problems , and are very violent pieces of work in a laughable over the top way . And the violence here is completely over the top . One episode features a fight scene that last several minutes and has to be seen to be believed , no human beings could withstand that type of punishment . Oh and there`s a sub plot about the squaddies tracking down a suspected IRA man who killed six of their mates in a pub bombing and dish out some summary and highly illegal justice . But don`t worry if you dislike vigilantes because what goes around comes around.
Perhaps the best tribute to this laughable series was paid by THE HARRY ENFIELD SHOW which featured a sketch called DIVVIES where half a dozen murderous looking men sit in a pub
First Divvie : I can`t stand it Frank . I`ve got to kill someone
Frank : You don`t kill anyone untill I say you do ( Second Divvy appears and gives Frank a packet of crisps )
Frank :You let me down in Ireland and you let me down here . I ordered you to get cheese and onion and you got salt and vinegar
Second Divvy : Sorry Frank ( Pulls out pistol and sticks it into his own mouth ) I love you Frank ( Pulls trigger and blows his head off )
Does that give you an idea as to whats wrong with CIVVIES ?
CIVVIES is a completely over the top melodrama about some veterans from The British Parachute Regiment who find peace unbearable . It had the potential to be a fairly good drama but the fact that the writer , director , and actors have had no military experience really shines through , the former paras salute a comrade who is arrested and led away to start a probable life sentence . What`s wrong with that ? well the paras are out of uniform and have no head dress . Even someone in the army cadet force can tell you that in The British Army weather in uniform or out never ever salute without head dress . They do it in the American Army though , I know this because I`ve seen lots of Hollywood movies and it`s obvious the military advice for CIVVIES came via Hollywood . The soldiers here are parodies of all those marines found in butch John Wayne films except they talk with British accents , they have drink problems , and are very violent pieces of work in a laughable over the top way . And the violence here is completely over the top . One episode features a fight scene that last several minutes and has to be seen to be believed , no human beings could withstand that type of punishment . Oh and there`s a sub plot about the squaddies tracking down a suspected IRA man who killed six of their mates in a pub bombing and dish out some summary and highly illegal justice . But don`t worry if you dislike vigilantes because what goes around comes around.
Perhaps the best tribute to this laughable series was paid by THE HARRY ENFIELD SHOW which featured a sketch called DIVVIES where half a dozen murderous looking men sit in a pub
First Divvie : I can`t stand it Frank . I`ve got to kill someone
Frank : You don`t kill anyone untill I say you do ( Second Divvy appears and gives Frank a packet of crisps )
Frank :You let me down in Ireland and you let me down here . I ordered you to get cheese and onion and you got salt and vinegar
Second Divvy : Sorry Frank ( Pulls out pistol and sticks it into his own mouth ) I love you Frank ( Pulls trigger and blows his head off )
Does that give you an idea as to whats wrong with CIVVIES ?