Spearhead

Must correct another reviewer's comment that 'Spearhead was axed after 19 episodes'. Technically that is the case, but only because Southern TV lost its franchise and everything they were making at the time was 'axed' in the same way; it was not just 'Spearhead'.

My memories of the series are that it was an honest attempt to do for the Army what 'Warship' did for the Navy - i.e. to present it in as realistic a manner as possible consistent with the demands of good TV drama and resource limitations. The cast were all excellent and some of them turned in absolutely heart-rending performances.

I suspect this series fell into the legal limbo of rights reversions and contract clauses, otherwise it would be out on DVD by now; shows with far less merit have already been dusted off and re-issued, and I'm sure there would be an audience for this one.

Like the other reviews, I agree that Spearhead was an excellent drama. I had patchy memories of it, at least the first series, since I had not seen it since broadcast and I was 11/12 years old. Thanks to a certain video posting site, I'm going through series 1.

What strikes you is a realism and for something that must have had a degree of Ministry Of Defence cooperation, the often uncompromising subjects. (The vehicles, the kit, some of the facilities possibly too, the way the actors are totally convincing as soldiers, none of the equipment would be 'surplus'. Those Humber 'Pig' armoured vehicles were so vital in Northern Ireland the Army were getting them out of store, buying back from private collectors and even rescuing from scrapyards in the early/mid 70's).

The N.I. set episodes build up tension very well, no mass shoot 'em up here, more often just waiting for something bad to happen.

I also agree that Soldier Soldier was a mere soap compared to Spearhead, I soon gave up on it.

The mid/late 70's had some of the best of British drama, Spearhead included.

I was a 13 when the first series aired...don't remember it...wonder if that's because it was Southern TV production..I lived in Yorkshire so did they perhaps not air it?? Anyhow, stumbled across it Feb 2019 whilst channel-hopping and was hooked straight away! Missed series 1 it seems but I've caught most of series two & now series 3 has just started. I like the characters & the 'realistic' plotlines. Seeing all the old army equipment, and even just observing the overall 'look' of the backgrounds/locations, that late 70's early 80's feel to it. The IRA episode with the squaddie casualty (no spoilers) was pretty shocking. No dvd/blu-ray out Iassume..not seen one..I would buy it for sure

I grew up in the Northern Ireland that this series is set in, so for me it was a real novelty having a television series based in my own country. My local streets were full of Saracens and Pigs and the skies reverberated with the noise of Westland Scouts and Sioux helicopters, and we had these strange men in flak jackets (usually stuck together with black tape) with hugely long rifles, talking in strange accents, running across streets and hiding behind fences. And, of course, being killed. This series did its' best to reflect that; no whys or wherefores, no politics or hand wringing, just men in a situation that for better or worse had found them in a corner of the United Kingdom facing bricks, bombs and bullets. A lot of it reflected what I saw every day, and I'm sure the Barracks life they depicted was familiar to many an old soldier. It wasn't sensationalist, as many programmes made today are, nor did it give a sense of being larger than life. It just was life, every day, warts and all, and all the more real for that. My only gripe is the depiction of the Northern Ireland Police - the RUC - as there are errors in the uniform and equipment depicted, but if you can get hold of a copy - it's available on DVD these days - it's a real nostalgia trip into the pre-mobile phone and Internet era of old cars, dirty streets and dead-end lives. Worth watching.

This was first broadcast in the summer of 1978 and in all honesty I don't recall it lasting three seasons? Spearhead of course was years before the popular Soldier Soldier and did not glamorize the army. It's important to note that in the years soldier,soldier graced the UK screens there was never an easier time to be in the army than between 1992-1997. The fatality rate was low, most casualties were due to training accidents, suicides and killings due to bullying (alledgidly). The military as a whole was reduced to performing global social work, peace keeping (as long as there was peace to be kept) and meals on wheels operations than actually doing any fighting.

I'm not saying that all of the above was a bad thing but in 1978 the army had the unenviable and thankless task of trying to keep the peace in Northern Ireland (where there was no peace to be kept) and during the 70's and 80's a steady stream of soldiers were killed while on active duty in Ulster. Admittedly it was much worse in the early 1970's, but in 1979 the parachute regiment lost 27 soldiers at Warren point in an ambush.

In addition to dodging bullets and road side explosives (now neatly termed IED's, by the Americans) thanks to Britains poor industrial relations at the time some of the other tasks assigned to the army were fire fighting with 1950's equipment and standing in for striking dustmen , not exactly rewarding work! Also, in 1978 army pay was poor and one of the first things that the Thatcher government did in 1980 was to increase the pay of the military.

Spearhead in all honesty probably did not do any thing for army recruitment as, theft within the ranks, desertion (AWOL), marriage problems, riot control and ambushes in Northern Ireland as well as money problems were all highlighted in the first season. It's not surprising that spearhead was axed after 19 episodes nor that it is not remembered; army life was not as nearly easy back then.