Soldier Soldier

I enjoyed this series very much! It had it all - drama and fun! The character were not at all stupid and the story line were good to very good... It was in fact even more than 'just showing army life' it was about people living together - having their good and bad moments. No character was totally evil and no character was totally good. They were just humans making the best of it for themselves - often dealing with difficult situations.

Although it was about the army (British army) - it was never an over the top and it never made them look bigger than live. It were - as we call them overhere - Tommies soldiering on... all right, sometimes they made a muddle of it. But they did their best and that resulted often in a good outcome! It also didn't shy away of the 'darker side' of army life. It wasn't afraid to deal with issues of soldiers who couldn't deal with the stress of their job. And that made a nice balance. But what I loved most about it was 'it's British-ness' - their so typical sense of humor to tackle difficult things, their great feeling of reality, being able to look at themselves in a realistic way often amiss in other army series/movies. And to be honest about themselves. And this made this series enjoyable to watch - even if you were non-British living on the otherside of the 'pond' as it were! My ancestors lived for four years with the British army - in the mud and dirt of Flanders Fields - and the stories they told us the younger ones co inside with the way this series shows British soldiers. I can understand that the UK is proud of them - despite they are not perfect! Or perhaps just because of that!?! If you ever come across this series on video or DVD - do watch it! I'm sure you will have many hours of pleasure watching them dealing with day to day life in the army...

I liked this programme I used to watch it with my mum and dad I not really sure if he liked it those probably thought it was more amusing then anything being that he was a serving soldier at the time and a S.n.c.o. The soldiers.

Soldier Soldier was truly an excellent drama series for its time. It is a pretty accurate portrayal of Army life. I can say this from certain as I have 13 years of personal experience. At the time Soldier Soldier began showing on ITV and the BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service), my Dad was in the British Army and we were living on camp with him in Germany.

The series really hit home for us as our family was precisely like the families you see in the series. Wifes and Children following the Soldier from posting to posting, sometimes separated for long periods due to exercises or overseas action.

The community spirit and the bonding together to help that the series depicts between the soldiers wife's and offspring is true to life.

The depiction of British life in Germany was spot on. Again, from direct personal experience, I can tell you there was and still is a microcosm of British culture in Germany around Military installations and their surrounding towns. Its different to Mainland UK life, yet recognisable. A new Army wife was able to quickly fit in and I guess its still the same today. Soldier Soldier brought this culture to the TV screen.

Dad would often tell me that every regiment and squadron had characters like Tucker and Garvy. General jokers and mischief makers. There was also always an officer that was a hard ass and thought he knew it all. Then you had the compassionate and the down to earth types. And of course, the people you'd rightly give your right arm for to help them. Soldier Soldier successfully depicted the whole spectrum of these kinds of characters, the bonding that occurs between Soldiers and the way that Squaddie mates will do just about anything to help one of their own. Likewise the families attached to them.

As with any program, there were a few moments where there were differences between reality and what was on the show, but one has to allow for some artistic and dramatic licence, or else you might as well call it a documentary.

I miss Soldier Soldier, above all, I miss the life it depicts, for despite the downs, the ups were far more numerous and the life was good.

I have never served in the Army. However, a good friend of mine was an NCO in the army and he tells me that this series was the most accurate portrayal of army life he had ever seen. I trust his word entirely.

The series was good. There were not many over the top battles or anything like that in the series. There was an occasional foray into the battle zone but most of the episodes dealt with the officers personal lives, their relationships and their feelings about modern army life. Other episodes featured truly entertaining training exercises. There were a fair few moral dilemmas in the series as well. In season 2 a character by the name of Major Cochrane was accused of assault whilst in Hong Kong. The episode dealt with his feelings towards the accusation and his attempts to sort out the mess he was in.

There were some good episodes full of action. In another season 2 episode Lieutenant Colonel Fortune was involved in a helicopter crash and that episode was entertaining. Some of the episodes featuring action were a little bit over the top but enjoyable all the same.

The actors did a good job throughout this series. Miles Anderson did a good job as Lt. Col. Fortune in the first and second series and he was one of my favourite characters in the whole series. A lot of the other actors and actresses did a good job and were very convincing in their roles.

Highly recommended. I wish this series was still going on.

A very good representation of Army life, obviously well researched. I feel all characters are well represented with good actors playing appropriate characters. Because it is a series you can watch as much or little or as much as you like but i find you can't stop watching all of it, and you will return for more. Perhaps I'm biased because I watched the original series on TV. I find that despite being made in 1991 none of the series is outdated (apart from the slothing :-) ) The story lines are thought provoking, for example in the first episode you see an Irish Lady who comments about the British Soldiers being sick of Ireland with a reply saying that they only do six months and you should try having two sons on opposite sides of the divide. It portrays family life very well not just the highs but the low points also. It lets you make your own mind up about army life. COming from a military family I feel Lucy Gannon has it spot on.