Stories of the men of the RAF Hornet Squadron during the early days of World War II.Stories of the men of the RAF Hornet Squadron during the early days of World War II.Stories of the men of the RAF Hornet Squadron during the early days of World War II.
Browse episodes
Featured reviews
10hedehad
I must say I really enjoyed every moment when I watched the whole series after buying the DVD-Box. The Music is beautifully, brilliantly fantastic. The production makes the feeling of a school class where the boys in the group are drawn to certain small gangs within the group. Some of them are really close friends while some seem like sworn enemies. It is so exiting to follow them in their journey from unexperienced boys to become real fighters. They do not really understand the seriousness until they are drawn into real action.
The American (Boid Gains) does a really good job here, I can't understand why he wasn't used more in Hollywood after his brilliant performance in this successful masterpiece of TV production.
Neil Dudgeon is fabulous and why didn't Jeremy Northam and Nathaniel Parker get more of their recognition from Piece of Cake I wonder.
I don't really fancy WW2 war birds and that sort of military stuff but I really loved this mini series. So I suppose you don't have to be a "flyboy freak" to enjoy this mini series.
The American (Boid Gains) does a really good job here, I can't understand why he wasn't used more in Hollywood after his brilliant performance in this successful masterpiece of TV production.
Neil Dudgeon is fabulous and why didn't Jeremy Northam and Nathaniel Parker get more of their recognition from Piece of Cake I wonder.
I don't really fancy WW2 war birds and that sort of military stuff but I really loved this mini series. So I suppose you don't have to be a "flyboy freak" to enjoy this mini series.
10lynzee
Watched on Masterpiece Theatre years ago. Outstanding show. If only I can remember the catchy tune that opened the show each week. A true adventure and tear jerker that everyone can enjoy. This is the kind of show that has made Masterpiece Theatre a staple of PBS.
Forgiving the various historical inaccuracies (Spitfires instead of Hurricanes, aircraft colour schemes, etc) this is a very enjoyable piece of TV.
Though it may be hard to choose one truly great character in the programme, as there are so many, I really have to admire 'Moggy' Cattermole. Moggy gets the best lines, without a doubt, and he is undeniably the one we'd all want to be. Unbelievably charming, absolutely dashing and the definition of wit itself, Moggy steals the show on the ground. But it is the aerial content that I wanted to watch in this - the fight scenes are well done, and the way in which the whole thing is brought together (well explained in a very informative and thought provoking book, 'How They Made.....') is quite remarkable.
Throughly enjoyed over and over on video, too.
Though it may be hard to choose one truly great character in the programme, as there are so many, I really have to admire 'Moggy' Cattermole. Moggy gets the best lines, without a doubt, and he is undeniably the one we'd all want to be. Unbelievably charming, absolutely dashing and the definition of wit itself, Moggy steals the show on the ground. But it is the aerial content that I wanted to watch in this - the fight scenes are well done, and the way in which the whole thing is brought together (well explained in a very informative and thought provoking book, 'How They Made.....') is quite remarkable.
Throughly enjoyed over and over on video, too.
Very good mini-series, but it falls a bit short of the excellent book by Derek Robinson. Air combat sequences are taken from the film "Battle of Britain". The acting is very good across the board, however, I'd like to see some more character development and lines for a few of the characters. See the film, but read the book as well. Also recommended are Derek Robinson's "Hornet's Sting", "Goshawk Squadron", and "A Good Clean Fight".
I recently purchased the DVD set and couldn't wait to begin "the show". I stayed up one night and watched the complete series with no breaks in between discs. I thoroughly enjoyed this series! I also appreciate the time spent by the writers and director to introduce you to the personal lives of the individual of the pilots, friends and wives. By the end of the series I felt that I had begun to know them personally and as a result, shared in the losses and the hurt felt by the surviving kin. I almost felt that I would miss them as well and would now face a time of grief and mourning. Shifting over to the technical side of the production, although aerial combat scenes and special effects have progressed tremendously over the years, I was very pleased with the amount of "air time". Also, as a historical research photographer, I am quite concerned about historical accuracy and authenticity for any "period" type production. And since I am not an expert or authority on a large majority of WWII, much less the RAF, I hope that most of the period clothing, equipment...considering many years have passed...is very close to the "real mccoy." And even if most of the clothing and equipment might not be exactly "period correct", I was pleased to see that the producers and director attempted to focus my attention on the contributions and sacrifices of the brave men who willingly gave of themselves for a cause.
Did you know
- TriviaSpitfires weren't deployed to France in 1939-40. RAF Fighter Command resisted deploying Spitfires in France, preferring to save them for the defense of Britain; Spitfires were used to cover the evacuation at Dunkirk, but they were based in England. In the novel Hornet Squadron flew Hawker Hurricanes. Hurricanes were more numerous in 1939-40 because they were easier to build and cheaper. Because of their greater numbers it is often said that Hurricanes were the mainstay fighter during the Battle of Britain, not the Spitfire; in reality the two types worked in concert, with Hurricanes deployed to attack the bombers while Spitfires were used counter the Luftwaffe's escorting fighters.
- GoofsAll of the Spitfires used had propellers that had 4 blades. During the Battle of Britain (when this series takes place), Spitfires used propellers that had only 3 blades.
- Quotes
Air Commodore Bletchley: Didn't somebody say that war is a nasty business? Quite good for promotion, though.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Story of the Costume Drama: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (2008)
- How many seasons does Piece of Cake have?Powered by Alexa
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content