Over There

I watched the series from the beginning, and I have to say this was very well done. When I saw the trailers for the series last summer I was afraid it would be another flag waving, mindless exercise in patriotism, but that was not the case. To me, the story seemed unbiased and realistic. The characters were well thought out and diverse enough to demonstrate that conflict draws people in from every part of the world, not just from the scene of the event.

There was just enough mix between the members of the unit in Iraq and their families back home to give everyone a three dimensional view of the story from our own living rooms. The soldiers were not just mindless killing machines, they were human beings doing a job and worrying about the people they left behind all at the same time. Throughout the series, each person battles with their inner selves for various reasons, and these battles clearly demonstrate that the characters are thinkers, not just drones. The story and the characters provide the perfect mechanism to animate the true ugliness and destruction war brings without going overboard. The symbolism used in the series was well thought out and precisely executed right to the end of the series when the GI's douse their fire after finishing a hard day dealing with attacks and incompetent commanders.

This series was a true work of art on Mr. Bochco's part. I was sorry to see it end, but at the same time understood that it could not be continuous because then it would become irrelevant as we viewers became more and more complacent as the time wore on. I hope we see more quality work like this in the future, and I hope other producers who may be tempted to create yet another boring "reality" show should view this series in it's entirety and use it as a model to create more interesting and thought provoking television like this series.

Anyone who hasn't seen this should seriously consider a screening some time in their lives. . .........

This is one of the few shows in a while I've actually looked forward to watching every week. I know it's probably every bit as unrealistic as many military personnel have described here, but it's fiction. It's meant to tell a story, and just like any movie or (non-reality) TV show, it takes plenty of artistic license. I'm in the medical profession and I love "ER." Of course I laugh at how unbelievably inaccurate it usually is, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Additionally, I don't blame the doctors and nurses who act as advisors to the show; they don't produce it and have little more control over the script and special effects than imparting their own knowledge.

I'll definitely continue to watch "Over There."

Interesting that various people have seen this as either right or left wing propaganda, and that some see it as portraying the troops as idiots or wimps while others see it as honoring them. That indicates that some people are seeing their own biases more than what's actually on the screen. The more pre-set their views, the less they appear to like this program.

I'm a retired Marine - served 20 years, enlisted and officer, a lot of it in the infantry and related fields - and I think this is more realistic in its portrayal of the atmosphere and interactions than 90% of films about the military. I dealt with some Sgt. Screams and Lt. Mad Cows in my time, and those characters are believable. The troops strike about the right balance of smarts and immaturity, newbie awkwardness and trained-in automatic competence, for kids new to combat.

This program deserves a wider audience and more seasons.

Over There is an amazingly well acted and thought provoking show. It really brings home the people part of war and what's happening in Iraq. I'm really getting attached to these characters. The casting of this show was well done. I am a new fan of each and every one of these soldiers, although Eric Palladino has always been a favorite of mine. I'm glad to see him in this role, which he is so well suited for. As with anything, I'm sure there are aspects of it that are not completely authentic, but it's close enough to convey the spirit of what takes place in war. I also like the way the show deals with the personal lives of the soldiers, showing the struggles that occur and accelerate when people are separated in this manner.

If anyone wants to see a 2nd Season of "Over There" you should petition the FX NETWORK at (user@fxnetworks.com) or check out the website at (www.fxnetwork.com) and bombard those execs with e-mails people to renew this show & get it back on air NOW!!! Let's be HEARD!!! This show was under exposed and needs to be HEARD for the serving men & woman serving proudly in Iraq and making the ultimate sacrifice. It is sad to see that a show the pays homage to all serving is canceled due to poor viewership. There are no shows like it on TV. Today there are too many "O.C." type shows about a bunch spoiled brats and their life problems on TV and not enough Real Life Modern Day War shows. Come on FX get with the program!!! BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!