Civvies

Civvies is an excellent, gripping drama about a groups of ex-paratroopers who leave army life to start a security firm. The 6 parts revolve around the bombing of a pub when they were in Belfast.

Jason Isaacs plays Frank Dillon, a real anti-hero, who has to deal with life in civilian (civvies) clothes.

There are also notable performances by Peter O'Toole and Peter Howitt (from UK TV Show Bread - the first "Joey").

I'm beginning to believe that 1992 could be the nadir of British television. We seemed to have been bombarded with a whole heap of leaden paced anti-establishment "drama" and Civvies is possibly the worst.

There's terrible over-acting from all concerned. Jason Issacs looks more like Prince Barin in "Flash Gordon" and Peter O'Toole isn't an East End gangster. O'Toole is a brilliant actor, the best of his generation and cruelly denied an Oscar but he's no cockney gangster. No one comes across as convincing in any way, and the "action" and fight scenes are so poorly done. Is this from the same country that gave us "The Sweeny", "The Professionals" and "Target"? La Plante's script will have you believe that all ex-army soldiers are psychopathic time bombs waiting to go off in civilian life. The cop show "Between the Lines" stuck the knife in to the police and "Civvies" tries to do the same for the army. TV producers and networks back then just seemed to hate any government organisation and so gave us these shows. Have they forgotten that these people are responsible for saving lives and protecting their safety?

In the early 90s Lynda La Plante was hot property thanks to Prime Suspect and prolific as she is as a write, this was her BBC TV debut as a writer.

La Plante admitted that her research showed that the life of the ex servicemen does not tend to be a happy one with some entering the life of crime, addiction, prison, break up in marriages and so this may not be destined to end up as happy ever after.

The series is about a group of ex-paratroopers who enter the world of private security whilst being tempted by a gangster played by Peter O'Toole with a mock cockney accent to do a shady job.

There are constant flashbacks to a pub explosion in Belfast which has left a legacy behind.

This series was the first time people saw Jason Isaacs and we have a heartfelt performance from Peter Howitt who plays a wounded colleague of the gang.

As a former British soldier (still a British soldier) with active service experience, now a School teacher for over 30 years, I was totally encapsulated on how "Real" this television drama tv series was...very impressed! I hope this TV series shows its viewers how negative and worthless it is by joining the British Army. This is simply based on how true to earth this TV drama portrays. And although I have no regrets in joining the British Army...infact, it was my salvation...because of the British government's manoeuvres in strategy in NOT promoting, nor helping former British soldier's...I would either my powers as a father deter my well educated children from joining the British Army.

So my big brother lent me this on DVD I've never heard or seen it before so looked interesting on the cover but when I started watching it I thought it was a pile of s##t my dad was in the army for along time and he got along just fine in "civvy" street don't waist your time with this one if your ex forces