bobdina
08-25-2010, 12:08 PM
August 25, 2010
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan
Actors playing troops on TV shows normally get up and dust themselves off after the fake explosions die off and the directors yell "cut." But "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan" isn't fake; it's a reality show inspired by the movie "The Hurt Locker" and it's about to bring a war that's claimed more than 1,000 American lives into a living room near you -- courtesy of the U.S. Navy and G4, a subsidiary of Comcast and leader in computer gaming.
While the Navy certainly green-lighted the show based on its potential to highlight the courage and skills of dedicated Sailors, it's not likely everyone is going to see it that way.
Cameras and crew will follow a Navy explosive ordnance disposal team from their training in the U.S. to the Afghan theater, G4 said in an announcement. The show is scheduled for the spring TV line-up.
The Navy acknowledged it has been working for some time with the G4 production company to develop "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan," but was not able to provide Military.com with any details beyond that.
According to the G4 press release, viewers will actually "get to know members of the EOD team as individuals," at home and during the deployment.
"Camera crews will be fully embedded in the operations of the featured EOD Mobile Unit platoon, providing G4 viewers with an insider's look at this world that has never been seen before," the G4 statement said. "While one day's patrol could result in the successful disarmament of a 50-pound roadside bomb via remote-controlled robot, another could put an EOD tech wearing a 70-pound protective bomb suit in direct contact with a potentially deadly IED."
The announcement avoided any details surrounding how the show intends to deal with possible EOD casualties, and a G4 spokeswoman told Military.com that she did not know how the company would handle those situations.
G4 President Neal Tiles was quoted in the release as saying "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan" will be "a rare opportunity to showcase the work of the courageous men and women on the front lines … G4 viewers will see these real-life heroes putting their lives on the line as they go through what, for them, is just another day at the office."
A retired Army EOD officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Military.com that he sees no benefit in the show.
"I've had friends killed over there," the officer said. "It's like entertainment [what the show is doing]. I know why the Navy is doing it -- for recruiting."
The former EOD officer, who asked not to be named because he works in federal government, said it's obvious the show is building on the appeal of "The Hurt Locker," which last year won an Academy Award. The movie, he said, "was pretty good up front, but there were plenty of things the character was doing that would have got him relieved for being an idiot" in a real unit.
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan
Actors playing troops on TV shows normally get up and dust themselves off after the fake explosions die off and the directors yell "cut." But "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan" isn't fake; it's a reality show inspired by the movie "The Hurt Locker" and it's about to bring a war that's claimed more than 1,000 American lives into a living room near you -- courtesy of the U.S. Navy and G4, a subsidiary of Comcast and leader in computer gaming.
While the Navy certainly green-lighted the show based on its potential to highlight the courage and skills of dedicated Sailors, it's not likely everyone is going to see it that way.
Cameras and crew will follow a Navy explosive ordnance disposal team from their training in the U.S. to the Afghan theater, G4 said in an announcement. The show is scheduled for the spring TV line-up.
The Navy acknowledged it has been working for some time with the G4 production company to develop "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan," but was not able to provide Military.com with any details beyond that.
According to the G4 press release, viewers will actually "get to know members of the EOD team as individuals," at home and during the deployment.
"Camera crews will be fully embedded in the operations of the featured EOD Mobile Unit platoon, providing G4 viewers with an insider's look at this world that has never been seen before," the G4 statement said. "While one day's patrol could result in the successful disarmament of a 50-pound roadside bomb via remote-controlled robot, another could put an EOD tech wearing a 70-pound protective bomb suit in direct contact with a potentially deadly IED."
The announcement avoided any details surrounding how the show intends to deal with possible EOD casualties, and a G4 spokeswoman told Military.com that she did not know how the company would handle those situations.
G4 President Neal Tiles was quoted in the release as saying "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan" will be "a rare opportunity to showcase the work of the courageous men and women on the front lines … G4 viewers will see these real-life heroes putting their lives on the line as they go through what, for them, is just another day at the office."
A retired Army EOD officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Military.com that he sees no benefit in the show.
"I've had friends killed over there," the officer said. "It's like entertainment [what the show is doing]. I know why the Navy is doing it -- for recruiting."
The former EOD officer, who asked not to be named because he works in federal government, said it's obvious the show is building on the appeal of "The Hurt Locker," which last year won an Academy Award. The movie, he said, "was pretty good up front, but there were plenty of things the character was doing that would have got him relieved for being an idiot" in a real unit.