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Remembered Today:

BBC2 Scotland 100Days to Victory


Steven Broomfield

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Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but saw this and thought of you.

 

I confess the words 'Docudrama', 'Re-enactments' and 'CGI' send a bit of a shudder, but you never know.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06nzq6s

 

The puff in the Radio Times comments that the programmes show how the Scots, the Canadians and the Australians were the linchpin of victory.51 Highlanders and some Aztecs strike again!

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Radio Times says it's on BBC2 tomorrow week at 2000 so not sure why other parts of the UK need to see it on iPlayer (unless they miss the initial screening)

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1 hour ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Radio Times says it's on BBC2 tomorrow week at 2000 so not sure why other parts of the UK need to see it on iPlayer (unless they miss the initial screening)

For some reason BBC2 Scotland is showing it on Tuesday rather than Thursday so it probably will be on the iPlayer from then.

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Heads up Forum for the start on Thursday (25th) of a 2 part “docudrama” reconstruction of the last few months of the war on BBC2 (UK only I’m afraid)

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if you have sky its on bbc Scotland Tuesday if you cant wait :w00t:

:poppy:

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I'll check if I can record it ... I have the British BBC 1 and 2 in Belgium...

 

M.

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It's on BBC2 Elswhere on Thurdsday, so I'd be interested to hear your opinion of it beforehand.

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Just reporting that the researcher for the programme is an Australian who is a member of this forum. Please see link below to his research posting.

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/252087-tank-battalion/

I think this a great example of how useful the forum is, it is a really incredible resource.

I am looking forward to seeing the first episode on Thursday evening in England. I think it was broadcast is Scotland today but I have been unable to trick iplayer in to show it to me this evening.

 

INW

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11 hours ago, INW said:

Just reporting that the researcher for the programme is an Australian who is a member of this forum. Please see link below to his research posting.

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/252087-tank-battalion/

I think this a great example of how useful the forum is, it is a really incredible resource.

I am looking forward to seeing the first episode on Thursday evening in England. I think it was broadcast is Scotland today but I have been unable to trick iplayer in to show it to me this evening.

 

INW

 

I, too, am looking forward to it, but the Australian researcher point might help to explain why the Radio Times suggests that the Australians and Canadians were pivotal to events.

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Unable to be critical, due to limited specific knowledge on my part, I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. I could quite easily have watched the following three parts.

The Spring Offensive coverage could have been longer. Nevertheless I felt a little bit closer to understanding my grandfather's March 21st predicament as I watched the re-enactments. Normally I tend to skip today's television re-enactments but interestingly the Peter Jackson reworked films in their full colour have in a way supplemented their authenticity.

I think the programme sponsors were Australian, Canadian and Scots. I hope the other three episodes are balanced towards the soldier and not so much on nationality.

Edited by robbie56
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It is, watched it on BBC Catch up last night.

Brian

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Episode 1 is already available on iPlayer. Some very good bits with a range of first-rate experts and it gives an extremely clear account of developing all-arms tactics. However, it suffers the common shortcomings of sometimes hammy battle reconstructions with lots of CGI and largely unconvincing representations of Haig, Monash etc somewhat detracting from the overall effect. It uses first hand accounts well. Because of its funding sources it does give the impression that the victory was achieved entirely by Scots, Canadians and Aussies.

My opinion of Arthur Currie as a commander was not improved when the first episode ended with him dramatically planning the attack on the Hindenburg Line using a map of the Ypres Salient!

Edited by Mark Hone
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Got to admit I had to turn it off after ten minutes. The promotion of Monash and Currie, much as I admire both, was just, as they say, over the top. And was the defence against the Operations Michael and Georgette only fought by the "Scottish 51st Division", the Canadian Motor Machine Gun Battery and the 1st Australian Division? An uninformed viewer might emerge believing that was the case. The history equivalent of muzak.

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Sounds like Sellar and Yeatman must have written the script.

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What a steaming pile of anti-Britsh, anti-General, anti-Intelligent horse manure.

 

Oh ... I've just seen a Mark VIII tank.

 

It's breathless. Calm down, dear.

 

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About 30 minutes in. All I can say is thank goodness for the Canadians and Australians (with a little help from the Scottish 51st Division). They saved Britain and the Empire...... phew! Can’t watch any more.

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20 minutes in . . . .

 . . . . struggling to stay with it.

 

clue;

medal ribbons.

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8 minutes ago, caulkheader said:

20 minutes in . . . .

 . . . . struggling to stay with it.

 

clue;

medal ribbons.

 Haig with a VC ribbon? 

 

Quote

100 Days To Victory is an international co-production involving BBC Scotland, Foxtel Australia and The History Channel in Canada

 

So not surprised at the tone of the documenty.

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No-one said it had to be a balanced presentation, but it seems a bit OTT, no mention of the other allies at all.  Even the tanks have White/Red/White (Canadian?) markings on them.

Can't wait to see the advance on the Hindenberg Line at the Canal du Nord next week, started by the Manchesters and LFs, but the glory will go to the Commonwealth infantry, I expect. :(

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The white/red/white was a Tank Corps thing. Used it certainly up to the Western Desert in Round Two.

 

Presumably it wasn't sexy to mention the role of cavalry on 8th August and the subsequent days. 7th DG capturing a train load of Huns, for example.

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