Must see PBS "Carrier"

[Music Joe]

"Carrier" clip (http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/video.php) a 10 hour 10 part PBS special in HD.
April 27 - May 1 at 9-11 p.m. ET. Warm up your digital recorders folks.

Full Episode Page here (http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/full_episodes.htm)

First two parts were interesting enough.

[bikezappa]

It looks very interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks.

[F1nut]

I'm looking forward to that one.

[F1nut]

Ok, I watched all 10 parts. All in all, pretty good, although I felt there was this left wing slant to it at times. Definitely could have done without that crap. Watching the pilots trying to land on a pitching deck was something else. Talk about big brass ones!

A big Thank You to the men and women helping to protect our freedom.

[bobman1235]

Caught most of it (I still have to watch the last four hours, but it's on the DVR so I'll catch it his weekend), thought it was awesome. I can see where F1 is coming from, but I thought they did an OK job of showing both sides (people on the carrier who were for AND against what they were there for). But the rest of it was just engrossing.

[Jstas]

Anybody know if all the episodes are available online? I can't see the website from work anymore, they blocked it due to streaming video. Stupid work. Be more fun!

[bobman1235]

Doesn't look to be available online, though you can buy the DVD from the website.

[Danny Tse]

Did anyone noticed that Mel Gibson was one of the producers?

[F1nut]

Did anyone noticed that Mel Gibson was one of the producers?

No, I didn't. Interesting.

[dkg999]

Good show! I could live without the political aspects/comments, and just focus on the operational excellence and aspects. IMHO entertainment shouldn't include a political message of any kind! Just lots of action and stuff going boom!

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Another example of this was The War, series that wazs on last year. Overall i liked it, lots of good information, but Ken Burns' liberal side came out on that one.

[bobman1235]

Good show! I could live without the political aspects/comments, and just focus on the operational excellence and aspects. IMHO entertainment shouldn't include a political message of any kind! Just lots of action and stuff going boom!

To be fair, any anti-war comments were made by seamen ON the ship. Members of the Navy. There was no external voice-over. So yeah, the editors seem to have focused a bit much on that aspect but at least it was from people qualified to make those comments.

I would love to see a more technical show about the goings-on of the carrier itself (this show was almost solely about the people).

[Music Joe]

Good on ya Mel! Caught his exec producer credit right out of the gate. I have yet to finish the final 4 hrs. I noticed the camera linger on a copy of "The Enemy Within" and Fox News being watched which may betray the film/edit teams bent...or not. I wished for more branching into the strike force and crews. The show dragged for me in places... the drunk Okla/racist, fraternization counseler drunk hookup, Shooter team member with the pregnant gal back home (I hear a 'Dear John' coming like the launch catapult).
Minor pacing nits aside...this is good 'reality TV'. I wince every time I see those brave souls on a pitching deck working near that tailhook cable. And the brave pilots aiming for the same :eek:
I hope the docu-crew has a deeper appreciation of these fine folks daily tightrope walk.

The music and open sea high-def was grand to see.

[toddco]

I liked it and agree that there was the BS political tilt. It was new and modern. Most of this stuff is so old. I think America needs to see more things like this. Most people look down on the Military and need to be more in touch with those that sign their name on the dotted line for God and Country and look at what they do and go through.

[Jstas]

Just for the record, it is available online. I've been watching it all night.

All the episodes are listed on the page that the original link references.

Thanks for nothing bobman, you're a pal!

[obieone]

This was a very neutral documentary, compared to what I'd EXPECTED from PBS.
It showed a lot more than what the public is usually exposed to. One of my beefs with it were, they focused too much on the 'airdales', and not enough on the other departments, like Engineering!!!:mad:
The other thing I didn't like, they showed 'Wog Day'. Civilians shouldn't be privy to military rituals.:cool:

[bobman1235]

Just for the record, it is available online. I've been watching it all night.

All the episodes are listed on the page that the original link references.

Thanks for nothing bobman, you're a pal!

Sorry, I looked and didn't see it :confused::(

[Jstas]

Did anyone noticed that Mel Gibson was one of the producers?

Icon Productions is Mel Gibson's production company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_Productions

I didn't realize that they were the production company behind it until I watched the last episode and let the credits roll all the way out.

[mrbigbluelight]

I haven't seen it yet, but will make it a "Must See".

The carrier I was on for 10 months, the Oriskany (CVA-34), is now sitting on the bottom somewhere off the coast of Florida, attracting fishes.

I'd think it would be hard to film a documentary of a carrier and ignore the private sides of the folks on the boat. Otherwise, IMO, all you have is an info-mercial for a "Join the Navy, See the World".

As I said, I haven't seen it yet but if there is a "liberal" bent on the film, then it probably reflects the views of the sailors below decks from my experience.

I've seen boatswain mates heating up their heroin in spoons in their berthing compartments. I've seen a broken toilet continued to be used by Airdales
(biggest effing slobs on the planet, BTW) until the crap was stacked ABOVE the seat of the toilet. The radomes on the islands make for a nice little home-away-from home; get yourself a nice little compact refrigerator, chaise lounge chairs, and ... ahhhhhh.
When the carriers used to come back from tours of duty in 'Nam, a rock station in San Francisco would broadcast updates on the quality of dope that was coming back on it. Sure, the local gendarmes would swarm the ship with dope-sniffing dogs, but ... pretty easy to hide stuff on a carrier.

Yes, I suppose the film seemed to have a liberal bent to it, but the rednecks on board used to smoke as much dope as the heads.

.... from what I hear.


:rolleyes:



BTW: McCain was flying off the O-boat when he was shot down in Vietnam.

[Music Joe]

Carrier is rerunning regularly on PBS just look for it on your local guides.
On right now in fact :)