Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6504 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-05-01
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, English, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 575 minutes

Synopsis
Steven Bocho, the Emmy-winning producer responsible for such gritty television programming as 'NYPD Blue' and 'Hill Street Blues', turns his attentions to the conflict in Iraq for his series 'Over There'. A nonpartisan view of the experience of war, the show follows a team of seven American soldiers stationed in Iraq, all of whom are on their first tour of duty, and are reporting to Sergeant Scream (Eric Palladino, 'ER'). The show also examines the effects of war on the families the soldiers have left behind. Avoiding politics in favor of an honest portrait of the war itself, the series is a first in that it addresses a conflict in which the U.S. was still engaged at the time of airing. Newcomer Luke MacFarlane ('Kinsey') shines as Private Dim Murphy, while the two female soldiers, Esmeralda Doublewide Del Rio (Lizette Carrion) and Brenda Mrs. B. Mitchell (Nicki Lynn Aycox) draw attention to a side of war that is often overlooked, than on the home front.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Drama
I watched this show when it was one sky one and what an excellent show it is. It is bascically the story of a group of American soldiers serving in Iraq. What makes this show stand out is that it is not just a flag waving, mindless exercise in patriotism it actually shows the effect of this conflict on both sides. It is quite graphic and has distressing scenes (it was shown by sky at 10pm)
There is just enough of a mix between the members of the unit in Iraq and their families back home to give everyone a three dimensional view of the story.
Disapointingly this was not given a second season (due to poor viewing figures in the US - Yanks don't like it if their not shown winning and in a good light. Don't lets this put you off though, it is a well made and thoughtful series which needs to be shown to a wider audience.

An absolute classic TV experience
Over There-

Let me just start by saying that I am not normally the type of person to get into a TV series; the uncompromised exception to this is with 'Over There', however.

Once you get past the pilot episode and start really getting into it, you'll begin to feel a strong connection with the characters, who are all nuanced and given an essential layer of complexity by the 'home front' scenes; wives, children, husbands and others really deepen those in Iraq. The telephone calls etc. between soldiers and civilians are often poignant, and the civilian scenes make for great interludes between the frankly spectacular 'counter-insurgency' operations. Basically, I was enthralled.

Anothe aspect to this series is that I found it very tasteful; not in the 'politically correct' sense of hiding things, but in the fact that it is neither a patriotic war cry nor an anti-war narrative in the vein of 'Full Metal Jacket'. It simply gives you a better understanding of the fact that these are real people, like you and me, who are risking their lives to pursue certain foreign policy goals- and judging by casualty rates, what can be called a full blown war- whilst still being consistently dramatic and entising to watch.

Don't not buy this because it's set in an 'ongoing war' either- like United 93, this gives a better sense of the humanity in war. I've noticed that reading about news from Iraq has begun to feel more personal.

My one MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR complaint, is that I've heard that there will be no Season 2. This is disastrous, but shouldn't stop you from buying Season 1!

Tremendous stuff - more like this needed
I had not heard of this series and I only bought this because it was done by Steve Bocho whose past series have been very good. He surpassed himself and everyone else with Over There.

This first and apparently only series follows a small squad of infantry in Iraq but cleverly does not just focus on them but those left behind and this helps round out the characters. It does not shy away from the harsh realities of counter insurgency nor the human frailties of those involved. The series is very graphic in places and this might upset some people but for me is stirs a lot of memories of other places.

Some of the stateside scenes must have caused a lot of problems for Over There since it shows the next of kin with warts and all... Also the way the men have to react in contact may have shocked many because otherwise Over There would be continuing with further series. I think some soldiers characters were being left for Series 2 and I feel cheated because it won't happen.

I never thought I'd see a USA series with so little saccharine sweetness and such nitty gritty. I hope this is a turning point for other series because it will pay off in the long run.

Remember this series is meant to illustrate American operations and not British. There is a distinct difference.