Reply With QuoteWas this a repeat? I recall him doing a similar programme on WWII recipients of The Victoria Cross.
I normally find Jeremy Clarkson to be quite annoying, especially in that Top Gear motoring show. But he does have moments when he's very good - and he just had one when he presented The Greatest Raid of all Time about the commando raid on St. Nazaire.
A very good narration and walk around the places involved from Jeremy. Jokey where it was OK to be and serious where it needed to be.
Steve
Was this a repeat? I recall him doing a similar programme on WWII recipients of The Victoria Cross.
No, a different programme. This was a one-off about the St. Nazaire raid (where 5 VCs were awarded. The most in a single action in WWII.)name='DB7']Was this a repeat? I recall him doing a similar programme on WWII recipients of The Victoria Cross.
See Wikipedia for more details. It really was a crazy stunt, but with some very good results - at a high cost.
Steve
I thought it was an excellent programme and although I'm not a fan of Clarkson he did a good job presenting it!name='Steve Crook']I normally find Jeremy Clarkson to be quite annoying, especially in that Top Gear motoring show. But he does have moments when he's very good - and he just had one when he presented The Greatest Raid of all Time about the commando raid on St. Nazaire.
A very good narration and walk around the places involved from Jeremy. Jokey where it was OK to be and serious where it needed to be.
Steve
I was rather surprised at his initial air of surprise,indicating that the raid had been forgotten about.There was a very good documentary on about this some years ago and it is a very famous escapade.i have been to the docks and there is a very good museum on the raid which is just by the U boat pens.
I was surprised at the end that he made no mention of the famous photo of Mick Burns and others being led into captivity.If you look at his hands he is giving the V sign,and not the Churchill Way!
They showed the photo but didn't comment on it.name='orpheum']I was rather surprised at his initial air of surprise,indicating that the raid had been forgotten about.There was a very good documentary on about this some years ago and it is a very famous escapade.i have been to the docks and there is a very good museum on the raid which is just by the U boat pens.
I was surprised at the end that he made no mention of the famous photo of Mick Burns and others being led into captivity.If you look at his hands he is giving the V sign,and not the Churchill Way!
I was also surprised that he hadn't heard of it. But I just put that down to the general lack of education, especially in TV presenters
Steve
I'll keep an eye out for a repeat. I only flicked the telly on for the subsequent The Trap (from the maker of Power of Nightmares) and god it made depressing viewing of a selfish, market-driven society - then New Labour's league tables and targets got a good kicking. No wonder we all become cynical about politics.name='Steve Crook']No, a different programme. This was a one-off about the St. Nazaire raid (where 5 VCs were awarded. The most in a single action in WWII.)
See Wikipedia for more details. It really was a crazy stunt, but with some very good results - at a high cost.
Steve
name='orpheum']I was rather surprised at his initial air of surprise,indicating that the raid had been forgotten about.There was a very good documentary on about this some years ago and it is a very famous escapade.
IIRC The Gift Horse with Trevor Howard must be loosely-based on this raid too.
I don't think I've seen that one. Did they get as far as the raid on the docks or was it just about the struggles with the old American destroyer adopted into the Royal Navy under the Lend Lease scheme?name='DB7']IIRC The Gift Horse with Trevor Howard must be loosely-based on this raid too.
Steve
The Gift Horse is available on DVD. It does feature Sid James as a bar man (where might we have seen that before?), and has a good double act with Bernard Lee and Lord Dickie. And Hugh Williams, James Donald and Robin "Uncle Mort" Bailey.
I'll have to watch it again tonight to see what the outcome was. By the way, the special effects are a bit ropey.
Nick
I see from some other reports on it that Sid James is not only the barman, but he's also the ex-boxer barman! I wonder if they used the same photos of Sid as a boxer behind the bar - the ones that were made for The Small Back Room.name='Nick Dando']The Gift Horse is available on DVD. It does feature Sid James as a bar man (where might we have seen that before?), and has a good double act with Bernard Lee and Lord Dickie. And Hugh Williams, James Donald and Robin "Uncle Mort" Bailey.
I'll have to watch it again tonight to see what the outcome was. By the way, the special effects are a bit ropey.
Nick
Steve
"I see from some other reports on it that Sid James is not only the barman, but he's also the ex-boxer barman! I wonder if they used the same photos of Sid as a boxer behind the bar - the ones that were made for The Small Back Room."
No, I've double-checked this as I was hoping for the same thing.
Nick
I've added some screen grabs at ImageShack.
Small Back Room
Nick
Some from the Gift Horse.
Gift Horse
Nick
More from the Gift Horse.
Nick
Yet more from the Gift Horse.
Nick
And the final one from the Gift Horse with Sid in all his glory.
Nick
name='DB7']IIRC The Gift Horse with Trevor Howard must be loosely-based on this raid too.
The raid was fictionalised in the film Attack on the Iron Coast (1968) although Lloyd Bridges as a Mountbatten figure strains one's credulity.
D.
name='DB7']I'll keep an eye out for a repeat.
The coming Saturday, 8.25 pm.....
I watched the programme,and I was impressed by the laid backness of the veterans,not without humour either. In these days of overpaid footballers,cricketers getting pie eyed,and yobs,they were heroes.
Ta Ta
Marky B
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