I had very strong mixed feelings last year when I watched Steven Bochco’s new series, “Over There.” The series was presented as a gritty and realistic portrayal of the young men and women of our Armed Forces as they try to survive day to day in war-torn Iraq. To my knowledge this was the first time a TV series was set in an engagement that was currently happening, which was a bold move on the part of the producers as there are so many people who can easily say whether or not the ‘reality’ of the show is all that real. Not to mention the fact that the very idea that we are even 'over there' is such a divisive subject amongst the American public. One thing I felt was a good move on the part of the producer’s was the lack of ‘politicking’ that went on in the series. After all, whether or not you’re for or against this ‘war’ (for the record I’m against it) you would have to be a heartless jerk not to care about the people losing life and limb because of a job they are being asked to do. Sure they shouldn’t be there in the first place, but it’s not their fault that they are.

Instead, “Over There” focuses its attention squarely on one unit of soldiers and the experiences they have, for better or worse (and in most cases it’s the worse).

The series premiered on FX, which over the last few years has exhibited some tremendous choices in its broadcasting with shows like “The Shield” and “Rescue Me”, and immediately followed it up with a DVD release of that premiere episode a few days later. This is a very unusual move, but certainly a good one from a promotional standpoint. It brought a lot more attention to the series, which might have otherwise been missed. I'm sure that people who picked up that DVD were more likely to keep tuning in (if they found the show to their liking).

Unfortunately, the series didn’t seem to catch on and was summarily cancelled after a scant 13 episodes. I've heard several rumors as to why it was cancelled, the most notorious being simply that the ratings were really low. But I think there might have been more at work there. We all know that the current administration does not want us to know the harsh realities of what is happening to our troops. We are led to believe by the media that everything is hunky-dory, that we are being greeted with open arms and that we are actually winning (as if there is such a thing as 'winning' in a situation like this). Now some may argue that the government doesn’t hide the fact that our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers are dying over there every day. But they sure don’t want us seeing pictures of the casualties, not even their caskets, all lined up and ready to ship home. Through the media they deliver only the reality they want us to see.

So while the series made sure to keep itself apolitical, audiences were shown a dramatization of the realities the government did not ant us to see. I can only make the supposition that the Bush administration frowned upon the series and perhaps even made overtures to bring production to a halt, but it would be nothing more than that… a supposition.

So getting back to the series (and off of my soap box), fox is releasing the its entire 13 episode run on DVD this month. Having been a part of the alleged low ratings by not watching it past the premiere, I made sure to take the time to watch each and every episode and decide for myself if it should have been given a longer lease on life. By the end of the 13th episode my vote definitely swung in its favor. I have to admit I was stunned by it’s in your face violence, most of which came at unexpected moments (much like the reality of the situation), and I applaud the producers for making viewers really feel for these often overlooked men and women. Again, whether or not this is what it’s ‘really like’ over there I cannot say. But you can bet I’m going to be asking some of my veteran friends what they think. The producers also made a good choice in casting relative unknowns as the members of the unit, adding to the realism of the series. If they had put familiar faces in the roles, it would have been much harder to forget that it was only a TV show.

The DVD from Fox includes a very well produced 'Making of' featurette, as well as a look at some of the weapons used in the field. Added to this is some great commentary by both the creators of the series as well as most of the actors involved.

Suffice to say, "Over There" was not an easy show to watch, and I doubt it would have found much if an audience with those who had already lost a loved one. It would be understandably too painful, but it was a show that should have been given a chance to build an audience of free thinking Americans. Being faced with the horror of war, just or otherwise just might have helped in the eventual overthrow of a dictator… and I don’t mean Saddam Hussein.

Episodes:
Pilot
Road Block Duty
The Prisoner
I Want My Toilets
Embedded
It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding
Mission Accomplished
Situation Normal
Spoils of War
Suicide Rain
Orphans
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Follow the Money

Starring: Lizette Carrion, Josh Henderson, Jimmy Pinchak, Keith Robinson, Erik Palladino, Nicki Lynn Aycox
Extras: Optional commentary on 3 episodes, "Tour of Duty: Filming Over There" documentary, "Weapons Debriefing" featurette
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Digital 2.0
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 3/21/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Over There: Season 1 a B+.