Global's The Guard

[Flip]

OK, The Border got panned. the consensus is that it gets a narrowly failing grade.

There another new series to shred, The Guard is a Canadian Coast Guard based show
that seems to focus on personal and institutional disfunction and neurosis.

On the other hand, I'll say again - Canadian shows that depict Canadians in a less
comedic and more dramatic light are a good thing.

Have we seen it? How do we feel? Do we approve? 

 

[FSTO]

OK, The Border got panned. the consensus is that it gets a narrowly failing grade.

There another new series to shred, The Guard is a Canadian Coast Guard based show
that seems to focus on personal and institutional disfunction and neurosis.

On the other hand, I'll say again - Canadian shows that depict Canadians in a less
comedic and more dramatic light are a good thing.

Have we seen it? How do we feel? Do we approve?   

My office mate is in the Coast Guard Reserve so we watched the first episode the other day on the DIN (it is on the MARPAC PAO Website). We had a hoot watching it. Waaaay over the top and all good fun but totally unrealistic.

 

[eurowing]

I suffered thru an episode.  Soap opera drama.  Complete with ex-army guy fresh from rehab due to experiences in Afghanistan. (The boder has ex JTF2 guys, a new CBC theme?)  At least he's getting laid.  Won't waste another hour on it.

 

[Flip]

eurowing,
Of course you will, there's a writers strike on!

It's better than Idol American.  ;D

 

[medaid]

Jebus, this series is at least a tid bit more entertaining then Le Border...

Agreed on all these ex-CF guys theme. I mean jebus, do a little research.. PLEASE... just a little bit... not much...

 

[CougarKing]

Jebus, this series is at least a tid bit more entertaining then Le Border...

Agreed on all these ex-CF guys theme. I mean jebus, do a little research.. PLEASE... just a little bit... not much...

http://www.canada.com/globaltv/globalshows/theguard/index.html

Hmm...David James Elliot who starred as Cdr. Rabb from the "JAG" TV series will be starring as a recurring character in this new show. Though any one character will not necessarily save the show. Hehehe.

 

[CrazyCanuck]

They used the same footage multiple times such as in the opening scene of the second episode. In the first episode the boat is depicted as being in calm waters one minute than a full blown storm the next...

 

[CougarKing]

Jebus, this series is at least a tid bit more entertaining then Le Border...

Entertaining? Admit it...the only reason you keep watching it is because you liked that episode where Teryl Rothery (the lady who stars as Dr. Frasier from "Stargate:SG-1") starred as that barely clothed "naturist" who owned that nudist colony we see in the second episode of this new series!!!!  ;D

 

[CougarKing]

Agreed on all these ex-CF guys theme. I mean jebus, do a little research.. PLEASE... just a little bit... not much...

Alright, having watched the first four episodes of this series from the show website, I just wonder just how unrealistic is it from actual CCG operations as you are implying? As a civilian, I obviously have no idea how they actually do things, but put all the drama from the show aside, it's apparent the producers of the show have the help of the DFO/CCG as well as the DND, since an Aircom Cormorant was featured in the fourth episode.

In the episode, some SAR techs were involved in an exercise/rescue drill with the crew of the CCGS Cape Pacific (the cast of the show), when they had to lift a rescue/practice dummy laid out on a stretcher, from the deck of the cutter, only to see the stretcher dangle from the helicopter since the Caribeaner holding it began to give way.

I also remember in the first episode, one of the main characters named Miro Da Silva- the Duty Captain- had to radio to get permission from his superior to use the winch to haul a survivor wading in the ocean below the CCG BO105 helicopter that Miro was riding. After all, it was mentioned earlier in the episode by Miro's superior named Nori that "only the Air Force has the authority to use the winch". I was thinking- is this really how interaction between the CCG and Aircom actually occurs? Or have the show's technical advisors just not contributed enough? 

???

 

[Old Ranger]

Dr. Frasier from "Stargate:SG-1")

And how many others from SG-1 and Andromeda and other Canadian Sci-fi filmed in BC.

 

[newfin]

I only saw the first episode.  I was hooked on watching it initially because it was centred around the CCG.  Love the CCG.  I wanted to see some ships, helicopters, rescues..that sort of thing.  But it really is just a soap opera with people in governemtn issued uniforms.  Still, I liked it and i hope to catch more episodes.  If i can watch any show that has a Cormorant and "Cape" vessel in it, I'll tune in. I thought it was pretty well done.  But that's coming from a guy who used to sit down with his Dad to watch Beachcombers just to hear the sound of the Persephone's GM straight six diesel.  Beautiful music.

 

[CougarKing]

I only saw the first episode.  I was hooked on watching it initially because it was centred around the CCG.  Love the CCG.  I wanted to see some ships, helicopters, rescues..that sort of thing.  But it really is just a soap opera with people in governemtn issued uniforms.  Still, I liked it and i hope to catch more episodes.  If i can watch any show that has a Cormorant and "Cape" vessel in it, I'll tune in. I thought it was pretty well done.  But that's coming from a guy who used to sit down with his Dad to watch Beachcombers just to hear the sound of the Persephone's GM straight six diesel.  Beautiful music.

Newfin,

You can still watch all 4 episodes online at the ff. link:

http://www.canada.com/globaltv/globalshows/theguard/index.html

That's how I was able to watch them later even when "Jetstream" showed at the same time slot when "The Guard" was also shown.

 

[CougarKing]

Interesting...the last episode (episode 6) of "The Guard" series showed the character Wendell, the ex-CF guy, having a flashback of his time in Afghanistan. It is an unpleasant flashback for Wendell, since he is first shown manning a CF checkpoint along a dirt road, along with some other Canadian Soldiers, somewhere in Afghanistan. I won't describe the rest of the flashback, but if you want to see it yourself, you should watch the "Episode 6, part 3" segment (towards the end of the clip) on the videos section of the website below, where you can watch full episodes of the series.

http://www.canada.com/globaltv/globalshows/theguard/index.html

If anyone else watched the show, I'm just curious on your opinion as to whether the flashback described above in that segment is a realistic portrayal of a troubled CF veteran who fought in Afghanistan.

 

[CougarKing]

The next season of The Guard premieres on Global at 2000 hours PST today.

Although I've been only with the CCG Auxiliary only a year, I was surprised to find something wrong with the show myself, since I saw that the "auxiliarists" in episode 12 of season 1 were only wearing their blue uniforms as they were preparing their vessel and no cruiser suits. No helmets. They had gear vests on instead of lifejackets and these gear vests even seemed empty save for their small radios. No strobe light, no flares, no heliograph, etc.  ???

The recurring character named Wendell, asked to join them and then they readily accepted him, just after asking "You have much Marine experience?", then he replied "I run a whale-watching boat, got my radio operator's and my first aid". One of the Auxiliarists replied "Well come on, Coastie!".

While the minimum requirements for going into the auxiliary were a Pleasure Craft Operators' Certificate (PCOC), an ROC-M (Radio Operator's Certificate-Maritime) and their SFA I (Standard First Aid) certification, my unit wouldn't allow me on the boat, much less on a SAR call, until I had already spent a certain number of hours on the boat and knew the Titan 249XL RHIB inside and out. But in the show, they just take him in just like that.  :

 

[gcclarke]

The recurring character named Wendell, asked to join them and then they readily accepted him, just after asking "You have much Marine experience?", then he replied "I run a whale-watching boat, got my radio operator's and my first aid". One of the Auxiliarists replied "Well come on, Coastie!".

While the minimum requirements for going into the auxiliary were a Pleasure Craft Operators' Certificate (PCOC), an ROC-M (Radio Operator's Certificate-Maritime) and their SFA I (Standard First Aid) certification, my unit wouldn't allow me on the boat, much less on a SAR call, until I had already spent a certain number of hours on the boat and knew the Titan 249XL RHIB inside and out. But in the show, they just take him in just like that.  :

Sheesh, you think that they'd at least use the excuse to do a training montage. Preferably set to some 80's music.