BBC drama taking fire from Paras
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Your support makes all the difference.THE BBC is under fire from the paratroops over a drama series, starting on BBC 1 tonight, which tells the story of the problems professional soldiers face adjusting to civilian life.
The Army and the Ministry of Defence say it portrays soldiers as maladjusted misfits released into society with no preparation or help. They also argue that it is riddled with glaring mistakes.
The new six-part series, Civvies, is written by Lynda La Plante, whose previous credits include Prime Suspect and Widows.
The Parachute Regiment's Colonel Commandant, Lieutenant General Sir Michael Gray, has written to the BBC's Director General, Sir Michael Checkland, listing up to 50 inaccuracies in the book linked with the series which examines the problems faced by two long-serving paratroopers when they return to civilian life, particularly in finding work.
Ms La Plante says she has interviewed 80 former paratroopers, some in prison for minor offences. The BBC said Civvies was not a documentary but a fictional drama series. 'We are not making a PR film for the Army,' a spokesman said.
In his letter of 11 September, Lt-Gen Gray said the story was 'quite unrepresentative of the real situation. The story belittles and will demoralise the very soldiers Lynda La Plante claims to be fighting for.'
'I accept that the story is fictional but by innuendo it reflects much that is objectionable to a soldier and is grossly inaccurate. I am aware that a synopsis was submitted to the Ministry of Defence who refused to have anything to do with the series. Having now read the book I can see why they were so reluctant.'
The ministry recently launched an initiative, Access to Excellence, aiming to persuade employers to recruit people from 'the best trained workforce in Britain'. Under defence cuts, about 40,000 personnel are due to leave the Army.
Lt-Gen Gray has not seen the series but bases his criticisms on the book. The BBC said yesterday: 'We had a military adviser on the programme and we have gone to some lengths to check the accuracy. I wouldn't be surprised if Lynda La Plante's view of the Army's dilemma differed from that of the MoD.'
Many of Lt-Gen Gray's criticisms concern details of the portrayal of military operations in Northern Ireland, and inaccuracies that any new recruit would recognise. In the book and the series a soldier attempts to salute in civilian clothes, which he would not do.
The BBC responded that the scene shows a mentally unbalanced soldier cornered after a murder.
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