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Author Topic: NAM Tour of duty TV series  (Read 2410 times)

Offline tomrommel1

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NAM Tour of duty TV series
« on: November 18, 2019, 10:18:37 AM »
Tour of Duty is an American military drama television series based on events in the Vietnam War, broadcast on CBS. The series ran for three seasons, from September 24, 1987 to April 28, 1990, for a total of 58 one-hour episodes. The show was created by Steve Duncan and L. Travis Clark and produced by Zev Braun.

The show follows an American infantry platoon on a tour of duty during the Vietnam War. It was the first television series to regularly show Americans in combat in Vietnam and was one of several similarly themed series to be produced in the wake of the acclaimed Oliver Stone film Platoon. The series won an Emmy Award in 1988 for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series, and it was nominated again in 1989 and 1990.( From Wikipedia)

Has anyone watched this ? Is it any good?
In hoc signo vinces

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Offline robh

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2019, 10:47:53 AM »
It's a soap opera.  First series was the better, but that is not saying a lot.
Worth having on in the background while painting or modelling but don't dedicate an evening to watching it.

Offline von der Tann

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2019, 11:00:27 AM »
I watched as a kid in the 90s on dutch television. I liked it.
From what I can remember and from US military buddies I know that the uniforms and equipment is basically very accurate.
Not sure about the attitude/behaviour.

BUT the DVD collection has a different soundtrack than the TV broadcast. No more "Paint it black" or other Vietnam-era songs. That makes the DVDs for me "unbuyable".
« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 01:34:33 PM by von der Tann »
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Offline Poiter50

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2019, 11:01:36 AM »
Great music, I have the soundtrack CD.
Cheers,
Poiter50

Offline NickNascati

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2019, 01:21:08 PM »
I found it on YouTube, and watched the first couple episodes.  Yes, the first Thing I noticed was the different soundtrack, no more "Paint It Black".  I recall liking the series when it was on live tv, and thought it was fairly accurate in its portrayal of the war.  I may pick up the DVD set.

Offline tomrommel1

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2019, 03:55:28 PM »
Ok will give it a try

Offline NickNascati

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2019, 04:28:09 PM »
Of course the show was also the vehicle by which the world was introduced to Kim Delaney. :)

Offline AzSteven

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2019, 04:56:17 PM »
Tour of Duty was a pretty decent series, given it was a mainstream network TV show and thus was pretty constrained about what they could and could not do.  Gear was pretty accurate, but the attitudes etc were more a 1990s impression of what 1970 troops thought and said.

There was also a series called China Beach, a drama about a hospital/R&R area in Vietnam, which was truly a soap opera, but still enjoyable.  That one brought us Dana Delany.  So the two Vietnam shows brought us two wonderful Delanys!

Offline Inkpaduta

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2019, 06:22:10 PM »
I could always tell they were filming in California. Never could get into it.

Offline Westfalia Chris

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2019, 06:51:39 PM »
Tour of Duty is an American military drama television series based on events in the Vietnam War, broadcast on CBS. The series ran for three seasons, from September 24, 1987 to April 28, 1990, for a total of 58 one-hour episodes. The show was created by Steve Duncan and L. Travis Clark and produced by Zev Braun.

The show follows an American infantry platoon on a tour of duty during the Vietnam War. It was the first television series to regularly show Americans in combat in Vietnam and was one of several similarly themed series to be produced in the wake of the acclaimed Oliver Stone film Platoon. The series won an Emmy Award in 1988 for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series, and it was nominated again in 1989 and 1990.( From Wikipedia)

Has anyone watched this ? Is it any good?

I watched it on and off during the 1990s and 2000s, when it was shown more or less regularly on RTL2. I recall it as not too bad at all, but visually very much rooted in the 1980s.

It didn't leave that much of an impression to warrant me getting it on DVD. If you can watch it for free (e.g. on TV or as part of a streaming subscription), it's worth a try, though.

Offline Jemima Fawr

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2019, 06:54:45 PM »
We loved it when it first showed in the UK in 1988/89 and would rush home from cadets on a Friday night and dive onto the sofa just as 'Paint it Black' was firing up.  I've not seen it since, so have no idea if it's as good as my hazy memory says it was, though if they've cut all the classic Vietnam-ear music that will probably kill a lot of the atmosphere and enjoyment (I still can't see a Huey without hearing 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' in my head as that would ALWAYS be played when they were riding in one...).  I joined up just as the second series was starting, so never saw the rest of it, as I was too busy training.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 06:56:27 PM by Jemima Fawr »
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Offline ErikB

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2019, 07:03:28 PM »
The look was pretty good but you could tell it was watered down beyond something a veteran would recognize.

I think the actors, crew, and directors were holding back a lot to make it less gripping for dumbed-down prime-time audiences.

Good for the background while painting, though.

Offline Ultravanillasmurf

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2019, 07:13:49 PM »
The sound track varies between DVD sets (some odd rights issues).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_Duty_(TV_series)#Music
Quote
All three seasons that have been released in the United Kingdom feature the complete original soundtrack, including 'Paint It, Black'



I got the above on DVD earlier in the year.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=117745.0
« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 07:22:24 PM by Ultravanillasmurf »

Offline Ultravanillasmurf

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Re: NAM Tour of duty TV series
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2019, 07:29:35 PM »
Some bits have stuck with me.

It will influence my USMC platoon make up (I know TOD was US Army).