Worth bearing in mind this was a "dramatisation" and not a documentary..it will have therefore suceeded in "entertaining" the masses, whilst failing to inform those who wanted to "understand".
The "rationale" behind using Paras on the streets,was quite simply, they were deployed in the Bde ORBAT (order of battle) and as such were treated as ordinary forces. "Reputation"..ah,that is a different issue!
The SLR was the standard issue personal weapon of the time, its suitability as a "crowd control weapon" is totally irrelevent. The Baton Gun of the time, with a proper rubber bullet!, was about as much use as a Gordon Brown Budget. I do not believe you would want to have stood in open line with a dustbin lid and baseball bat, with Martin McGuiness (circa 1972)and his players running around with Garands, AR 15 and M1 Carbines. Did I see a Mess Webley and a Lee- Enfield .303, flashed around and used in the program?
Do'nt forget..the British Army has been Garrisoned in N.I. since 1921 (Omagh, Armagh, Enniskillen, Belfast. Counting Palestine, Suez, Aden, Borneo, Malaya to mention a few, plus the the previous 4 years of troubles, the British Army had bit more than " precious little experience" in dealing with civil disturbance.
Sorry..felt the record needing putting a little straighter..especially as ITV failed to do it! Feel free to have a go.