Oh dear, I’m feeling very old – it wasn’t like that in my day.

Yes, way too much focus on ‘characters’ like Lambert. I don’t need to eves drop on his phone call to his partner and he even has someone to help him put his whites on for Commander's defaulters! Oh, and that was a very nice ‘interview’, the only things missing was coffee and biscuits FFS!

The ship exists to project our influence and military power beyond the horizon with the Fleet Air Arm. I didn’t see any input from aircrew, maintainers or the briefing room.

It might improve but it looks to me like an audition for a future reality show.

Agreed. Far too much fecking aromatherapy. And you can’t speak too harshly to Jack these days as he / she/ they might cry.
As to our AB Chef legend in his own standeasy, agreed, far too much exposure; whatever Essex trailer Park he was dragged out of is missing its coke dealer.
Frankly turning up 6 hours adrift under sailing orders would have had him polishing galvanized buckets with brick dust back in the day in some fairly average accommodation in Pompey; and he’d have been better for it. Instead did nothing but whinge about not being on Queens’ Divisions, his rig, which, frankly, he should be proud to wear, and his non existent punishment. Combine that with non combatant female sailors, and the vicar of Dibley. ROMFT.
Great shame as Chris Terrill ( the oldest man and civvy to complete the All Arms course) has made some great documentaries in the past.

I thought there might be explanation as to why US Marine F-35s were on board....presumably because we don't have enough ourselves...

We don’t have enough bodies nor aircraft to provide an air group. Hence US marines and RAF personnel embarks. By the same token if both carriers are manned ( and they are designed for minimal manning hence the **** show when any sort of damage control is required, such as fire in a trash compactor space ) then they can’t man the ‘45’s that are meant to defend them.

The Ch5 programme has a better balance. This film maker, Chris Terrell, seems to like the ‘let’s show everyone as a character’ approach as I remember it from other series of his.

But, as I said earlier, I’m not the target audience so as long as it hit the mark with that demographic, who am I to comment?

It depends if you paid your licence fee! Tick in the box, dog in the fight, say I.

Similar to the previous programmes on Ark Royal and QE, where they focussed on various people at different roles within the ship?

Fair play to Lambert, his comments about everyone just enjoying the moment on the flight deck during Maintenance Day made me warm to him. But the Master-At-Arms needs a rocket for not calling “STOP!!” when Lambert marched out with his hat on back-to-front!

Nice to hear Jackspeak in full flow. Can some ex-Senior Service remind me of the old “ditching stations” pipe?

It's inevitable that the media are going to pick characters to single out for entertainment. AB Lambert must have been seen as a gift from the gods to the producer. A cheeky chappy, from Essex, no less, with a gift for playing to the camera. Likewise the contrasting guy on the bridge with the plummy accent. May have been the biggest dick on earth but he highlighted the "salt of the earth" character of AB Lambert.

Commanders Desk seems to have been toned down from years ago, but my view was that the penalty was fair. The programme played up AB Lambert being adrift, without actually saying whether or not he'd caused a real delay to the ship sailing (I'm near-certain he didn't).

I did watch the programme with a copy of Rick Jolly's book to hand. Used it as a decode handbook. Met Rick Jolly once. years ago. One of the nicest blokes I've ever met. Like all the best blokes (even those in the wrong service) his life was cut too short. He's one bloke I'd have loved to have known better.

Like it or loathe it service life has changed and adapted with society. Personally I was dead impressed with the way the RN have reshaped life at sea to fit with today's society. Bloody good show, from what I've seen so far.

I quite enjoyed it, I thought it interesting that the Commodore and the Commander were on the programme, but no Captain speaking. The episode with the F35 ejecting will be interesting to hear what the initial thoughts were.

The Commander at the time of filming is now the ship's Captain.

I suppose it has to be mostly about personalities. I would like to know what exactly the ship and its aircraft can do, and how exactly it would react to real threats. Short of signing up for the Navy, I am never going to learn that.

Oh yes it was! Go and have a look see at the 1976 Sailing Ark Royal documentary. It is packed full of complaining and whinging lower ranks, drunkenness, awol charges, and focus on a few interesting characters.

Anyone who thinks that the lower ranks having a bit of a moan is anything new does simply not understand the British military, or is suffering from a serious case of rose tinted glasses affecting memory.

I thought it showed the RN in a very positive light in terms of personality and especially in terms if a terrific capability once the aircraft numbers and weapons have been sorted out.

The RAF presence is nothing whatsoever to do with a shortage of personnel. The Lightning is a joint force, 617 squadron is a Royal Air Force squadron, and the RN members are part of a RAF squadron.

Spot on. Anyone in any doubt go and spend time on ARRSE: https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/

Been a haven for whingers for years, often with a lot of justification.

Not the case.

Good point, although I would like to think that Captain Angus Essenhigh (son of a former First Sea Lord) will make some appearances. One Captain, namely Captain James Blackmore, a former Sea Harrier pilot, did make a brief first appearance as CAG, a rank up on previous Commanders Air and presumably to match US Navy CAGs and the senior USMC office on board QUEEN ELIZABETH. Incidentally, Commodore Steve Moorhouse is a former commanding officer of the ship, having had a pierhead jump from CO (Desig) of PRINCE OF WALES to replace Captain Nick Cooke-Priest when the latter had a little car trouble.

Jack

I recall the on-camera de-brief was along the lines of 'Well, you got there in the end, well done'. I also recall reading the off camera debrief was a little more robust....

The series last year from onboard a Type 45 came closer. Although filmed before Russia started it's war with Ukraine, there were obvious signs that Russia was already an aggressor. The tension as they tracked a Russian boat on its way to interfere with a major arctic subsea data cable was palpable. Made all the more real by the Russian boat colliding with the Type 45's towed sonar array and rendering it inop. Not knowing anything at all about ASW I found the way they showed the hunt compelling viewing.

The guy who made this series of programmes, (this being the first) also made an excellent series of programmes about todays Royal Marines. It focused on people but also the challenges they encountered in the quest for the Green Beret. He also followed them in Afghanistan.
Incidentally the guy at the age of 55 went on to win the much coveted Green Beret. How many of us could even contemplate doing that?
I get the comparisons with that 1970, Sailor and the sentimentality that goes with it, but we are 50 years on, and by the way why not make serious judgements as the series moves along.