Customer Reviews

Danger UXB Set (Volumes 1-5) [VHS]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The setting is England, 1940. A young, newly-commissioned officer arrives at his headquarters. Whatever he may be expecting, it is not to find out that his first appointment is heading up a bomb disposal unit. It is an assignment in which the life expectancy is ten weeks, and the disposal men die at a rate of one per day. When Lieutenant Brian Ash (played superbly by Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited)) realizes that there has been no mistake and that, with no previous knowledge, training or understanding of bombs or bomb defusal, he is to take charge of one of the units, the look on his face is worth a thousand words. I for one certainly felt a shiver go down my spine. You see, as the officer in charge, it will be Ash's duty to physically disable the bombs. The rest of the unit--the sappers, as they're called--are there to do the digging and wood-framing around the bombs so that the officer in charge can access them and so that they can be lifted out and carted away for detonation once they're disarmed.

Produced and written (for the most part) by John Hawkesworth, who is most famous for having brought us both Upstairs Downstairs and The Duchess of Duke Street, Danger UXB is a 1979 production and is an absolutely superb period drama--every bit as good as his two better-known offerings and sure to be enjoyed by those who've enjoyed either of those series. This series, which consists of thirteen 50-minute episodes, revolves around Ash and his unit as they fight the neverending battle of getting rid of unexploded bombs. The Germans actually used to drop bombs that were designed to remain intact upon impact, often until such time as they were tampered with or until a certain amount of time had passed. The British were initially unprepared for such a tactic, and with no instruction manuals, they had little choice but to learn about the types of bombs and how best to defuse them through observation and experimentation and with the aid of a lot of luck. To make matters worse, the Germans kept redesigning the bombs in order to thwart the efforts of the defusers. As a point of interest, over 20,000 UXBs were moved by disposal units during the war.

DVD extras: A 45-minute "History Channel" documentary (an American production) about modern-day bomb disposal units which includes interviews with the men who do the job wherein they share their experiences and reasons for choosing such a high-risk occupation. One nice thing about this DVD set is that the four discs come in extra-skinny cases (half as thick as the usual cases), which makes it much more compact for storage!

In conclusion, this is an intelligently written, superbly acted British suspense-drama (indeed, the suspense is almost unbearable at times!), and the information about the types of bombs and how they work is accurate and informative--so informative that when the series was broadcast in England, a viewer apparently realized that one of his child's toys was in fact a butterfly bomb! This is a series which will of course be of immense interest to fans of the war genre, but the appeal is broad enough that I would highly recommend it to fans of period productions in general or to anyone looking for a good suspense drama. Personally, I debated getting it, as I don't really care for war shows, but I'm glad I took a chance on it, as it's as much about relationships and individuals as it is about the dramatic and suspenseful war-time jobs the men do. With a little of something for everyone, this was a show that both the men and the women in our family thoroughly enjoyed.

Extremely highly recommended!

In 1979, Public Television launched this important look at another set of heroes during the London blitz days of 1940. Much outside of the ordinary, this chilling, tension filled drama unravels with characters from a bomb disposal unit who constantly risked their lives in a learn -as -you- go approach to unexploded bombs. This story follows one unit headed by Lt. Ash,( Anthony Andrews) from his innocent first arrival during the confusion of pre-invasion days to his becoming a veteran of defusing live ordinance.Perhaps the most fascinating feature is the constant introduction of new inventions in order to assist UXB men in their trade. Characters come in and out in dramatic fashion, blowing up attempting to dismantle a type 17 (booby trap) bomb or by fate. We begin to believe that perhaps nothing is going to happen to Lt. Ash until "The Pier" episode is shown, where he becomes the victim of friendly fire. I should mention that all of the stuff that happens beyond Ash receiving the letter from his girfriend ending the relationship is created fiction beyond what Hartley had written in the book. It (the book) being rather short, the screenplay writers developed the characters admirably further on into the war and we are all the better for it. A tremendous series, one of the best ever and is in urgent need of DVD development. Watching this program through to completion will leave you with a feeling that you will never view things in the same way ever again. Very effective!

Although Anthony Andrews is the main charecter of this series, it is the exceptional cast that makes this series both entertaining and worth watching time after time. The entire cast, whether they are seen throughout the series or just in one episode are all exceptional. This series is so well done that I got the feeling that I was right there seeing the bomb being dug out. From the moment newly minted LT Ash discovers that he is in a bomb disposal section and no it is not a voluntary organization to the final destruction of a defused bomb on the heaths outside London, one is captivated by the realism of the situations and the true to life depiction of the men and women. I was stationed in Berlin in the late 70s and Britsh and American bombs were still being dug out of the ground in that city. Seeing bomb disposal in action makes this series much more interesting. This is a series that does much to bring a little known or appreciated aspect of World War II to an audience in the country that never had to go through what the British did in World War II. It is well worth seeing over and over again.

I cant add much more to the glowing praises that this tv series has got. So i will add the DVD details for the 4 disc box set.

# 16:9 Anamorphic

# Dolby Digital 2.0

# Dolby Digital 5.1

Disc 1:

# Dead Man's Shoes (dir. Ferdinand Fairfax)

# Unsung Heroes (dir. Ferdinand Fairfax)

# Just Like A Woman (dir. Roy Ward Baker)

Disc 2:

# Cast Iron Killer (dir. Jeremy Summers)

# The Silver Lining (dir. Henry Herbert)

# The Quiet Weekend (dir. Unknown)

Disc 3:

# Digging Out (dir. Ferdinand Fairfax)

# Bad Company (dir. Ferdinand Fairfax)

# 17 Seconds to Glory (dir. Douglas Camfield)

Disc 4:

# Butterfly Winter (dir. Roy Ward Baker)

# Dead Letter (dir. Simon Langton)

# The Pier (dir. Douglas Camfield)

# With Love from Adolf (dir. Henry Herbert)

for Region 2 only. the extra disc

Disc 5: (Region 2, PAL DVD's only)

# Unexploded Bombs - Original Wartime War Department Training Film (41 mins)

# London Can Take It! - Original Wartime Public Information Film (9 mins)

# Unexploded Bombs - Original Wartime Public Information Film (2 mins)

# Butterfly Bomb - Original Wartime Public Information Film (1.5 mins)

# Weapons of War - Original Wartime Public Information Film (1.5 mins)

# Wartime Picture Gallery

... if anyone cared about content.

The British producers had a fine run of TV serial shows in the 70's and 80's and this is one of the best of a good lot. I have seen it (on video) several times and have not tired of its several excellences.

The atmosphere of wartime England is reproduced with uncanny accuracy, or so says my old Mum who was there (she cannot bear to watch this series because it is "too real"). Against this meticulously recreated background move a startlingly fine ensemble cast, with Anthony Andrews front and centre and at his best.

I rather like Andrews in general but consider this to be his best work. In Lt. Ash he has created one of those deathless characters of film and fiction, a character with its own life and reality. After a couple of viewings of UXB Ash and his fellow-players seemed personally known to me (and well-loved). Even after several viewings I still find the suspense gripping and the sorrows harrowing; this is a series that wears well.

Admittedly the casting and writing lean on timeless British social stereotypes; we have (of course) the hot-tempered, whingeing, nervous Welshman; the shady-entrepreneurial Cockney with little courage but a kindly heart; the upright Geordie, the stoic and efficient Midlands farmer, and so on... right down to the tarty wannabe-middle-class landlady's daughter, the dithering Vicar, the petty shopkeeper, the nicely horsy County aunt. Stereotypes all, yet somehow in this case loving stereotypes, a warm tribute to traditional Britishness and the way of life that the War ended for good -- celebrated here in the very moment of its destruction. Whether it's a video transfer problem or an intentional mannerism, the VHS copy has a warm sepia tone that (for me) subtly underscores the nostalgia.

The acting is first rate throughout, with the possible exception of Judy Geeson who seems sometimes a bit disconnected from her own dialogue. She improves with time, however, and rises to understated tragedy near the end. But the show is stolen by the men of Ash's company: their nattering, grumbling, quarrelsome, inspired dialogue and ensemble acting is what makes this a lasting gem. Splendid character parts come and go; there is scarcely a throwaway line or a background character in the whole show.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves to watch good actors at their best, or whose interest in the history of war goes beyond John Wayne in US propaganda flicks. Try "Land of Hope and Glory" for afters.

I can add little to the superlative reviews here in terms of plot summary or overall evaluation: the individual episodes stand on their own, and the suspense is indeed nerve wracking. I do want to mention a few things about the cast. Anthony Andrews is, of course, superb, exhibiting as Lt. Ash the growth one would expect in a green officer as he becomes an expert at bomb disposal. Ken Kitson is excellent as Corporal Horrocks. The late Jeremy Sinden is superb (and thin) as the toffy, cynical, and kind-hearted Lt. Ivor Rogers. Judy Geeson, as always, is wonderful and beautiful. But the two performances that stay with me are George Innes as the conniving Wilkins and the brilliant Maurice Roëves as the always correct, entirely competent, and fatherly Sergeant Baines. For those two performances alone, this series is worth buying, watching, and re-watching. As is usually the case with a BBC series, the cast is entirely too small to imitate war-time London, but it doesn't matter, because the stories, the sets, and the characters are so compelling. This is television at its best, with action, suspense, and brilliant acting. It's essential viewing. Buy it. You'll not regret it.

Reviewer freelancelot is right on the money - this was a great show when it came out in 1981 - and stands the test of time. A couple of weeks ago on the History Channel there was a show about the real British unexploded bomb squad - and it was like watching the series all over again! Every bomb type that was talked about - was used in Danger UXB. I remember the late great Alistair Cooke who used to introduce all the Masterpiece Theater shows and comment at the end of each show said upon conclusion of the final episode: he chose to read a remark made by Winston Churchill at the end of World War II. I can't remember the quote exactly - but Mr Churchill remarked that he had toured many units during the war and saw many grim faces. But the worst of these were the grim faces of the men of the unexploded bomb squad. Well said. As the current series "Band of Brothers" on HBO realistically defines an American fighting experience, Danger UXB defines a British one. Worth owning, not to be missed.

When compared to the quality of American eforts of the time (1979), UXB is more than impressive.

I originally brought it home from the library, expecting another cheap-looking but well acted BBC production a la "House of Cards." Imagine my suprise to see motion picture-quality production values in a 12-hour miniseries. UXB really doesn't miss a step.

Based on Major AB "Bill" Hartley's memoir "Unexploded Bomb" (out-of-print, not available at Amazon--Alibris has copies), UXB is everything you could hope for--terrific acting, storylines and production values. Just top-notch all around.

Read the PBS info on it at:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/archive/55/55.html

DANGER UXB is still the best WWII Miniseries ever produced by the British. It combines excellent character development with superb narrative development. It is very realistic in its portrayal of romance and drama. No other series in this genre has been as great as Danger UXB.

When compared to the quality of American eforts of the time (1979), UXB is more than impressive.

I originally brought it home from the library, expecting another cheap-looking but well acted BBC production a la "House of Cards." Imagine my suprise to see motion picture-quality production values in a 12-hour miniseries. UXB really doesn't miss a step.

Based on Major AB "Bill" Hartley's memoir "Unexploded Bomb" ... , UXB is everything you could hope for--terrific acting, storylines and production values. Just top-notch all around.

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