Soldier Soldier
| Soldier Soldier | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Military drama |
| Created by | Lucy Gannon |
| Starring |
Robson Green Jerome Flynn |
| Opening theme | "Soldier Soldier" |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 82 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Ted Childs (Series 1–5) Jonathan Powell (Series 6–7) |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Central Independent Television |
| Distributor | ITV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 10 June 1991 – 9 December 1997 |
| The King's Own Fusiliers | |
|---|---|
Cap badge of the King's Own Fusiliers
|
|
| Active | 1993- |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role |
Air Assault Infantry (at end of series) |
| Size | One battalion |
| Part of | King's Division |
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion - Aldershot (at end of series) |
| Motto(s) | Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (Shamed Be He Who Thinks Ill Of It) |
| Insignia | |
| Hackle | Blue over White From King's Fusiliers |
Soldier Soldier is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name - "Soldier, soldier will you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum?" - an instrumental version of which was used as its theme music.
Created by Lucy Gannon, produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 10 June 1991 to 9 December 1997. It featured the daily lives of a group of soldiers in 'B' Company, 1st Battalion The King's Fusiliers, a fictional British Army infantry regiment loosely based on the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Set in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, it is a dramatisation of army life in the early to mid-1990s, when the British Army was undergoing significant change. This is perhaps best demonstrated during the third series, around 1994, when a significant number of real regiments were forced into amalgamations with one another due to downsizing of the army. Within the world of Soldier Soldier, the King's Fusiliers are forced to amalgamate with the Cumbrian Regiment, another fictional regiment, becoming the King's Own Fusiliers. At the time Soldier Soldier was broadcast, the fatality rate was low, with most casualties due to training accidents and suicides. The military as a whole was assigned to performing more peacekeeping missions than actually doing any fighting. As a consequence, the show served well to portray the army, despite the domestic problems that could occur, in a fairly good light.
Although many well known and not so well known actors appeared in Soldier Soldier over the period it was broadcast, perhaps the best known are Robson Green and Jerome Flynn, who portrayed Fusilier Dave Tucker and Sergeant Paddy Garvey respectively. It was their performance of "Unchained Melody" in an episode of the 4th series that propelled them to stardom, giving them several number one songs and a best selling album. At the end of the fifth series in 1995, both actors left the show. After a decline in viewing figures (following their departure) 1997 saw the decision to end the drama after seven series.
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