IMDb > "Mail Call" (2002)

"Mail Call" (2002) More at IMDbPro »TV series 2002-????

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"Mail Call" (2002): Season 3: Episode 1 -- How do we train our military pilots? How did the U.S. manage to pull off the daring Doolittle Raid against the Japanese during World War Two? What kind of radios does the military use in the field these days?
"Mail Call" (2002): Season 3: Episode 1 -- What can you tell me about the Avenger air defense system? How are military firefighters trained differently than their civilian counter-parts. What does the Kiowa scout helicopter do on the battlefield?
"Mail Call" (2002): Season 3: Episode 1 -- What's it like to take a ride in an F-15? Why was the Army launching all kinds of missiles in the 1940s and 50s? Which WWII sub-machine gun is better, the American Tommy Gun or the German Burp Gun?
"Mail Call" (2002): Season 3: Episode 1 -- What can you tell me about the WW2 armored vehicles they call half tracks? Does the Navy have hydrofoils in their fleet and how fast can they go? What do Air Force combat controllers do?
"Mail Call" (2002): Season 3: Episode 1 -- What does rocket propelled artillery mean? What is the biggest artillery gun ever used in combat? What is the latest in tent technology?

Overview

User Rating:
8.7/10   65 votes
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Contact:
View company contact information for Mail Call on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | unknown full episode list
Release Date:
5 August 2002 (USA) more
Genre:
Documentary | Comedy | History | War more
Tagline:
What do you want to know?? more
Plot:
Former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant R. Lee Ermey answers viewers' questions about military technology. full summary
Plot Keywords:
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NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
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User Reviews:
Good military knowledge, well-presented. more (8 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 1 of 2)

R. Lee Ermey ... Himself - Host (28 episodes, 2002-2005)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
30 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Company:
Digital Ranch more

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
R. Lee Ermey: Watermelon, you will die! more

FAQ

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful.
Good military knowledge, well-presented., 11 February 2003
Author: Haradrim from Far Harad

R. Lee pulls of a great program in terms of both historical relevance and his own inimitable humor and style. The show, surprisingly, doesn't focus merely on machine guns and guided missiles, but digs back into important - yet rarely considered - military equipment, personnel and history. When I first heard about "Mail Call", I was afraid that the History Channel would reign in the R. Lee Ermey we all know and love through characters such as Gunnery Sgt. Hartmann in Full Metal Jacket.

Far from it, Ermey acts just as irascable and tough-as-nails here as he does in any of his roles. Sometimes, the jokes are a little stiff, but overall everything seems to work well, and I must admit I do smile when he answers questions from younger viewers with all the patience and kindness of a first-grade teacher. (Please, no-one ever tell him I wrote that!)

If the show has any shortcomings, it's that it's only 30 minutes long. To dig into the real history behind some of the events, innovations and deeds he discusses would be far better served by an hour-long program instead of crammed down into a half of that time.

Overall, if you're tired of "blah" historical documentaries and watching the same grainy footage over and over, as punctuated by the droning voice of an unknown narrator when it comes to military historical shows, shut your piehole, stand tall before the TV and watch some "Mail Call", scumbag!

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