Get Some In - The Complete Series [DVD] [1975]

Great classic comedy, highly recommended

John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's 'Get Some In' was one of several military-themed sitcoms inspired by the success of 'Dad's Army'. The main difference being that while the latter was about old men training for combat, the former concerned young men ( teddy boy Jakey, vicar's son Lilley, academic Ken, and Scot Leckie ) conscripted into the R.A.F. in '50's Britain.As someone too young to have experienced National Service, I shuddered at the horrors the conscripts were forced to endure, such as having their boots nailed to the floor ( whilst in them ), cleaning the latrines and made to go on exhausting, cross-country hikes. As well as being verbally abused by Corporal Marsh, one of the most frightening characters to ever appear in a sitcom.'Get Some In' had the ring of truth about it. I expect the reason why it has never been repeated is because of Marsh's homophobic and bigoted attitudes. Ken isn't gay, but Marsh treats him as though he is, while Leckie is so fed up of the Corporal's constant derogatory references to his nationality he even contemplates suicide. Impossible to imagine these things happening in a modern sitcom.But the lads occasionally got their own back. In one episode, Marsh has been stealing coal from the barracks, leaving the conscripts to freeze in the middle of winter, so Leckie coats the anthracite with oil from the armoury. When Marsh next tries to make a fire, the grate blows up in his face. In another, Jakey sabotages one of the supports on Marsh's caravan, causing it to collapse when Marsh climbs into bed with his wife.So popular was the show that when Thames Television announced its cancellation, 'The News Of The World' started a campaign for its return. It was successful; unfortunately, it came back without Robert Lindsay, who had left to take up the role of 'Wolfie' in the B.B.C.'s brilliant 'Citizen Smith'. Future 'Brush Strokes' star Karl Howman replaced him. Talented though he is, Karl just wasn't 'Jakey', and the show suffered as a result.Even so, 'Get Some In!' remains one of I.T.V.'s best '70's sitcoms.

I was too young for National Service but having been in the TA I quickly learned that the regular army was not for me and so, much to everyones surprise, I enlisted into the Royal Air Force and travelled to RAF Bridgnorth for basic training.The programme, although set in the days of National Service, brought back memories, not all of them happy, of my basic and trade training at RAF Bridgnorth and Wellesbourne Mountford, both now closed. Much of the attitude of the regular staff, many of whom had started their careers as National servicemen it having ended in 1960 with the last servicemen leaving in 1963, and basic training reflected that.The programmes brought back the experience of leaving home for the first time, sleeping in a wooden hut, being woken none too gently by the intake corporal at an unearthly hour, and making up those bed blankets and kit on the bed only to find that on returning to change the whole lot had been turned out of the window.The language used was terrible and I doubt if a modern programme could be made given the opportunity of taking offence at the slightest thing and I doubt if modern youth would take what National servicemen and those of us in a less enlightened period took for granted.As a grammar boy who liked classical music I can liken myself to several of the characters, especially Cpl Marsh, and played the first series as soon as it was delivered.A breath of nostalgia and very true to my experiences.

A1 product and service

To quote sub lieutenant Phillips, another Oh Nasty - and what a delightful one. I missed this series when it first came out being in the Merchant Navy and out of the country for many years. However, my father was in the RAF from 1939 until he retired, apart from a few years in `civvy street' in the 1950's and I can asssure all the watchers that the mindless idiocy of National Service was remarkably prescient. Tony Selby as Corporal Marsh reminds me well of all those minor NCO's whose thoughtless actions brought sheer delight to those above and below, yet, in some ways were the essential lynchpins of service life.Sometimes bordering on the inane, yet nevertheless pointing out permanent truths of peacetime service, this series was one of the funniest I have ever watched - and will be rewatched during the winter when all those mindless cookery, antique and home shows are on the television.Sheer delight and a must buy. Finally, real life shout by an army sergeant across the square at a private on two crutches with one leg in plaster, obviously from a break, bellowed at maximum volume, "MARCH, DON'T LIMP YOU LAZY PRIVATE'. Or rather, words to that effect.

Great show but beware that if you are in Australia this DVD won't play because it is UK Region Coded. Ended up having to use a computer program to rip and decode and then put it on a portable hard drive. The whole Region Code is stupid and downright greedy in this day and age. Nobody is making a version of this old show available for Australia. Shows and movies are often now released simultaneously globally so why this archaic coding rubbish?Get Some In is classic sharp Brit comedy from a bygone era. The storyline of young lads of different backgrounds having to do their National Service stint whilst being bullied by the sadistic Corporal Marsh is beautifully nuanced with all the hypocrisy of the British class system. Highly recommend the first four seasons. The last was rather disappointing though. Not all bad but one of the storylines was annoyingly stupid. Also, having the character of Jakey Smith, played by the brilliant Robert Lindsay in the first four seasons, replaced by substandard Karl Howman for the final seven episodes of season five was really jarring. I'll be rewatching this for sure but probably end it at season four.

Amazingly funny show, reminded my grandpa of his time in national service.

How is it that an item bought from Amazon Australia, and I live in Australia, is only for region 2 and cannot be played in Australia, what a waste of $75.