SAS: Who Dares Wins

[pingu393]

Ayahuasca said:

N7GTX said:

RDM said:

fiatpower said:

He is just probably very disciplined as those at the top of their game usually are.

Could have a close family member who was military. I notice he is from Newtownards in Northern Ireland where Paddy Mayne (one of the original SAS officers) lived/died. Perhaps he is related in some way.

Oh I hope it’s that! That would be quite the reveal. I’m going to continue watching now in the hope you’re right as I had got to the giving up point.

That could wake the program up a bit. I'm not sure the staff would not know this though with all their military connections and N.I. service. I imagine SAS/SBS (Ant was a sniper) people are a tight knit community. Might break up the monotony predictability of the programs though.

Today's generation of SF could not possibly be expected to know all the relatives of WWII-era SF..... they are special, but not that special!

Paddy Mayne was. He should have been awarded two VCs, but even as a Lt Col, he was too much of a rebel for the establishment to allow it.

[N7GTX]

pingu393 said:

Ayahuasca said:

N7GTX said:

RDM said:

fiatpower said:

He is just probably very disciplined as those at the top of their game usually are.

Could have a close family member who was military. I notice he is from Newtownards in Northern Ireland where Paddy Mayne (one of the original SAS officers) lived/died. Perhaps he is related in some way.

Oh I hope it’s that! That would be quite the reveal. I’m going to continue watching now in the hope you’re right as I had got to the giving up point.

That could wake the program up a bit. I'm not sure the staff would not know this though with all their military connections and N.I. service. I imagine SAS/SBS (Ant was a sniper) people are a tight knit community. Might break up the monotony predictability of the programs though.

Today's generation of SF could not possibly be expected to know all the relatives of WWII-era SF..... they are special, but not that special!

Paddy Mayne was. He should have been awarded two VCs, but even as a Lt Col, he was too much of a rebel for the establishment to allow it.

WWII era? I know Ant and Billy have some grey hair but they are only in their 50s!!! The mole said he had worked with the staff and he seems quite a bit younger, no?

[R56Cooper]

monthefish said:

This series has been softened to such a degree, it's almost unrecognisable from the first series'.

Regular handshakes, hugs from the DS .... "good effort" "well done" etc etc

"are you sure you want to quit" (after contestant takes off armband, then gets a chance to put it back on again and continue - WTF)

The show has been completely ruined.

This is exactly what I noticed! Previous seasons only the finalists got a handshake.

There is definitely a difference in the quality of the recruits. Previously everyone involved was v. fit but a large proportion of the current lot seem to be of average fitness.

[Krupp88]

R56Cooper said:

This is exactly what I noticed! Previous seasons only the finalists got a handshake.

There is definitely a difference in the quality of the recruits. Previously everyone involved was v. fit but a large proportion of the current lot seem to be of average fitness.

Even if the contestants have a good level of fitness this doesn’t always translate well into the type of challenges the show had, certainly the activities in the early series. Smashing it on your Peloton or cross fit may get you ‘fit’ but doesn’t prepare you for moving and carrying weight over difficult terrain in crappy weather.

Each series now seem to have the mandatory women who wants to prove a point to men. Not sure what their participation proves to anyone given that it’s not a realistic representation of selection and if it was they would be virtually guaranteed to fail given IIRC no female has passed p-coy which supposedly is less demanding.

Edited by Krupp88 on Thursday 20th May 15:28

Edited by Krupp88 on Thursday 20th May 15:28

[Mezzanine]

R56Cooper said:

This is exactly what I noticed! Previous seasons only the finalists got a handshake.

There is definitely a difference in the quality of the recruits. Previously everyone involved was v. fit but a large proportion of the current lot seem to be of average fitness.

It’s definitely been pushed into more of a prime time entertainment show now.

It’s still funny watching the hopeless people telling the VT that they are going to ‘smash it’ or ‘push themselves beyond the boundaries’ only to cut to them crying about having wet socks or something.

I suspect they probably couldn’t show half the stuff from the real selection course on TV, I imagine rugby club initiation levels of ‘tests’

[LordHaveMurci]

Krupp88 said:

given IIRC no female has passed p-coy which supposedly is less demanding.

Edited by Krupp88 on Thursday 20th May 15:28

Edited by Krupp88 on Thursday 20th May 15:28

I believe that changed quite recently.

Still agree with your points though.

[Scabutz]

LordHaveMurci said:

Krupp88 said:

given IIRC no female has passed p-coy which supposedly is less demanding.

Edited by Krupp88 on Thursday 20th May 15:28

Edited by Krupp88 on Thursday 20th May 15:28

I believe that changed quite recently.

Still agree with your points though.

https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/...

[lauda]

Mezzanine said:

It’s definitely been pushed into more of a prime time entertainment show now.

It’s still funny watching the hopeless people telling the VT that they are going to ‘smash it’ or ‘push themselves beyond the boundaries’ only to cut to them crying about having wet socks or something.

I suspect they probably couldn’t show half the stuff from the real selection course on TV, I imagine rugby club initiation levels of ‘tests’

I was wondering the other day quite how far they push real recruits in the interrogation phase of selection. Whilst they put the contestants on the tv show through a fair bit of psychological and physical stress, I would imagine they get a bit rougher on the real thing. Let's face it, if you are captured by the enemy (and in the case of special forces that's likely to be behind enemy lines doing something they'd really rather you weren't) and they want information from you, they're probably not going ask that nicely.

[Krupp88]

Scabutz said:

https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/...

Happy to be corrected on that one!

[Krupp88]

lauda said:

I was wondering the other day quite how far they push real recruits in the interrogation phase of selection. Whilst they put the contestants on the tv show through a fair bit of psychological and physical stress, I would imagine they get a bit rougher on the real thing. Let's face it, if you are captured by the enemy (and in the case of special forces that's likely to be behind enemy lines doing something they'd really rather you weren't) and they want information from you, they're probably not going ask that nicely.

There is a documentary series that dates from the mid 1980’s which followed the training for the Royal Marines Artic Warfare cadre. At the end of the last big exercise (covering some immense distance in the snow over the course of a week) they were ‘captured’. However it turned into a full on brawl between the trainees and the capture team and ended up with one them getting smacked in the head with a rifle butt.

Might suggest it to Channel 4.

[Caddyshack]

lauda said:

Mezzanine said:

It’s definitely been pushed into more of a prime time entertainment show now.

It’s still funny watching the hopeless people telling the VT that they are going to ‘smash it’ or ‘push themselves beyond the boundaries’ only to cut to them crying about having wet socks or something.

I suspect they probably couldn’t show half the stuff from the real selection course on TV, I imagine rugby club initiation levels of ‘tests’

I was wondering the other day quite how far they push real recruits in the interrogation phase of selection. Whilst they put the contestants on the tv show through a fair bit of psychological and physical stress, I would imagine they get a bit rougher on the real thing. Let's face it, if you are captured by the enemy (and in the case of special forces that's likely to be behind enemy lines doing something they'd really rather you weren't) and they want information from you, they're probably not going ask that nicely.

I have read in some of the earlier SAS books that the selection escape and evasion phase use Paras to do the hunting and they are on clear instructions to give the recruits a damn good kicking when caught. They are stripped naked and humiliated in front of female interrogators "doesn't look like you could satisfy a woman with that tiny little thing" type stuff.

I do not think what we see on the TV program is anywhere near as extreme as real selection.

[monthefish]

Why was number 20 soaking BEFORE doing the fall into the water?

[Patch1875]

monthefish said:

Why was number 20 soaking BEFORE doing the fall into the water?

Noticed that as well.

The tall girl 21 I think looks like Macauley Culkin

[Mezzanine]

monthefish said:

Why was number 20 soaking BEFORE doing the fall into the water?

No idea.

Presumed she went once and they didn’t catch it properly on camera?

Or someone really finds her attractive and couldn’t control themselves?

Also weird how the other guy decided to walk without any explanation.

It was very X-Factor last night with not much real action.

[andy_s]

Caddyshack said:

I have read in some of the earlier SAS books that the selection escape and evasion phase use Paras to do the hunting and they are on clear instructions to give the recruits a damn good kicking when caught. They are stripped naked and humiliated in front of female interrogators "doesn't look like you could satisfy a woman with that tiny little thing" type stuff.

I do not think what we see on the TV program is anywhere near as extreme as real selection.

RTI isn't quite that bad, interrogators are professionals [JSIW iirc?] and they do have female ones and you do get naked when cold but who cares? It's the game. It does still sift people though, surprisingly, at that stage. Selection isn't really like this prog., no one shouts at you, you do it or you don't. No one minds.
In some ways, this does make it more extreme than the TV, because you're the one shouting at you.
-
I also underwent the same thing with the French, that was a hoot. All of us piss wet through, tied and heaped into a truck after a few days beasting - usual thing. Big Geordie mate of mine pipes up - 'Andy man, I've kept me penknife and got through the ziplocks where are ye?' At that point the truck stops and the flaps drop and we start getting manhandled out. The instructor [big Yugo] said 'I'm checking you - anyone fecking about will be in the Figarella [a river]'. Of course, next thing I hear is 'way-aye man, Andy fer fox ache, help tie me up man'... of course, I do no such thing and next thing I know Big Geordie's getting thrown into the drink and I'm giggling away with a sandbag on my head - I think they thought I'd cracked!

[Caddyshack]

monthefish said:

Why was number 20 soaking BEFORE doing the fall into the water?

A few were. I wonder if the TV asked for it to be done again? Maybe they were made cold first or had some other trial that was not shown.

My friends hotel was on escape to the chateau and she said that they would film her making a bed, then help her unmake it for another take of her making the bed…it could go on for 6-10 times for something as simple as that.

Guy Martin puts it down to the production being "TV wkers"

[thegreenhell]

monthefish said:

Why was number 20 soaking BEFORE doing the fall into the water?

They all had wet clothes, but most of them still had dry hair. I wonder of they gave them a cold bath on the dock beforehand to lessen the initial shock of falling into the cold dark sea.

[Driver101]

I'm struggling to get into this season for some reason.

[N7GTX]

Mezzanine said:

monthefish said:

Why was number 20 soaking BEFORE doing the fall into the water?

No idea.

Presumed she went once and they didn’t catch it properly on camera?

Or someone really finds her attractive and couldn’t control themselves?

Also weird how the other guy decided to walk without any explanation.

It was very X-Factor last night with not much real action.

This is the poorest series for me. It just seems disjointed and the one eyed man leaving, 5 minutes after he was given a good review by the mole, while on parade was bizarre. Several were wet before the back flip so maybe drenched themselves to prevent shock. The sea around Skye is bloody cold. The pretty solicitor was feeling the cold though...

[Chimune]

Perhaps he didn't Appreciate the pirate joke....