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''Ultimate Force'' is a British television
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...
that was shown on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, which deals with the activities of Red
Troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...
of the SAS (
Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
). The first episode was broadcast on 16 September 2002, and a total of four series were produced. The series starred
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...
as central character
Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administrative, supervi ...
Henry 'Henno' Garvie. The show was initially described as a star vehicle for Kemp, who had been lured away from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
to ITV with a multimillion-pound contract. Kemp appeared in every episode of the four series. The series was co-created by
Chris Ryan Colin Armstrong (born 1961), usually known by the pseudonym and pen-name of Chris Ryan, is an author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant. After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNa ...
, a former British SAS soldier who was a member of the famous
Bravo Two Zero Bravo Two Zero was the call sign of an eight-man British Army Special Air Service (SAS) patrol, deployed into Iraq during the First Gulf War in January 1991. According to Chris Ryan's account, the patrol was given the task of gathering intelli ...
patrol during the 1991
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
.Ultimate Force Introduction.
Retrieved on 1 January 2008. The series was produced by Bentley Productions.ALL3MEDIA International Press Release on 7 February 2005.
Retrieved on 1 January 2008.


Background

As well as his behind the scenes role, creator
Chris Ryan Colin Armstrong (born 1961), usually known by the pseudonym and pen-name of Chris Ryan, is an author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant. After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNa ...
appeared in the first series of the show playing Blue Troop leader Johnny Bell. A number of the cast featuring in the first two series did not return to appear in the third series, resulting in a change of characters. Domestically, the change of format seemed to produce diminishing returns for ITV. The third series was abruptly taken off air by the network midway through the run, only to return a few weeks later. The show was then moved to Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. A similar fate awaited series four, which was pulled after just two episodes. The three remaining episodes of the fourth series were not originally shown on ITV, but shown on
ITV4 ITV4 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The channel h ...
, in January and February 2007. ITV showed the remaining three episodes of the series over a year later, starting on 18 May 2008. The DVD of the fourth series had previously been released on 25 September 2006. ITV then announced there would not be a fifth series, partially due to low ratings—hence the cutting of series three and four midway through their runs—whilst many of the stars moved onto other projects.
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...
went on to host a series of documentaries following the progress of
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
troops in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, whilst both
Sam Callis Samuel Charles Callis (born 21 November 1973 in Ely, Cambridgeshire) is an English actor and director, best known for his role as Callum Stone in ''The Bill'' and Adam Benjamin in '' London's Burning''. Biography Callis grew up in Haslemere, Sur ...
and Christopher Fox joined ITV's police serial drama ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...
''. Notably, a large number of plotlines throughout the series were left unanswered: most notably, the killing of Iain Macalwain by Henno, the conflict in Pete Twamley's marriage, and the murder of Jamie Dow's step dad, who is hinted to have been killed by Ricky Mann. DVD sales of the first two series resulted in more than £700,000 of revenue by the arrival of the third series, with both regular and limited edition sets making the top ten of the television sales charts. The series has also been aired in 120 countries, ranging from Europe to Southeast Asia.ALL3Media International Press Release on September 2004
Retrieved on 1 January 2008.


Cast


Red Troop

*
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...
as Staff Sergeant Henry-George 'Henno' Garvie; Red Troop
SNCO A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
and the only character to appear in every episode. * Christopher Fox as Corporal Louis Hoffman (Series 1, Episode 3; Series 2–4); passes selection in Episode 3 of Series 1, and becomes a main character from Series 2 onwards. *
Jamie Draven Jamie Draven (born Jamie Donnelly on 14 May 1978) is an English actor whose career in films and television began in 1998. One of his early notable parts was as Billy's bullying older brother, Tony, in the hit 2000 film ''Billy Elliot'' and as J ...
as Trooper Jamie Dow (Series 1–2); K.I.A. at the start of Series 3. Draven did not return for Series 3, a body double was used for the death scene. *
Tony Curran Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in '' Underworld: Evolution'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Roots'', and the Netflix historical epic ''Outlaw King''. He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) as Bor ...
as Corporal/Sergeant Pete Twamley (Series 1–2); K.I.A. at the start of Series 3. Curran did not return for Series 3, a body double was used for the death scene. *
Danny Sapani Danny Sapani (born 15 November 1970) is a British actor who works in British, American, and Indian films. He is best known for appearing in ''Misfits'', '' Doctor Who'', ''Penny Dreadful'', ''The Crown'', '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' and '' Bl ...
as Corporal Ricky Mann (Series 1–2); K.I.A. at the start of Series 3. Sapani did not return for Series 3, a body double was used for the death scene. *
Heather Peace Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is a British actress, musician and LGBT rights activist from Bradford, England. She is best known for her hit role as Nikki Boston in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' from 2012 to 20 ...
as Trooper Becca Gallagher (Series 3–4); passes selection in Series 3, and joins Red Troop for the remainder of the series. * Louis Decosta Johnson as Corporal Dave Woolston (Series 3–4); Joins Red Troop in Series 3, and stays for the remainder of the series. *
Elliot Cowan Elliot Aidan Cowan (born 9 July 1976) is an English actor, known for portraying Corporal Jem Poynton in ''Ultimate Force'', Mr Darcy in ''Lost in Austen'', and Ptolemy in the 2004 film ''Alexander''. He also starred as Lorenzo de' Medici in ''Da ...
as Lance Corporal Jem Poynton (Series 1 – Series 2, Episode 1); K.I.A. in a shoot out with French special forces in Series 2. *
Sendhil Ramamurthy Sendhil Amithab Ramamurthy (born May 17, 1974) is an American actor. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Ramamurthy is best known for his roles as geneticist Mohinder Suresh in the NBC sci-fi drama ''Heroes'', Gabriel "Gabe" Lowan in ''Beauty and t ...
as Trooper Alex Leonard (Series 1); leaves the army at the end of Series 1, partly due to the death of his brother. *
Liam Garrigan Liam Thomas Garrigan (born 17 October 1981) is an English actor. As a youth, he attended classes at Kingston upon Hull's Northern Stage Company and was a student at Wyke College, Kingston upon Hull. His first television role was as Nic Yorke in ...
as Corporal Ed Dwyer (Series 3); passes selection in Series 3 and joins Red Troop. K.I.A between Series 3 and 4 in unknown incident, buried at the start of Series 4. * Jamie Michie as Corporal Finn Younger (Series 4); Joins Red Troop at the start of Series 4.


Officers

*
Miles Anderson Miles Anderson (born 23 October 1947) is a British stage and screen actor, born in the colony of Southern Rhodesia, who has appeared in television serials both in the United Kingdom, and North America. He recently appeared as Alistair the phot ...
as Colonel Aidan Dempsey;
Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of 22 Regiment, and the only character other than Garvie and Hoffman to appear in all four series. * Alex Reid as Captain Caroline Walshe (Series 1–2); Reid did not return for Series 3, the character was supposedly reassigned by Dempsey. *
Jamie Bamber Jamie Saint John Bamber Griffith (born 3 April 1973), known professionally as Jamie Bamber, is a British actor, known for his roles as Lee Adama in ''Battlestar Galactica'' and Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin in the ITV series '' Law & Order: ...
as Captain Dennis "Dotsy" Doheny (Series 1–2); Resigns to take the fall for the incident with French special forces in Series 2. * Richard Armitage as Captain Ian Macalwain (Series 2); Replacement Red Troop Commander who was killed by Garvie at the end of Series 2. *
Sam Callis Samuel Charles Callis (born 21 November 1973 in Ely, Cambridgeshire) is an English actor and director, best known for his role as Callum Stone in ''The Bill'' and Adam Benjamin in '' London's Burning''. Biography Callis grew up in Haslemere, Sur ...
as Captain Patrick Fleming (Series 4); Red Troop Commander in Series 4.


Attache

*
Tobias Menzies Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English stage, television and film actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's series ''The Crown'', for which he won the Primetime ...
as Box 500 (Series 1); MI5 Attache in the first series. *
Lucy Akhurst Lucy Akhurst (born 18 November 1970) is an English actress, writer and director who has been working mainly in television since the 1990s. She starred alongside Neil Morrissey in ''The Vanishing Man'' and then came to prominence in a lead role in ...
as Pru Banks (Series 2); MI5 Attache in the second series, replacing Box 500. *
Hannah Yelland Hannah Yelland (born 1976) is a British-born actress now living and working in the United States. Early life Hannah Yelland was born in Hammersmith, west London, and brought up in Richmond, London, Richmond, Surbiton and East Molesey. She is the ...
as Kathy Crampton (Series 3); MI5 Attache in the third series, replacing Pru Banks.


Minor characters

*
Chris Ryan Colin Armstrong (born 1961), usually known by the pseudonym and pen-name of Chris Ryan, is an author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant. After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNa ...
as Staff Sergeant Johnny Bell (Series 1); head of Blue Troop (SNCO) * Derek Horne as Sergeant Sean Smith (Series 2–3); head of Blue Troop (SNCO) * Anthony Howell as Trooper Sam Leonard (Series 1); member of Red Troop K.I.A. in the first episode. *
Laurence Fox Laurence Paul Fox (born 1978) is a political activist and former actor, most well-known for playing the supporting role of DS James Hathaway in the British TV drama series ''Lewis'' from 2006 to 2015. A grandson of the actors Robin and Angel ...
as Corporal Mick Sharp (Series 1); passes selection, and later joins Red Troop in the final episode of the series. * Jackie Morrison as Laura Twamley (Series 1–2); long suffering wife of Pete Twamley. * Liz White as Beth Dow; Sister of Jamie Dow *
Paul Brightwell Paul Brightwell is an English actor and director. He has acted in many different plays, films and TV shows since the late 1980s. Theatre direction includes the British premieres of Heiner Muller's '' Hamletmachine'' at the Gate Notting Hill, and ...
- Konchalovsky * Richard Klvac - Tarkovsky * Goran Kostic - Pudovkin *
Valentine Pelka Valentine Pelka (born 23 February 1956) is an English actor who has starred in film and on television. Biography Pelka was born in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, to a Polish civil engineer father and an Irish actress mother, and attended ...
- Bundarczuk * Julian Rivett - Klimov * Igor Urdenko - Mikhailov *
Adam Fogerty Adam Heywood Fogerty (born 6 March 1969) is an English actor and former boxing, boxer and rugby league footballer. He is the son of rugby league footballer Terry Fogerty, who played in the 1960s and 1970s then coached in the 1980s. Backgroun ...
- Taras Rustum


Episode list


Series 1 (2002)


Series 2 (2003)


Series 3 (2005)


Series 4 (2006)


Broadcasters

*1 Originally aired on the
Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
, though sporadically. Only the first four episodes of Series 1 aired. The
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
then bought the rights to show ''Ultimate Force'', but started at Series 2. Series 2 episodes were shown on the weekly schedule of Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. *2 Title means S.A.S.: British Special Forces. *3 Also being aired on the UK.TV channel via Australian Pay TV networks. *4 With slight changes in the episodes' order, due to French TV regulation for youth protection: some episodes considered as too violent and can't be aired before 10:00pm. E.g. Series 3, Episode 2 has been aired in the middle of Series 1, at 10:45 p.m. after two episodes of Series 1.


See also

British Military dramas: * ''
Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name - "Soldier, soldier won't you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum?" - an instrumental version of which was used as its t ...
'' * '' Red Cap'' * '' Spearhead'' * ''
Our Girl ''Our Girl'' is a British television military drama series, written and created by Tony Grounds, first broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2013. The series initially starred Lacey Turner as Molly Dawes, a young working-class woman, who joins the B ...
'' US Military dramas: * '' ''The Brave'' (TV series)'' — Similar type of series but focused on a fictional Defense Intelligence Agency unit * '' ''SEAL Team'' (TV series)'' — Similar type of series but focused on the
United States Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
* '' ''Six'' (TV series)'' — Similar type of series but focused on the
United States Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
* ''
The Unit ''The Unit'' is an American action-drama television series created by David Mamet that aired on CBS from March 7, 2006, to May 10, 2009 with the total of four seasons and 69 episodes. The series focuses on a top-secret military unit modeled aft ...
'' — Similar type of series but focused on the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
's
Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), referred to variously as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), "The Unit", or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Task Fo ...


References


Further reading

* Diana Harris, ''Ultimate Force'', Batsford Books, 2002,


External links

* *{{epguides, UltimateForce, Ultimate Force 2002 British television series debuts 2008 British television series endings 2000s British drama television series British action television series English-language television shows ITV television dramas British military television series Television series by All3Media Television shows set in Hertfordshire Works about the Special Air Service