PBS is marketing its upcoming series "Carrier" as:
"...a 10-part series filmed aboard the USS Nimitz, [it] is a character-driven immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. The programs follow a core group of film participants, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror."
After viewing an in depth preview of the series, it looks very well done, and unlike many Engineering style shows on networks like "The Discovery Channel" this series does indeed focus on the core of the US Navy... the people!
Understand that not all presented in this series will be a positive reflection of the life aboard a deployed aircraft carrier. It has moments where the effects of difficult work, long separations, and personality conflicts are unabashedly presented. Actually this is a small portion of the whole presentation and is to a degree refreshing in exposing some of the less "talked about" experiences on the boat.
Not to worry, much is also presented about the higher honor of "Serving a cause, greater than yourself!" With plenty of intelligent thoughtful reflections on what it is to serve in today's United States Navy!
This is not a recruiting film, however with it's "Up front" and "forthright" presentation, it may certainly serve to better condition potential Navy recruits (both officer and enlisted) that the Navy is not a movie but a life. A life full of tradition, stories, fun times, difficult times and even impossible times... but it will teach!
Here's some thoughts on why the navy even allowed such unprecedented access to the sailors on the ship, expressed by Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead:
"...You get unvarnished views from junior personnel about their hopes, aspirations, and challenges of life in the Navy aboard the carrier. We did not get between the film crews and the Sailors.
...This production although not an all-inclusive picture of the Navy, will give potential recruits and those who influence them a glimpse of what life is really like in the Navy. We want the American people to know, understand and appreciate the contribution our Sailors make each and every day while deployed around the world. We also want them to know us, not as a monolithic bureaucratic entity, but as a diverse organization of individual Americans who have set aside the comforts of home and have put themselves on the line to serve a greater cause. You already know how inspiring our people are, but few in our Nation get to see our people in an operational environment."
All good in YHS' opinion.
One of my favorite actors, John C. McGinley (whom you may know from Scrubs, Platoon, The Rock, or even Point Break) had the opportunity to take the press flight with the Blues recently.
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