Soldier Soldier
Published:
Friday, 1 June 2007, 12:21PM
First broadcast: 1991
Stars: Robson Green, Jerome Flynn, Denise Welch, Holly Aird
Creator: Lucy Gannon
The lowdown: Popular long-running hit drama based around a group of soldiers and officers serving in the King’s Own Fusiliers regiment. Privates Dave Tucker (Robson Green) and Paddy Garvey (Jerome Flynn) are the two main characters, who invariably end up getting into scrapes – usually thanks to Tucker. In addition to the soldiers’ own personal relationships, the show does tackle some of the bigger domestic issues affecting the British Army, such as the merging of regiments as a result of downsizing.
Memorable moments: Tucker’s stormy relationship with his wife Donna, who doesn’t enjoy being an army wife and constantly goads her husband to leave. Tucker then faces a court martial for going Absent Without Leave, after discovering Donna in bed with another man.
Trivia: Green and Flynn launched a hugely successful (if short-lived) music career as Robson & Jerome, after non-other-than Simon Cowell spotted them singing The Righteous Brothers’ hit Unchained Melody on the show.
In May 1995 the duo became the first British duo to debut at Number 1 with said song. Their follow-up single I Believe/Up on The Roof famously kept Oasis’ Wonderwall off the top spot in November 1995.
