New BBC series set onboard a British missile submarine

[Whofan]

If anyone has missed it, BBC are starting a new 6 part series starring Suranne Jones as a detective who investigates a murder abooard HMS Vigil, a British missile submarine.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58334990

 

Initial previews I've read seem encouraging, and although I'm sure I'm wrong, there's a bit in the trailer that makes me think Suranne Jones gets put into a torpedo tub at one point!

 

I'm also more sure that the BBC weren't allowed to film inside a real missile submarine, but hey, who knows?

 

Starts tomorrow night at 9 pm, part two on Bank Holiday Monday at 9pm, nd then Sundays at 9 pm.

Edited August 28, 2021 by Whofan

[colin]

Just how 'big' do the BBC think a nuclear sub is 🤣

[nheather]

7 hours ago, colin said:

Just how 'big' do the BBC think a nuclear sub is 🤣

It’s like all (well most, Das Boot is a good exception) submarine movie and TV dramas - the real internal size of a submarine does not make for a good filming set.

 

I thought parts of it looked quite good, the bunk areas, not sure how accurate they are but they looked convincingly compact.  The torpedo room looked a reasonable size - calling the torpedos ‘Spearfighter’ caught my eye, was that because the name Spearfish is secret or some BAE Systems branding issue or to stress that this was fictitious.  But other times the meandering through wide corridors, turning left and right made the boat feel huge as did the palatial command area.

 

Overall I enjoyed it, but do fear that it is going to turn into another BBC woke-fest with every diversity checked and a ‘man-bad, woman-good’ theme.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel

[mick b]

2 hours ago, nheather said:

Overall I enjoyed it, but do fear that it is going to turn into another BBC woke-fest with every diversity checked and a ‘man-bad, woman-good’ theme

 

I was surprised to see Alex Scott wasn’t in it 😂

 

Mike

[Stephen]

Glaring plot holes aside I quite enjoyed it, the interior is a work of fiction because the real thing is highly classified  sot hey make it up and need to allow the extra space to enable filming to take place (not to mention social distancing) . I've been on four museum submarines (3 x US 1 x Russian) and they're very confined. 

 

One thing I was surprised is the use of a Police Scotland detective for the investigation, I would have thought that the RN has something like an NCIS equivalent for criminal investigations.

 

I'm still tuning in tonight.

[Chewbacca]

7 minutes ago, Stephen said:

One thing I was surprised is the use of a Police Scotland detective for the investigation, I would have thought that the RN has something like an NCIS equivalent for criminal investigations.

 

The RN do have the Special Investigation Branch but the big four (murder, manslaughter, rape, treason) are almost always handed over to civilian jurisdiction.

 

I didn't watch the programme but curious where the crime is alleged to have taken place?  I think I'm right in saying Police Scotland only ever investigate under Scottish Law whereas once your cross the threshold over the brow onto a Royal Navy warship wherever she is in the world, the law of England and Wales applies.

[Whofan]

8 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

The RN do have the Special Investigation Branch but the big four (murder, manslaughter, rape, treason) are almost always handed over to civilian jurisdiction.

 

I didn't watch the programme but curious where the crime is alleged to have taken place?  I think I'm right in saying Police Scotland only ever investigate under Scottish Law whereas once your cross the threshold over the brow onto a Royal Navy warship wherever she is in the world, the law of England and Wales applies.

I think it was said that the submarine was in Scottish waters at the time the death was discovered, which is why it was Police Scotland who took the case.

 

As others have said, I would have thought the Navy's own "MP"'s would have taken over, but I 'm grateful to you for the clarification on the "big four".

 

Yes, I found myself well aware of the BBC's setting, as others have said it was to allow some for filming and social distancing, though, and the plot holes, but as I do with all this kind of programme I accept them as artistic licence and just enjoy the programme.

 

I thought it was well done, but yes, there could easily be a slide into a "BBC woke-fest with every diversity checked and a ‘man-bad, woman-good’ theme" © @nheather so we'll see tonight and in the next 4 episodes.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Whofan

[Whitewolf]

There are a few plot holes.....Vigil supposedly on deterrent patrol inside UK waters just a few miles off the Scottish coast...... couldn't surface when they heard something happening on surface, but could to take on a civvy copper....at one point Captain says take Vigil out of patrol area.......A peace protester quite happily walks into an accommodation area Inside the programmes equivalent of Faslane, is she invisible at times? How else did she get into a heavily guarded naval base with such ease? This is a made for TV drama that completely lacks any kind of authenticity and must be taken with a very large pinch of salt lol!

[Whofan]

1 hour ago, Whitewolf said:

There are a few plot holes.....Vigil supposedly on deterrent patrol inside UK waters just a few miles off the Scottish coast...... couldn't surface when they heard something happening on surface, but could to take on a civvy copper....at one point Captain says take Vigil out of patrol area.......A peace protester quite happily walks into an accommodation area Inside the programmes equivalent of Faslane, is she invisible at times? How else did she get into a heavily guarded naval base with such ease? This is a made for TV drama that completely lacks any kind of authenticity and must be taken with a very large pinch of salt lol!

The peace protester had a sailor's pass, could that have been used to get in?

 

Oh, don't worry, it was a rhetorical question. 

[Whitewolf]

1 minute ago, Whofan said:

The peace protester had a sailor's pass, could that have been used to get in?

 

Oh, don't worry, it was a rhetorical question. 

She did indeed, but unless the gate guard was blind, he might he picked up the incredible differences between him and her partner lol. Its TV drama so we have to allow for the fact she might be an alien shape changer....

[Whofan]

4 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

She did indeed, but unless the gate guard was blind, he might he picked up the incredible differences between him and her partner lol. Its TV drama so we have to allow for the fact she might be an alien shape changer....

I think you're secretly hoping for Dr Who to enter  .... stage left !!

Edited August 30, 2021 by Whofan

[Francis Macnaughton]

1 hour ago, Whitewolf said:

She did indeed, but unless the gate guard was blind, he might he picked up the incredible differences between him and her partner lol. 

There used to be a tale about how one of the senior staff at Flag Officer Sea Training tested the onboard security standards of ships being worked up at Portland by carrying an ID card that had a photo of a gorilla to see if gangway staff were actually checking  the ID card properly ...

[IanC]

1 hour ago, Whofan said:

I think you're secretly hoping for Dr Who to enter  .... stagfe left !!

 

Vigil is definitely like the Tardis. Nuclear sub sized outside. Space to fit a cathedral inside. 

[Whitewolf]

1 hour ago, Francis Macnaughton said:

There used to be a tale about how one of the senior staff at Flag Officer Sea Training tested the onboard security standards of ships being worked up at Portland by carrying an ID card that had a photo of a gorilla to see if gangway staff were actually checking  the ID card properly ...

That i could easily believe. The idea was also to see if the staff had the guts to challenge a senior officer....

[Chewbacca]

Friend of mine got in to Portsmouth Naval Base back in the early 80s by showing his Gieves and Hawkes credit card with no photo!  in fairness he was sitting in the back seat of car with 4 others all of whom did have our ID cards.

 

2 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

That i could easily believe. The idea was also to see if the staff had the guts to challenge a senior officer....

Back in the day when I was a baby Sea Cadet, we had our Unit's annual inspection and the inspecting officer was the Captain of the Corps.  I had only been in the Unit for a few months and it was my first annual inspection; I was Quartermaster responsible for gangway security and for checking people in and out.  Our Training Officer had been very clear: anyone you don't know, ask them for proof of ID.  The Captain arrived, was met outside by our CO and escorted in at which point I stepped forward and asked if I could see his ID card.  The CO went bright red in the face and you could see was incandescent, but the Captain calmly showed me his ID card, said "well done" and went on in.  The CO muttered to me as he went past "I'll see you in my office later". 

 

At the end of the evening when the Captain was doing his speech and handing out awards , he said to the assembled throng: "You have done well this year, and were going to get an efficiency pennant" [the second highest award].  "But because your QM was doing his job so well that he even asked me for my ID card, I'm going to instruct my staff to raise that to a burgee".

[spruecutter96]

5 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

instruct my staff to raise that to a burgee".

I hope it came with fries, bacon and a slice of cheese....

 

I'll get me coat.

 

Chris.  

[nheather]

6 hours ago, Francis Macnaughton said:

There used to be a tale about how one of the senior staff at Flag Officer Sea Training tested the onboard security standards of ships being worked up at Portland by carrying an ID card that had a photo of a gorilla to see if gangway staff were actually checking  the ID card properly ...

 

Back in the 80s I regularly visited a nuclear establishment with work and when we drove in each morning you simply had to vaguely wave your pass up at the guard who stood a fair distance await and be waived through - there is no way that they could see any detail on it.  Over a beer one night we joked that you could get in by waiving a beer mat (it was roughly the same colour), we were young at the time and one of the braver more tom-foolery colleagues tried it the next morning - got in no problem.  That was the 80s though - you'd hope it was better these days.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel 

[davecov]

In the Seventies/Eighties some of us would use our Mecca Locarno ID cards to get back into Pompey Dockyard. They were the same colour and size as the RN ID cards but the photo was on the opposite side. Of course, they wouldn't pass scrutiny if checked properly but they never were and were always waved through at the MOD Plod on the gate.

 

Dave

[JohnT]

On plot holes I saw a police officer conduct a search of the deceased’s property in his flat. On her own.  Thereby not having any corroboration for any evidence found and inadmissible in a criminal trial. 
Scottish cops always go in pairs. (Often in evenlarger numbers to certain areas in Glasgow)
Made me wonder about only one going on the boat too but if she was always accompanied by someone RN that would probably do. 
 

Nice Yellow Sea King though 

[nheather]

8 hours ago, JohnT said:

 

Nice Yellow Sea King though 

It was and I won’t criticise the show for this but it did raise a question for me.

 

Aren’t the yellow rescue Seakings operated by the RAF?  If so are they available to the RN to do passenger drops out to submarines.  In the drama the RN operations team referred to it as if it were there helicopter.

 

As I said, not a criticism, it was nice to see it, just genuinely interested.

 

 

[sammy da fish]

On the sea king there has been placed over the RAF signs on the fuselage a sticker saying RN, which somebody must of thought was a good idea or The RAF said no to publicity. Anybody know more about this!

[JohnT]

I was just pleased to see any Sea King still flying. I thought they were all out of service and is it a “warbird” I wonder

[Stephen]

32 minutes ago, JohnT said:

I was just pleased to see any Sea King still flying. I thought they were all out of service and is it a “warbird” I wonder

I'm pretty sure it is a warbird. I remember pictures of it showing up on social media when filming was going on.

[spruecutter96]

Considering many aspects of the script (murder of a crew-man, internal bickering, the deficiencies of the captain, the sub very nearly colliding with an oil-tanker, comments like "Everything needs replacing on this boat!", etc, etc), I would be very surprised if the Royal Navy gave the production any help whatsoever... All of the forces will ask to see the script, before they agree to giving any assistance. The top-brass would not want to associated with a drama that portrays them in such a poor light.

 

I suspect that the Sea King used for the fiming was the privately-owned one that was flying at Shuttleworth a few weeks ago. 

 

Chris, 

Edited August 31, 2021 by spruecutter96
Correcting a typo.

[darthspud]

I particularly liked all the un-stowed equipment boxes along companion ways.

the fact the Police person kept refering to the XO as XO Prentice  and not by his rank, rather his title.