Lads' Army
Lads' Army (known in later series as Bad Lads' Army, Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class and Bad Lads' Army: Extreme) is a reality game show that constitutes a historically derived social experiment. Shown on ITV, the series is based on the premise of subjecting today's delinquent young men to the conditions of conscripts to British Army National Service of the 1950s to see if this could rehabilitate them.
| Lads' Army | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Bad Lads' Army (2004) Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class (2005) Bad Lads' Army: Extreme (2006) |
| Genre | Reality Game show |
| Voices of | Kevin Whately (2002) Dennis Waterman (2004–6) |
| Composer | Daniel Pemberton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 32 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Production company | Twenty Twenty |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Productions UK |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Original release | 3 June 2002 – 29 August 2006 |
The programme was derived from an earlier one called simply Lads' Army (a play on Dad's Army) in which a number of volunteers underwent four weeks of basic training for 1950s National Service. Unlike the three sequel series (the ones whose titles began with "Bad"), the original programme's experiment was merely to see if 18- to 24-year-old members of the modern British public could cope with the 1950s training, and how they compared to the public of that period. The success of the original series led to the experiment being repeated with the recruits having committed criminal offences, often given the option to undergo the training by courts as an alternative to serving pending sentences, to explore the proposition that it would be beneficial to reinstate National Service for petty criminals and delinquents as an alternative to more conventional sentences. Series 4 lowered the minimum age to 17 and raised the maximum age to 26.
The programme format is relatively simple. The recruits are issued period uniforms and equipment and fed, quartered and trained according to the standards of the era. Their free time is limited to visits to the NAAFI with period refreshments and facilities. The recruits form a single platoon made up of two sections, each under the care of a section commander, either Richard Nauyokas or Joe Murray (in series 3 Nauyokas was replaced by Glenn Thomas [who appeared as the Company Sergeant Major in series 2], although he still appeared as a relief corporal). During training the sections compete against each other, building a sense of competition but also of teamwork and loyalty. Success brings modest rewards. Praise is given for whole-hearted attempts at tasks. The NCOs and officers running the training are all, or have been, professional British soldiers.
Each series had a slightly different format to its predecessors, although the theme of 1950s military training is common to all series. The 3rd series (known as Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class) had the volunteers train to become officers while the 4th series (known as Bad Lads' Army Extreme) had the volunteers train to become paratroopers.
Within each series a small number of the recruits have either walked out (after a 24-hour cooling off period), or been ejected. The majority of the remainder claim some benefit from the experience and some have chosen the British Army as a career at the end of it.
The narrator for the first series was Kevin Whately, then Dennis Waterman took over until the show ended in 2006.
Series 1 to 3 had included interviews with celebrities who had completed National Service in the 1950s, including Joss Ackland, Michael Aspel, William Roache, Brian Blessed, Richard Briers, Paul Daniels, Frederick Forsyth, Bernard Manning, Nosher Powell, Andrew Sachs and Brian Sewell. During re-airings of the first series, the interviews were edited out.
Contestants
Series 1 – (Lads Army, 2002)
Waterloo Platoon recruits
| 1 Section CPL Richard Nauyokas | Ages | Occupation | STATUS | 2 Section CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ade Adebayo | 21 (1981) | University Student | PASSED OUT | Paul Claydon | 20 (1982) | Unemployed | LEFT |
| William Bate | 19 (1982) | Computer Engineer | PASSED OUT | Steve Daly | 21 (1981) | Sales Manager | PASSED OUT |
| John Cooke | 23 (1979) | Construction Site Manager | PASSED OUT | Tony Ellis | 22 (1980) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| Jodie Copeland | 24 (1977) | Customer Service Executive | PASSED OUT | David Gardner | 20 (1981) | Gardener | PASSED OUT |
| Jamie Dodd | 23 (1978) | Musician/Pub Cellarman | LEFT | Gordon Hamilton | 21 (1981) | Club Bouncer | PASSED OUT |
| Matthew Faulkner | 22 (1980) | University Student | PASSED OUT | Chris Hampson | 21 (1981) | Genetics Student | LEFT |
| Michael Honzick | 18 (1984) | Design Student | PASSED OUT | Daniel Harrison | 24 (1978) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| Ross Pitman | 21 (1980) | Research Executive | PASSED OUT | Nicholas Holbrook | 22 (1980) | Business Researcher | PASSED OUT |
| Kenny Poulter | 19 (1983) | Postman | PASSED OUT | Alex Kingsy | 19 (1983) | Law Student | PASSED OUT |
| Thomas Rossiter | 18 (1984) | School Student | PASSED OUT | Aaron Larson | 20 (1982) | Actor | LEFT |
| Nicholas Sandford | 23 (1979) | Personal Trainer | LEFT | Peter Leyland | 23 (1978) | Mechanical Engineer | PASSED OUT |
| John-Paul Watts | 24 (1977) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Dan Neal | 22 (1979) | Bartender | PASSED OUT |
| Tom Woolfe | 22 (1979) | Rugby Coach | LEFT | Thomas O' Hanlon | 21 (1980) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| William Wood | 22 (1980) | University Student | LEFT | Adam Spires | 20 (1981) | Needlecrafter | PASSED OUT |
| Lee Wooten | 21 (1981) | University Student | LEFT | Sam Webb | 19 (1983) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| James Willingham | 20 (1982) | University Student | PASSED OUT | Paul Eagle | 22 (1980) | Labourer | PASSED OUT |
Series Overview
PASSED OUT = Recruit was present at the final stages of training, at the Passing Out Parade.
LEFT = Recruit quit or was discharged before making it to the final parade.
David Gardner received the "Best Recruit" award, James Willingham was awarded the platoons "Most Improved Recruit". 2 Section won "Best Section".
During the series, Tom Woolfe was dishonourably discharged/back squadded from the camp. Paul Clayden, Lee Wooten, and Chris Hampson chose the leave voluntarily. Nicholas Sandford deserted the base and never returned to camp. Jamie Dodd and Aaron Larson were medically discharged from the camp. William Wood's exit is unknown as his exit never aired.
After William Wood and Paul Clayden left, William Bate and Paul Eagle were drafted in as replacement recruits.
Captain Richard Owen, Waterloo Platoon's CO, died after the filming of the series in 2014, at age 48. He is said to have died from cancer.[1]
The main filming location for Series One was Browndown Training Camp at Lee-on-Solent.
Series 2 – (Bad Lads Army, 2004)
Montgomery Platoon recruits
| 1 Section CPL Richard Nauyokas | Ages | Occupation | STATUS | 2 Section CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tjobbe Andrew | 22 (1982) | Website Designer | PASSED OUT | Chris Andrew | 21 (1982) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| Marcus Birks | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Michael Blackham | 19 (1985) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| David Butler | 21 (1983) | Joiner | PASSED OUT | Alan Brown | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT |
| Shaun Carr | 18 (1986) | Student | PASSED OUT | Luke Brown | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT |
| Peter Cray | 23 (1980) | Actor | PASSED OUT | Chris Davis | 18 (1986) | Student | PASSED OUT |
| Ashley Cummings | 18 (1986) | Student | LEFT | Damien Ellis | 23 (1980) | Graduate | PASSED OUT |
| Matthew Gilks | 21 (1982) | Builder | PASSED OUT | Daniel Kett | 21 (1982) | Civil Engineer | LEFT |
| Robert Grundy | 19 (1984) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Michael Lowes | 22 (1982) | Salesperson | PASSED OUT |
| Chris Harkin | 18 (1986) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Alex Rennie | 24 (1979) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| John Kyprianou | 23 (1980) | Barman | PASSED OUT | Shingi Sekerama | 19 (1985) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT |
| Mark Lamont | 20 (1985) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Robert Shutler | 22 (1983) | Student | PASSED OUT |
| Ashley Morton | 21 (1983) | Landscape Gardener | LEFT | Scott Simpson | 18 (1986) | Unemployed | LEFT |
| Wil Moynihan | 20 (1983) | Barman | PASSED OUT | Wayne Spiller | 24 (1980) | Student | PASSED OUT |
| Hassan Murtada | 24 (1979) | Scaffolder | PASSED OUT | Christopher Townsend | 20 (1983) | Barman/Student | LEFT |
| Robert Pembrook | 19 (1984) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Richard Weaver | 20 (1984) | Cinema Team Leader | PASSED OUT |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Stilianos Xidakis | 18 (1985) | High School Student | PASSED OUT |
Series Overview
PASSED OUT = Recruit was present at the final stages of training, at the Passing Out Parade.
LEFT = Recruit quit or was discharged before making it to the final parade.
Tjobbe Andrews, Matthew Gilks and Robert Shutler were given Officer Recommendations. This would be the goal of the following series. John Kyprianou received the Platoon's Top Shot (the highest score in the shooting range). Marcus Birks received the Best Recruit award at the Pass Out Parade, with Robert Pembrook receiving the Most Improved award. 2 Section won Best Section. With 2 Section winning best section, CPL Murray was promoted to SGT at the Passing Out Parade.
Luke Brown and Ashley Morton were dishonourably discharged. Morton was the only recruit to be dishonourably discharged for committing a criminal offence, namely an unprovoked assault on John Kyprianou, who decided not to press charges. Scott Simpson, Daniel Kett and Chris Townsend chose to leave voluntarily. Ashley Cummings and Alan Brown's status' are unknown, as how they were discharged was never specified. Alan Brown also did not turn up on the first day due to a scheduled court appearance; he received a conditional discharge in connection with a fight that he had previously been involved in, with the requirement that he complete National Service.
After Scott Simpson quit before even being issued a single item of kit or his uniform, Alex Rennie was drafted in as a replacement recruit. At the time of the series release, there was speculation that Tom Woolfe from the first series who was back squadded was set to return but never did for unknown reasons. This is heavily suspected, as there was no replacement for 1 Section after Ashley Cummings left and Woolfe was in 1 Section during the first series, however, to this date, nothing has been confirmed.
After the filming of the series, Michael Lowes suffered from clinical depression after facing indecent exposure charges, and was found dead in his home from an apparent suicide in 2010, at age 28.[2] SGT Alistair Rae died in November 2020 due to complications from COVID-19,[3] as did contestant Marcus Birks in 2021, at the age of 40.[4]
The main filming location for Series Two was at New Zealand Farm Camp on Salisbury Plain.
Series 3 – (Bad Lads Army: Officer Class, 2005)
Churchill Platoon recruits
| 1 Section (Blue) NCO – CPL Glen Thomas | Ages | Occupation | Officer Potential | 2 Section (Red) NCO – CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | Officer Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Bailey | 22 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | Darren Adams | 19 (1986) | Student | NO |
| Carl Bedford | 20 (1985) | Unemployed | NO | Ross Barrett | 20 (1984) | Unemployed Novelist/Barman | NO |
| Chris Danns | 24 (1981) | Unemployed | NO | Steven Bedford | 20 (1984) | Unemployed | LEFT |
| Aaron Groom | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | NO | Ben Hains | 21 (1984) | Painter Decorator | NO |
| Les Harvey | 18 (1987) | Army Marine Dropout/Stock Taker | NO | Darren Hardman | 22 (1982) | Unemployed | YES |
| Jack Kendall | 21 (1984) | Scaffolder | NO | Rifat Hassan | 22 (1982) | Security Guard | YES |
| Simon Magil | 22 (1982) | Unemployed | YES | David Johnstone | 24 (1980) | Web Designer | NO |
| Garry Miller | 20 (1985) | Office Junior | YES | Jonathan McDade | 18 (1987) | Student | YES |
| Adam Oakley | 19 (1986) | Royal Mail Sorter | LEFT | Simon Pietkewitz | 23 (1983) | Unemployed | YES |
| Robert Page | 20 (1984) | Drivers Mate | YES | Benjamin Priestman | 22 (1982) | Unemployed | NO |
| Simon Pinkney | 23 (1981) | Actor/Dancer | LEFT | Matthew Rawlings | 24 (1980) | Boxer | NO |
| James Roberts | 20 (1984) | Tyre Fitter | YES | Haydn Russell | 21 (1984) | Sales Temp | NO |
| Robert Schofield | 21 (1983) | Unemployed | NO | Rocco Scalercio | 20 (1985) | Unemployed | NO |
| Dale Tate | 22 (1983) | Unemployed | LEFT | Taisen Coree-Smith | 24 (1981) | Unemployed | NO |
| Matthew Tate | 24 (1980) | Unemployed | LEFT | Adrian Turton | 24 (1980) | Technician | LEFT |
| Wesley Worrall | 21 (1983) | Unemployed | LEFT | Kirk Woodend | 21 (1984) | Stripper/Porn Actor | LEFT |
Series Overview
YES = Recruit was selected for officer training.
NO = Recruit was not selected for officer training.
LEFT = Recruit left the series, either voluntarily, due to being dishonourably discharged or a medical discharge.
The Passing Out Parade never stated who received "Best Recruit", or "Most Improved Recruit", as well as which Section were the winners overall. This is the only season that had no contestants born in the 1970s.
Wesley Worrall, Steven Bedford, and Matthew Tate were dishonourably discharged from the camp, Kirk Woodend chose to leave voluntarily and Adam Oakley was medically discharged, Dale Tate (Matthew Tate's brother) deserted the section and never returned to the Platoon; his brother deserted with him, but later returned. Simon Pinkney and Adrian Turton left the camp, however their exits were never aired.
After Wesley Worrall and Steven Bedford were discharged, Chris Danns and Matthew Rawlings were drafted in, as replacement recruits.
Robert Page initially was selected for officer training but quit before training began and was forced to return to unit.
At the end of the final episode, the narrator stated that 11 of 24 who passed out had subsequently applied to join the regular British Army.
Robert Page died after the filming of the series in 2020 at age 36. His cause is unknown.
The main filming location for Series Three was again at Browndown Training Camp at Lee-on-Solent.
Series 4 – (Bad Lads Army: Extreme, 2006)
Pegasus Platoon recruits
| BLUE SECTION NCO – CPL Richard Nauyokus | Ages | Occupation | Final Jump Selection | RED SECTION NCO – CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | Final Jump Selection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Brooks | 21 (1984) | NO | James Bourne | 23 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | |
| Samuel Bruce Angland | 21 (1984) | Security Guard | NO | Chris Coad | 22 (1984) | Unemployed | NO |
| Keith Burke | 19 (1987) | Unemployed | LEFT | Aiden Chaffe | 17 (1988) | Unemployed | NO |
| Colin Elliot | 23 (1983) | Unemployed | LEFT | Andrew Findley | 24 (1981) | Teaching Assistant | NO |
| Mark Grimes | 26 (1979) | Unemployed | NO | Luke Howard | 18 (1987) | LEFT | |
| Sebastian Judd | 21 (1985) | YES | Kyle Jensen | 22 (1983) | Roofer | YES | |
| Raymond Impey | 21 (1985) | Unemployed | LEFT | Andrew Jimson | 25 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT |
| Phillip Lee-Hodgeson | 20 (1985) | NO | Darren McDonald | 26 (1980) | Fitness Instructor | LEFT | |
| Adam Mercer | 25 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT | Sean Morris | 24 (1981) | YES | |
| Luke Moyes | 19 (1986) | LEFT | Shaz Nawaz | 23 (1982) | Security Guard | YES | |
| Joe Peto | 17 (1989) | YES | Jerry Reilly | 25 (1980) | NO | ||
| Matthew Reed | 18 (1988) | University Student/Riot Leader | LEFT | Joe Renwick | 19 (1986) | NO | |
| Ron Spike | 25 (1980) | LEFT | Jamie Smeadly | 21 (1984) | Plasterer | NO | |
| Steven Walker | 22 (1983) | YES | Robin Woodfourth | 22 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | |
| Gavin Woodhouse | 21 (1985) | Unemployed | YES | Tyrone Walsh | 26 (1979) | NO | |
| Joel Whittaker | 24 (1982) | LEFT | Leon White | 20 (1986) | LEFT |
Series Overview
YES = Recruit was selected for the Final Parachute Jump
NO = Recruit was not selected for Final Parachute Jump.
LEFT = Recruit left the series, either voluntarily, due to being dishonourably discharged or a medical discharge.
The Passing Out Parade never stated who received "Best Recruit", or "Most Improved Recruit". Blue Section was the winning section.
Colin Elliot was Dishonourably Discharged from the camp. Keith Burke, Adam Mercer, Joel Whittaker, and Andrew Jimson were dismissed on Bin Day, just before the interrogation phase. Ron Spike, Leon White, Luke Howard, Matthew Reed, Raymond Impey, Darren McDonald, and Luke Moyes were all dismissed from the camp but their exits never aired. This series features a high amount of unusual dismissals, with 12 exits total.
After Colin Elliot and Ron Spike were discharged, Joe Peto and Steven Walker were drafted in, as replacement recruits. This was the first time that both replacement recruits went into the same section.
Aiden Chaffe died on 22 October 2018 at the age of 31 following a skydiving accident.[5]
Series Four was filmed at the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, in Dorset. However, for the series, it was named 'Sandford Army Camp'.
Transmissions
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 June 2002 | 5 July 2002 | 10 |
| 2 | 8 July 2004 | 26 August 2004 | 8 |
| 3 | 28 July 2005 | 8 September 2005 | 7 |
| 4 | 11 July 2006 | 29 August 2006 | 7 |
Ratings
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[6]
Series 1
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 June 2002 | — | — |
| 2 | 5 June 2002 | 6.14 | 15 |
| 3 | 10 June 2002 | 6.27 | 14 |
| 4 | 14 June 2002 | 5.47 | 18 |
| 5 | 17 June 2002 | 5.28 | 23 |
| 6 | 21 June 2002 | — | — |
| 7 | 24 June 2002 | 5.98 | 14 |
| 8 | 25 June 2002 | 5.19 | 16 |
| 9 | 28 June 2002 | 4.93 | 18 |
| 10 | 5 July 2002 | 5.42 | 18 |
Series 2
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 July 2004 | 6.48 | 15 |
| 2 | 15 July 2004 | 6.58 | 13 |
| 3 | 22 July 2004 | 6.23 | 15 |
| 4 | 29 July 2004 | 5.45 | 17 |
| 5 | 5 August 2004 | 5.64 | 16 |
| 6 | 12 August 2004 | 5.41 | 17 |
| 7 | 19 August 2004 | 5.44 | 16 |
| 8 | 26 August 2004 | 4.72 | 16 |
Series 3
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 July 2005 | 5.13 | 15 |
| 2 | 4 August 2005 | 5.24 | 15 |
| 3 | 11 August 2005 | 5.23 | 15 |
| 4 | 18 August 2005 | 4.67 | 18 |
| 5 | 25 August 2005 | 5.05 | 15 |
| 6 | 1 September 2005 | 5.09 | 15 |
| 7 | 8 September 2005 | 5.40 | 18 |
Series 4
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 July 2006 | 3.87 | 19 |
| 2 | 18 July 2006 | 3.31 | 21 |
| 3 | 25 July 2006 | 3.14 | 21 |
| 4 | 1 August 2006 | 3.31 | 25 |
| 5 | 15 August 2006 | — | — |
| 6 | 22 August 2006 | — | — |
| 7 | 29 August 2006 | — | — |
International versions
The TV format has been exported in Italy and aired on 2021.
References
- ^ "RIP Richie Owen".
- ^ "Reality TV star was facing indecency charges – Chronicle Live". 9 April 2010.
- ^ "Heartfelt tributes paid to fearsome TV sergeant who died of Covid-19".
- ^ "Former Covid sceptic from Staffordshire Marcus Birks dies in hospital". BBC News. 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Experienced skydiver died after 'misjudgement' on jump". BBC News. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
External links
- Lads' Army at IMDb
- Lads' Army at UKGameshows.com