This new, six-part observational documentary series is filmed onboard the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious during a four-month deployment. The programme follows the professional lives of the crew as well as the personal stories of the young men and women who are thousands of miles from home. In the first episode, problems plague Illustrious's departure from Portsmouth and the crew members are assessed to see if they are battle-ready.
The mighty Illustrious aircraft carrier is about to set sail on a four-month deployment. With a crew of 1,000, this 22,000-ton floating city - nicknamed 'Lusty' - is home to all manner of sailors, from stewards to engineers, officers to deckhands. The ship's projected route will take it through the Strait of Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean and through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, where it will support Harrier jump jets serving in Afghanistan.
The man overseeing this massive operation - two years in the planning - is Captain Steve Chick, on his first mission in charge of an aircraft carrier. "Obviously, there's an element of nervousness for anybody in taking command of a ship for the first time," he says. "Getting to know the ship, getting to know how it handles, getting to know the people."
Captain Chick's crew includes a large number of new recruits, each of whom has his or her own reason for signing up. Lieutenant John 'Sid' Little left a job in a clothes shop to serve as a trainee weapons engineer. "It wasn't really what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I thought I'd make a career choice and join the navy," he says. Trainee warfare officer Suzie Williford sees the navy as her calling. "I realised this is what I wanted to do," she says. "I wanted to drive ships. I wanted to be in command." Nineteen-year-old John Farnsworth, meanwhile, was attracted by the prospect of playing for the ship's football team.
Before Lusty can depart British waters, the crew members must pass tests to prove they are battle-ready. Tensions run high as a team of tough naval inspectors arrives onboard to stage a series of mock battles. Kitted out in fireproof suits, the sailors are put through their paces in everything from firing weapons and fighting fires to first aid and cooking meals under pressure. "You've got to get it right," says inspector Captain Michael Cockran. "If you get it wrong, people get killed."
Unfortunately for the Lusty's eager but inexperienced sailors, they fail the first test. The ship docks in Portland, Devon and crew members are allowed 48 hours' shore leave to let their hair down as only sailors know how. But when yet another problem strikes the engines, rumours circulate that Illustrious must return to Portsmouth for a two-month layoff. Is the trip over before it has even begun?
I really enjoyed the documentary and I personally thought it showed the crew as being Real people and especially the young guys on their first deployment when they entered the Suez Canal.
Just received a full Emmy preview DVD of the US Series just completed on TV there "Carrier" I am looking forward to seeing how it compares. I would love to see "Lusty" available on DVD.
Keep trying to find a young pen pal on board a Royal Navy ship, I never made it!! but while mates where always into planes and sci-fi it was only ever ships and the sea for me.
John
July 26th - 10:55amIan Little said...
will the series Warship be available to purchase on DVD ? If so how much and from where ?
Thanking you in anticipation.
June 28th - 3:50pmLester May said...
As a former naval person, who served in carriers and smaller ships, I thought that Five's series "Warship" was one of the best, if not the best, since the BBC's "Sailor" in 1976. I did not see episodes 2 and 4 but the other four episodes were very good. I thought they gave a fair portrayal of life in the Andrew and that the Navy, the ship and her people came out of the series very well. This view was repeated by former naval colleagues and, more importantly, by civilian friends who watched the series. Some of the comments on this site were best not posted and binned after typing!
June 9th - 4:19pmfemale sailor said...
i am also serving on Lusty and have been for the last 2 years and i find that that deployment was very emotional and for the TV crew to comment on things as civvi they dont really know about it very unfair and unjust im a AB and have to say the boys and girls work very hard to keep our ship at sea and afloat i think we should all get medals for Orion 08 and the Sh*t we had to put up with, the tv programe doesnot show how life really is in the RN and i hope poeple understand that...
June 2nd - 2:24amRN-Really Needed-Royal Navy said...
Please dont take any of the criticisms onboard, you all do an excellent job and without the RN and other forces not only would we not have a UK we might not even have a World or be able to thank you all. The politicians need to stop taking expenses and that money could be spent on our Armed Forces, there wages are high enough without this other subsidy.
Proud father of crew member of Ark Royal.
May 29th - 11:10pmharry said...
i watch it all the time and luv regardless of the comments and i am joinin soon
haz
May 21st - 2:32amTRIGGER said...
Hey people its me the star off the show stocker just wondering if any of you could sort out a DVD for me cause it is hard to watch at sea if you could give me a email @
305-WAR18@a.dii.mod.uk also just like to add the 20mm broke because of the high winds it was not my fault
May 14th - 6:47amDisgruntledSailor said...
What worries me most is that the programme shows sailors letting their hair down when ashore and the Programmes Producer is quoted as saying 'If sailors bag off out of watch whilst ashore and it gets shown on TV and their wives and girlfriends see it - Tough!'
Admittedly they shouldnt be doing it, but with this type of attitude at the helm of the programme, it worries me exactly what light they intend to portray Britains most senior service in. Has there been any RN oversight by either the ships hierarchy or MOD ashore of the actual content of this programme?
May 13th - 3:19pmlustydog said...
anybody can call a crew inexperienced, the perosn who worte the comment wants to try and do the job we do, with the limited amount of money the government gives the royal navy, what can they expect, the government wanst to think more about its ships and personnel they have now rather than the ships that are probably not gonna be built for another 20 years! the problems the ship had, were not the crews fault. again another member of the lusty crew, very insulted!
May 11th - 12:32pmCrewmembersdad said...
Maybe its time to think about not sending as much money/aid abroad? "Throw some more cash at the fleet" we could need it at anytime! Top ship, Top Crew, Top Fleet! ... lets keep it this way..
May 11th - 10:39ami'm not too sure said...
I am also currently serving on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and feel insulted to be called inexperienced after spending 4 years on here watching the ship leave Rosyth dockyard and taking her through a full BOST which was passed with flying colours! To blame the ships company for the problems we have encountered and fixed ourselves might I add is also insulting. If you spoke to older members of ships company you would realise that over the last 4 years we have had very little time alongside due to being operational and this has meant that all the maintenance that is supposed to have been done has been left till later! If the government worried less about the new super carriers and looked after the ships and staff they already have serving they might not have retention problem that they have!
May 8th - 7:00pmknowone said...
i am currently serving onboard HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and to be called inexperienced sailors after 10 years of doing my job very well, find this statement very offensive and to add the reason for going into portland was nothing to do with the crew and was a problem with the ship!! i would like to add that if the goverment actually invested a bit more money into the Royal Navy instead of cutting back all the time these petty problems would not happen ALL the time after all we as Britain are surrounded by water and should it come to it civillians would depend on the Royal Navy!!!!
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