‘Six’ captures the SEAL team in the field, at home… and in pursuit

‘Six’ captures the SEAL team in the field, at home… and in pursuit

The co-creator of a new television series featuring the fictional Seal Team 6 wanted his actors to appreciate the concept of military brotherhood before filming.

“I always find the fastest way to get there,” said David Broyles, a former Air Force pararescueman.

And the stars of “Six,” which premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. on the History Channel, starting with what Broyles describes as “BUD/S Light,” a two-week course featuring former SEALs performing their duties through an abridged version of SEAL/Basic Underwater Demolition training course.

Broyles, who brought Six to the screen with his father Bill, a Marine who served in Vietnam and later wrote and/or adapted the scripts for such films as “The Real Purpose Is to Push They are at their breaking point.” Cast Away,” “Apollo 13” and “Jarhead.”

According to one of the show’s stars, mission accomplished.

“They put us through the paces,” said Kyle Schmid, who plays SEAL Alex Caulder. “And we’re all fully aware that that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what the military actually goes through.”

And beyond the connections made, the experience had some other welcome side effects, Schmid says: No one whined about (or missed) early calls, and production took off. smooth but “no fun–t. No ego.”

“I think that’s what I’m going to get the most out of this… the fact that because we spent those few weeks together, after two weeks I became closer to these people than to other people. I’ve known for 15 years.” “I watched them cry, I watched them fall, I watched them pick themselves up,” he said. I admire them for so many reasons. I think it’s something really special.”

The series takes viewers from the battlefield to their homeland, following characters on missions to take out high-value terrorist targets and following them as they consider retiring from service, attending the quinceañera of their daughter or, in the case of Schmid’s character, having sex with an unknown woman. in his kitchen in the middle of the day.

Walton Goggins (“Justified”, “Vice Principals”) plays Richard “Rip” Taggert, a team leader whose immediate respect among his teammates leads to conflict with some of his actions during a raid less than in books. Blood, bullets, and profanity fly freely in the first episode, but there’s still plenty of time outside of battle for viewers to watch the SEALs try to process their time in combat.

“We wanted to show that family life. And ultimately, the movie is in many ways the tension between the SEAL family and the hometown family – how do you balance that?” David Broyles said. “If people can watch this show and realize something from their own experiences with the military in it, then that’s what we’re really striving for – the emotional truth of what it’s like to serve.” .”

At least one group of prominent veterans agreed with the show’s approach: It was one of five productions that earned “6 Certified” status from Got Your Six in early January, an honor the group reserved for entertainment services that recruited or consulted with veterans and/or portrayed them in a realistic light.

Sentiments aside, an unexpected plot twist in the premiere puts the SEAL team on a path toward a very high operational tempo. Battlefield realism is bolstered by on-site military advisors and the involvement of executive producer Bruce C. McKenna, who worked on “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific.”

“That was always our top priority, to represent this as realistically as possible,” Broyles said. “At the same time, we are very dedicated to security and operational tactics. We are not making documentaries, we are not recreating. This is a TV series – we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what really happened.” and what we should show on TV.”

‘Six’ captures the SEAL team in the field, at home… and in pursuit The co-creator of a new television series featuring the fictional Seal Team 6 wanted his actors to appreciate the concept of military brotherhood before filming. “I always find the fastest way to get there,” said David Broyles, a former Air Force pararescueman.…