Mail Call

2002
8.2| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 04 August 2002 Ended
Producted By:
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http//www.history.com/minisites/mailcall/
Synopsis

Mail Call was a television program that appeared on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant,. The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup. Most episodes were 30 minutes, but from 2007 through the show's end in 2009 some episodes were 60 minutes. During each episode, Ermey read and answered questions submitted by viewers regarding weapons and equipment used by all branches of the U.S. military now or in the past, as well as by other armed forces in history. Ermey often took his viewers on location to military training areas to film demonstrations. When not on location, Ermey broadcast from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military gear which changed throughout the series. At times, he would also have a bulldog - usually symbolic of Marines, especially drill instructors - on his show as well. Comic relief was provided as Ermey inflicted DI-style verbal abuse on his viewers or tests the effects of various weapons on watermelons and paint cans, as well as occasional appearances of "Mini-Lee", an action figure styled in Ermey's likeness, often seen berating a luckless G.I. Joe figurine. His demeanor as host was similar to the character "Gunnery Sergeant Hartman" portrayed by Ermey in the Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket, though this attitude was shown only towards his viewers and not the military special guests. Older viewers might compare him to Sergeant Vincent Carter, a character in the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. television program.

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R. Lee Ermey

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Reviews

TinsHeadline Touches You
Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
tarastadic I used to watch this show with my older brother, we had a lot of fun. I revisited the show when R. Lee Ermey passed away on April 15th 2018Watching these episodes is just amazing.Ermey is testing a large variety of weapons From rifles to even rocket launchers, Ermey also used to answer the viewer questions.Semper Fi, Gunny. Godspeed.
LionelHutz1985 I found this little show on the history channel, and found that it is simply great. THe premise is simple: You send them email, or letters regarding history of military. Then former U.S. Marine sgt. R Lee Ermey answers them. Simple, good, and always funny
cheechbg Granted, inasmuch as I watch the History Channel (mostly due to the lack of better programming on TV) I do get tired of the same narrators picking apart WWII or the Civil War over and over. I really believe that THC is on to something with "Mail Call." R. Lee gives a outstanding performance, it's a rarity that you'll hear one of the Marines answer the narrator of a show with "Yes, Gunnery Sergeant." All in all, a very well executed show.
Haradrim R. Lee pulls of a great program in terms of both historical relevance and his own inimitable humor and style. The show, surprisingly, doesn't focus merely on machine guns and guided missiles, but digs back into important - yet rarely considered - military equipment, personnel and history. When I first heard about "Mail Call", I was afraid that the History Channel would reign in the R. Lee Ermey we all know and love through characters such as Gunnery Sgt. Hartmann in Full Metal Jacket.Far from it, Ermey acts just as irascable and tough-as-nails here as he does in any of his roles. Sometimes, the jokes are a little stiff, but overall everything seems to work well, and I must admit I do smile when he answers questions from younger viewers with all the patience and kindness of a first-grade teacher. (Please, no-one ever tell him I wrote that!)If the show has any shortcomings, it's that it's only 30 minutes long. To dig into the real history behind some of the events, innovations and deeds he discusses would be far better served by an hour-long program instead of crammed down into a half of that time.Overall, if you're tired of "blah" historical documentaries and watching the same grainy footage over and over, as punctuated by the droning voice of an unknown narrator when it comes to military historical shows, shut your piehole, stand tall before the TV and watch some "Mail Call", scumbag!

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