User reviews

I actually enjoyed Rogue Heroes much more than I thought I would. I was entertained from the very first episode to the last. I was so into it I binged the entire first season (which is only six episodes but still) in a day and a half. I was already a fan of Jack O'Connell and Alfie Allen from some of their other work and both are great here too. This is the crazy true story of how the S. A. S. Was formed and the enormous impact they had on the war. On top of the show being wildly entertaining, the soundtrack is just as good. I just read this has been renewed for a second season and I can't wait.

I never heard of Rogue Heroes until recently. I was watching a different show when I came across the trailer to this. It looked good so I thought I'd give it a chance. I'm glad I did because it was terrific. I'm shocked they didn't promote this more because everyone who's seen it seems to love it. It currently has a 100% on RT and a 8.1 here. It tells the story of how David Stirling created the S. A. S. During World War II. I learned a lot about something I knew little about and I was fascinated throughout each episode. It has a great cast led by Jack O'Connell, Connor Swindells, Alfie Allen, Sofia Boutella and Dominic West. If you're looking for a quick series to binge then give this a try. You won't be disappointed.

OK, I'm not going to claim that this show is a masterpiece or anything. It's just good fun. That's all there is to it - it is an action adventure show set in the past, not that different from the books that made Bernard Cornwell so popular - yeah, it is somewhat historical, it actually does do history some justice, but, first and foremost, it is here to entertain and does it masterfully. It has nice production values, great pacing, well developed characters, impressive action scenes and enough drama to keep a viewer's attention.

A lot of people seem to have a problem with the soundtrack, which, to be honest, I can understand, but I don't think this is a valid complaint - music from the appropriate time period is used whenever that is actually needed. The jazz bands shown in some scenes don't play AC/DC. As for the rest - have you noticed the fact that the soundtracks in historical productions are always anachronistic? What, did you think electric guitars existed in the time of the Vikings? Because they were used heavily (as in heavy metal) in the soundtrack of the show. Did you think there were violins in Ancient Rome? No. The soundtrack isn't supposed to fit the time period where the production is set. It is supposed to fit the scenes it is used for.

As for the dialogue - yeah, the used language is a bit too modern for my taste, but, at the very least, it is lively and very well written. I honestly can't fault it for not being something it's not even trying to be. For what it is, it is quite good.

All in all, the show works very well. It is exactly what the trailers promise - the rock music, the modern-sounding dialogues, the lighthearted tone - it's all in trailers. I think that's what is important. If you don't...

This is an outrageously over the top take on a mostly true story. Some people have been moaning that the soundtrack, mainly rock and punk are wrong for this show, as is the bad language but I think it gives it a real punch, and I'm in no doubt that bad language would have been rife in this unit of men.

It's superbly acted and the one hour episodes just fly past, which made me very happy to see the whole series was available to watch on the BBC iplayer to binge watch.

It's full of mad characters that you can't help but love and feel for, and the whole show makes you wish it was longer.

All in all I cannot fault this show, or it's soundtrack.

Having read the book this series is based on and having read the incredible bravery of men such as Paddy Maine. I thought Steven Knight and the BBC have done an amazing job of bringing these characters who I had only previously read about bought to life. These men may have been part of the British Army but in reality they were mercenaries, who conducted there own war by there own rules. This really is a high quality production with authentic weapons uniforms all forms of transport. And the raid scenes on the various airfields are as good as anything Netflix or even Hollywood could come up with especially the raid in episode 6 which is truly spectacular.

All the performances are excellent. In particular Jack o Connell as the mad fearless Irishman Paddy Maine. 9/10.

This action packed WW2 comedy drama is the product of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The look, style and tone of SAS Rogue Hero's match that of its Crime drama sister show. The three Principal lead actors of; Connor Swindles as the charismatic alcoholic toff David Stirling, Alfie Allen as the stern spiritual Welshman Jock Lewes, and lastly Jack O'Connor as the loud brash mad Irish Paddy Mayne. The trio of the Swashbuckler, Strategist, and straight jacket Maddog bash heads as they form the first SAS regiment in Libya behind Axis lines. Each actor plays their respective role brilliantly, however O'Connor brings forth a performance like none he has done before. When you think of actors who are type casted as soldier or military men, O'Connor is definitely apart of that list. Especially with his performances in 71, The man with the iron heart, and Unbroken. But as Paddy Mayne, we see a different sort of soldier. Though his take on the legendary Northern Irish soldier is fictionalised, it is no less stellar and complex. Suffice to say I felt like I was watching Tom Hardy. Whilst I doubt O'Connor was channeling Hardy, i was reminded of Hardy's performances as Alfie Solomons in Peaky blinders and Ron Kray in Legend.

The supporting cast is also well selected, including stars such as Sofia Boutella as French-Algerian spy Eve Mansour (Kingsman, Star Trek), Dominic West as intelligence officer Colonel Dudley Clarke (The Crown, The Wire), and Tom Glynn-Carney as SAS soldier Mike Sadler (The King, House of the Dragon). Also less well known Jacob McCarthy as SAS soldier Johnny Cooper performed very well. Acting as the SAS' Italian translator, he makes himself indispensable at checkpoints when posing as German soldiers.

I watched this mini series on a Friday night straight after work. I couldn't walk away from it so I binged in one sitting. And I recommend that you do the same or at least as soon as possible. Not enough people have seen this Series. However, it has been recently renewed for a second series. Despite the BBC not doing so immediately as I would've expected. I expect that a total of 3 seasons for this program would be natural fit. And I am excited to see what comes next.

Let's get one things straight, anyone with a decent level of WW2 knowledge will pick up on mistakes. Uniforms, weapons,kit,tanks,trucks and even the traits and likeness of the main characters. The BBC don't see to care much for accuracy anymore with their shows. However watch this as Band of Brothers meets Peaky Blinders and you're onto a winner. The characters are all played brilliantly if historically inaccurately. The way they interact with eachother is also very entertaining and has you rooting for this tag tag group from the off. The music in the backround has you tapping your toes as the SAS drive across the dessert on their way to pick a fight with the Axis forces. The gun fights while over the top are a good watch. Switch off and enjoy it for what it is. It's not a master piece like Band of brothers but let's face it what is...

I absolutely loved this. It was so well done. I thought it was a brilliant cast, some amazing acting and great music. It was a joy to watch this. What those men went through to help save this country. Such bravery. Would we have as many men and women willing to sacrifice themselves for this country today. ? I hope so. It was amazing to see how the SAS was formed. It was also good to see real black and white photos of the real SAS. I wish there were more shows like this. I'm glad it has a high rating as it deserves it.

I thought Alfie Allen was brilliant in it as were they all.

I wish my Dad had been here to watch it as he would have loved it.

What do you get when you mix Peaky Blinders with The Dirty Dozen? SAS Rogue Heroes!! Is it a serious take on the negativity of war? Absolutely not! It is a booze fuelled romp showing how the SAS came to be. If you want historical accuracy combined with a stern voiceover then please go and watch the accompanying documentary series on the BBC.

I loved it from the word go. Irreverent and funny with the storyline moving right along at a good pace. Perfect casting with plenty of familiar faces who fill out their roles wonderfully. The period details of uniforms and the locations look authentic and are just perfect. No skimping on the budget here! The effects are very good.

A wonderful tale of daring-do with the right amount of comedy thrown in to take the edge off of it.

Stick with it-you won't be disappointed. 👍

Fingers crossed it stays that way into the second season. An incredibly cool drama filled with British wit and elements of heartfelt poignancy. Loved every bit of the first season of this drama. Finally the BBC have done something right this year, though still not worth the licence fee (but then nothing is as it's a ridiculous tax that should be abolished!). Anyway back to the topic, I love anything Jack O Connell is in, absolutely one the best British actors in his generation. He was brilliant in his last BBC starring drama 'The North Water', though it was not nearly as well written or exciting as this brilliant piece of television. I've always felt that O Connell is incredibly underrated for the type of talent he is. I suspect if he had been a few inches taller he'd might of been a Hollywood star of the Cumberbatch league, esp after his starring roles in that Jolie Directed film and the brilliant Netflix production 'Godless'. O well I'm just glad he's still getting good roles regardless of his 'star' status in Hollywood.

Not sure what is with all the low reviews but I found it entertaining and different to all the other war related Drama.

Yeah some of it was ridiculous and bloated but that is what made the series unique. Episode 1 was odd but when the show got going it gave me exactly what I wanted. I'm already keen for a second season!

All of the Characters throughout made it fun and interesting and you can't help but love Jack O'Connell and his role. He's hilarious and definitely makes the show!

Once the action hits you can't help but laugh at some of the script and comments. I personally found this exactly what I was looking for from a show this week. I'd describe this show as refreshing and fun.

This seems like a World War 2 show written for millennials.....Style wise.....Everyone seems to be trying to push the cool button a little too hard in this........it had tremendous potential but in the end its just lacking because of this method of writing....... Seriously when you need that much AC/DC music during multiple action scenes you are compensating........And I like AC/DC they just dont mix well with a WW2 Era show in multiple scenes in multiple episodes.....Still a descent show with another notable performance from Jack O'Connell who was very good in this show and even better in The North Water......Watch that show its better than this one......

The first series was tolerable, the second isn't.

Every episode starts with the punchy headline: "This is not a history lesson"! Immediately, this imposes itself as a sort of own goal - the writers are seemingly surrendering to the audience that they perceive themselves unable to produce a series that is entertaining whilst remaining historical. In fact, quite predictably, the writers produce a tv series far less interesting than the history they spurn.

Much of the series is not actually depictions of battle but instead extensive scenes of dialogue. This is a problem, as the writers are completely devoid of any talent for dialogue. The dialogue reads as if written by an 8-year-old, who, having recently discovered the concept of a metaphor, attempts to impress his teacher by writing solely in that form. The result is excruciating. There is not a single line of believable dialogue in the entire series. Every sentence uttered is not something an actual human being would say, but the product writers endlessly trying to generate 'profound' and 'poetic' statements to impress viewers - the approach is to generate a mass and hope some stick.

Yet, none of this dialogue, which begs to be accepted as profound, comes close to working. The writers fail to generate any scenes of dialectic intrigue, suspense, or tension. Similarly, the series does not have a single poignant or poetic moment. Any moment of reflection is either brutishly shouted by Paddy Mayne or drowned out by the rock music soundtrack that plagues the series throughout. Despite the Paddy Mayne character regularly quoting poetry, it is always unbearably bellowed in monotone shouts, regardless of the poem or context in which the recital takes place. This is surely a projection of the writers' own lack of poetic and literary aptitude, given that the real Paddy Mayne was known for his poetic sense and thoughtfulness.

Indeed, the entirely one-dimensional depiction of Paddy Mayne as a drunken and angry brute is a low point of the series, becoming painfully derivative and unwatchable in places. Aside from this portrayal of Tommy Shelby *sorry, Paddy Mayne*, the "creators of Peaky Blinders" enjoy depicting all the SAS combatants as akin to thugs belonging to a gang, rather than the well-educated and softly-spoken gentlemen that populated much of the British special forces. Indeed, the series lacks any authenticity. Nobody in the series speaks how 1940s British Army soldiers would have spoken. In this regard, the audience is never allowed to sink into the series and suspend their disbelief. This is not the SAS, but the Peaky Blinders on holiday in Italy.

Disappointingly, the series is a rare and missed opportunity to tell a powerful and fascinating story. In future, the BBC needs to do two things: (1) only employ writers who are interested in and respect the period and people about which they write, (2) don't patronise viewers by plying them with endless anachronistic swearing and rock music. Instead, acknowledge that people are interested in compelling and authentic history and dialogue.

Having watched all 6 episodes of this new series, I can confidently say each chapter continues to build upon the established foundations of its previous installment with a genuine energy & enthusiasm I can't help but appreciate; creator & executive producer Steven Knight partners with the brilliant director Tom Shankland & together, the two of them have taken a risk & approached this adaptation in refreshingly self aware way with their artistic representations of historical events which seem (for the most part) utterly absurd, so neither try & depict them as anything other than that.

In fact "SAS: Rogue Heroes" unapologetically embraces its quirkiness & revels in its own peculiarity, confronting the craziness of its protagonists (& the surreal circumstances they regularly find themselves in) head on, having the bravery to simply enjoy the silliness of its own premise & therefore, never feels the need to compensate by over explaining or complicating anything, trying too hard in order to sell the outlandish narrative to prospective audiences who are watching etc. Ultimately, you either believe it or you don't, it doesn't really care - as long as you're having fun. Any further research (for accuracy) can be done in your own time - but the launch is too busy reflecting the majority of its characters, defying orders & rebelling against conventionality, happily doing its own thing - in spite of what others may think of its creative choices.

Of course, I can comprehend that shift in tone & direction may be a shock for fans of Knight's previous hit "Peaky Blinders" (distinctively serious in its brooding melancholy) since they've grown accustomed to similar "vibes" consistently being present throughout other projects (helmed by the writer) like "Taboo" & his macabre retelling of "A Christmas Carol" (until it almost predictably became his brand) but this arguably seems like the antidote; an audacious divergence from what we'd typically expect from him, acting as a pleasing palette cleanser which is far less heavy & easy to digest. Of course, that's not to everyone's personal tastes (so nobody is obligated to be satisfied by this sudden differentiation), but I like it - & think others shall too. After such a massive cultural phenomenon, I'd additionally argue this thematically feels like the perfect follow-up to that high point in his career; chronicling an ensemble of young, underestimated, mismatched, rag-tag underdogs (descendants from legends) who wish to thrive, carving out a new legacy in their own space, stepping out from under their forebear's shadows, liberating themselves from what they perceive to be the stifling shackles of "normality" & solidifying a possible future whilst freeing each other of the burden of expectation from what came before, in the past. Quite fitting, considering the circumstances of its release, wouldn't you say? One could even surmise the message it conveys is deliberate - especially since tales of journeying in to the desert are often synonymous with finding one's self again, after grappling with loss of / identity.

This is about the origins of the SAS is it all 100% is it hell. Heres the thing a whole bunch of the negative reviews bumble on about this slating the good names of the men involved. Two observations on that front , 1 do you honestly think the Stirling family amongst others would allow there relative amongst the others to be made an ass of ? Not a chance. 2 is this show a drama - Yes - are dramas which tell you at the outset "mostly true" 100% true - Nope. 3 - we have remeberance sunday to remember the fallen shows like this help keep the memory of those hard battles alive. 4 is war polite and pretty and clean - get a grip. 5 - battles like that are fought in dirt and blood and sacrafice - soliders back then as now werent all David niven caricatures all toodle pipping and jolly old chapping and off to the mess for a tipple at the end of the day, Yes steven knight has added a peaky blinders razor edge to the dialogue and the pace of the story but they make for good adventures where the cards are all on the table britian was on the brink and some clever , hard battle savvy men managed to stop the nazi war machine from winning. All in all suspend disbelief , suspend getting your knickers in a twist and enjoy it for what it is - a cracking show worth a watch with some great performances from seasoned and up and coming actors.

Firstly, let's get the 'millstone' of the contemporary music out of the way. At first it surprised and disappointed me but I have to say as the series progressed, it grew on me immensely and I believe added to the programme. And yes, of course, there's elements of poetic licence involved but again, I didn't feel it detracted from anything. Overall, I think most of the historical facts are adhered to and I love the acting and storylines. Ben McIntyre -an outstanding journalist and author- who wrote the book upon which this is based, was also involved in the series and as I haven't read any dissent from him, I'm guessing he's relatively happy with it. Bottom line, I found it entertaining. Thumbs up from me.

Positively the best TV show/series that I have watched in a long time.

Glad to see something entertaining on TV again, with some real history behind it.

Actually, really great to see our heroes portrayed as heroes as well. Something we have not seen on TV for a while.

Add to this, an amazing Sound track.

The show does not pander to the usual, tokenism that we get associated with everything on UK TV these days.

Really wish, the likes of BBC etc would start to make more shows like this.

Can't wait to watch series 2.

The show has made me go out and buy the book by David Sterling, which I would recommend for anyone with interest in reading more on the background of the SAS.

It is historically true that many decisions made by the generals in charge of battles throughout history made absurd decisions. This show depicts the frustration felt by those in the line of fire. For Australians, Gallipoli is a prime example. As the books describe, this is the beginning of what are to become special forces. Men who could see what was needed and decided to do it even though it wasn't approved of by their superiors. I liken this to Catch 22, another depiction of the absurdity of war. This is an engaging, fast paced series that builds with every episode and doesn't hesitate not to toe the party line in its depiction of war. It just gets better!!

"we knew these people, they deserved more".

Hmm, yes , we did know these people (and still do today, those that are left) Yes they _always_ deserve more given their sacrifice but this was IMO a decent portrayal, a worthy hommage.

(I watched the whole series not just the first 5 mins).

So, there's a modern soundtrack and the language is modern but guess what, so is the audience.

Def. A whole lot more accurate than the vast majority of war movies and tv shows that I was brought up on.

Those people dissing this series really need to either get a life or remove the sticks from up their asses.

Contains all the tropes and trademarks of series 1, but also brings in some of the worst aspects of Peaky Blinders and other BBC preoccupations.

Now Series 1 was a rare thing: a truly well-paced and well-funded British action series that seemed to do justice to the almost unbelievable - but true - creed of the regiment it portrayed.

Series 2 is none such. The pacing is poor, with too much low-grade introspection and posing, visually and orally, betwen short bursts of slow, underfunded skirmishing. Termoli was a major tank battle, but is represented by a couple of sad looking 'Panzers' trundling into the town square and being taken out by rpgs at close quarters, whilst our erstwhile madmen heroes attempt to repel the counter-attack by defending a hopeless fixed position until being rescued, hiding behind sandbags in the town square and failing to check and secure the bell tower where lurks an enemy spotter. This is not the way the regiment's reputation was won, and this depiction just comes across as a cheap stunt.

Speaking of cheap stunts, why do directors and special effects people always want vehicles to be blown up into the air when hit by a shell? It can happen, but the laws of physics generally predict otherwise.

The beach head invasion of Sicily was the most tense and extended action, although I was puzzled that neither side seemed to commit any aircraft at this crucial juncture. Air support is entirely absent from the series, and the only appearance of fighters at all is when a couple of Messerschmitts turn up at an alfresco lunch at the request of the local mafia, shoot a couple of neat lines down the middle of the trestle table, miss everyone, and suffer one loss to handheld ground fire. Yes, well I'm fine with the 'not a history lesson' concept, but at this point you feel that the whole thing is being done entirely for style.

Overall, it was nearly six hours of drama, and a lot of it was frankly boring. You can have too much of a pastiche recreation of Paddy Mayne stomping about trying to convince us all he's criminally insane but with a sometimes useful death wish.

I would have given this another star if they had made it into a returning series.

This is the best war series to come out in a long time but only 6 episodes just leaves the viewer wanting for more.

If there is a negative it's that too many scenes were just too dark to be able to see all the action but this has become a plague that has spread throughout the whole of the industry thanks to technology that allows for capturing an image with available light and, seemingly, directors and editors unable to realize that not everyone has a complete movie studio in their living room! But.....

Anyhow, GREAT SERIES and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of war stories.

Series tries too hard to paint the new SAS as a Biker gang in sort of uniforms. I think misses the British Officer Class dynamic in the 1940s. The Paddy Mayne character is an over the top rebel with the King's Commission. Anyway I was always used to the Jack Hawkins, Denholm Elliott, David Niven, Kenneth More style portrayal of the British, maybe they were too sanitized though, too stiff upper lip? That is the stereotype. Good show to keep the History alive. Story seems to align with the Wikipedia version of the SAS and of course any film needs some artistic license. Will season 2 carry on with the SAS in Europe? Mayne becomes a central and heroic figure, that's not really a spoiler.

I was so excited when I first heard of this show but from the first episode it quickly became a struggle to watch. Lots of long winded and irrelevant dialogue, one dimensional characters with some awful accents that I found painful to listen to, along with punk-rock music which felt out of place, and most action scenes were just silly. It's like the whole thing was written by a 12 year old. On the plus, costumes and locations were good.

The BBC had a great opportunity to tell an amazing true story, I guess they were trying put a fun spin on events and it seems a lot of people enjoyed it. For me, I would have loved to watch a grittier and realistic depiction of war that paid more respect to those who served in the true events.

When you look at some old war movies, some people say, "They don't make them like that anymore," but they do, they did--well, not a movie but a six part series. We had just finished watch the Woodstock documentary, and felt like this was a continuation. The music makes it. It makes you feel like you are one of the guys in the 1940's. The music conscripts you in with these crazy soldiers who would have not be out of place in Woodstock. Yet, somehow, the characters blend an English prig, an Irish fighter, a Jewish Frenchman, and a German who's on "our side." It's a series where men get to be men, and you get to see what happens when they do.