LOCK N’ LOAD: with R. LEE ERMEY
I’m sure many of you out there have the seen the film Full Metal Jacket, director Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War epic released in 1987. For those of you who have not seen it or have “seen parts of it” I’m sure even you will remember the dreaded drill sergeant (Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey) who is more or less the star of the fist half of the film and, by most opinions, the film’s best character…certainly its most memorable character to say the least.
Interestingly enough, this R. Lee Ermey guy is an actual United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and veteran of the Second World War. The guy fought at Iwo Jima…that’s pretty hardcore. He was originally hired to work on Full Metal Jacket as a technical advisor to the actor Kubrick’s people had hired to play Gunnery Sergeant Hartman but Kubrick thought Ermey was so much more convincing (and we was perfect for that part) they hired him to play the character on screen himself.
R. Lee Ermey is also no stranger to TV shows. He was the host of the History Channel’s hit show Mail Call, which debuted in 2002 and during each episode, Ermey would read and answer 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 takes his viewers on location to military training areas to film demonstrations. When not on location, Ermey broadcasts from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military survival equipment, which have changed throughout the series.
Now the History Channel has given R. Lee a brand new show, which is similar to Mail Call, called Lock N’ Load, which you can probably guess is a show more or less about guns. But there is so much more. The guy really does show off some crazy stuff and let’s face it, its always fun to watch someone blow something up or blow something away, even if it is a few watermelons on posts, and Lock N’ Load has plenty of that. Lock N’ Load discusses the development of military weaponry throughout the centuries. In a typical episode, Ermey focuses on one specific type of weapon (pistols, rifles, artillery, etc.), presenting key advancements in its technology and demonstrating their use with the help of experts. To date, he has also hosted episodes dealing with modes of transport, such as helicopters, tanks, and armored fighting vehicles.
When Ermey tries out a weapon, his targets include old cars, 55-gallon drums of fuel, “tom turkeys”, wooden poles, paint cans, and – in a holdover from his duties hosting Mail Call on the History Channel – watermelons.
So watch Lock N’ Load on the History Channel every Friday night at 10pm.
And don’t forget to check back here every day for our little TV blog. Until tomorrow, keep watching and keep coming back to www.tvchannelsfree.com to watch episodes of all your favorite TV shows for free!
