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TV series
Poster for Mail Call

Mail Call

2002–2007 · 8 seasons

A boisterous, informative romp where a growling host answers military trivia and blows things up, making history feel like a rowdy classroom.

Genres
Documentary
Starring
R. Lee Ermey
Overview
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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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Genres
Documentary
Starring
R. Lee Ermey
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • lightstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • campystrength 1 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • war
  • technology
  • education
  • violence
  • media
Places
  • military
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • documentary
  • procedural
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror0
Humour7
Realism8
Romance0
Tension2
Darkness2
Complexity2
Emotional weight2

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
documentary
Starring
R. Lee Ermey
Length
8 seasons, 105 episodes, 30 min each
Network
History
Languages
English

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