These comments are based on the 45-minute pilot episode of "SAM'S CIRCUS", and may contain spoilers.
I watched a Columbia Tristar official promo video of the final version pilot for "SAM'S CIRCUS", starring Tyler Christopher as Sgt. Samuel Van Handle "Sarge", Kevin Connolly as as Corporal John Rather "Little Sarge", Michael Greyeyes as Chief, John Hawkes as Gunner, Russell Sams as Wheels, and Richard Speight, Jr. as Bedpan. The actors playing Monte, Mooch, and Foster are not credited.
The story is told through the eyes of PFC Toland "Wheels", the 18-year-old greenie who first appears on-screen in a moving truck with his unit in Normandy, France, 21 days after D-Day, 1944.
Wheels is separated from his unit in a way that I won't reveal. It involves a brief cameo from an original "Band of Brothers" actor who is driving the truck.
Wheels is sent to join Sarge's unit - "Sam's Circus". (The term "Sam's Circus" is never used in the pilot.)
The unit's first mission is to take a German pillbox that is protecting a rocket launcher. This is the first combat assignment for Wheels.
The special effects for the rocket launcher are amazing.
Writer Bill Vought delivers with great gallows humor, frightening combat situations, and interesting characters dealing with kleptomania, alcoholism, cigarette addiction, and combat fatigue.
All members of the cast are excellent. The casting person for this series was on the money.
As "Little Sarge", Kevin Connolly brings energy to the screen in all his scenes, whether he is driving Wheels to the "Circus", explaining the million-dollar wound, or showing up with a "where did you get that?" flamethrower.
John Hawkes is interesting and disturbing as "Gunner", the soldier who allows his cigarette addiction to make him break The Code, and alienate the entire unit. (Nice macabre product placement for OLD GOLD Cigarettes.)
Michael Greyeyes has a great moment when "Chief" must explain Bedpan's drinking to Wheels.
As "Bedpan", Richard Speight is a convincing soldier and alcoholic, defending his drinking against verbal attacks from the unit.
The actor playing the pivotal role of Monte is also very good.
Tyler Christopher is outstanding as the low-key "Sarge", holding together his jaded and battle weary unit.
Russell Sams provides the narration and is perfect as greenie "Wheels". His reactions to his first day of real combat, and his scenes with the other soldiers are right on.
After watching the pilot a second time, I believe that this series should have been given a season run, in spite of its central problem - the audience not wanting to be part of this unit.
In "BAND OF BROTHERS", we started with the members of Easy Company as they went through basic training, and came to like most of them. We were left with a feeling of wanting to have served under Captain Winter.
The first episode of "Sam's Circus" is like starting "BAND OF BROTHERS" at episode 7 or 8, when Easy Company members have become hardened soldiers.
Except for greenie Wheels, Sarge's men appear to have seen too much combat. They do not react at all to the deaths of their fellow soldiers, until Gunner stirs things up. They also do not seem to like each other much.
Although Sarge is clearly a good and fair leader, I would not want to be in his unit. It is too depressing. Yet I would have stayed with the series for the scary and real combat scenes and missions, for the brief moments of humor, to see what Little Sarge was going to steal next, and to see what the hell was going on inside Gunner's head.
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