Too bad I don't get BBC.
Reality (TV) You Might Envy
The BBC on Monday debuted a new reality series called
"Spitfire Ace," featuring four young pilots learning to fly the famous World War II-era
aircraft. The four-part series follows four aspirants from diverse backgrounds
to see if they have what it takes to emulate the heroic achievements of their
predecessors, the pilots who defeated Hitler's Luftwaffe in the Battle of
Britain. The series also traces the history of the battle, which is credited
with saving Britain from a Nazi invasion, and reminds viewers of the meaning
of Winston Churchill's famous remark about the Normandy pilots: "Never in the
field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few." A
reviewer for
The Scotsman was less than thrilled by the show's first
installment: Descriptions of the Spitfire and its history were "long and ruddy
and complicated," according to reviewer Sarah Dempster, and the frequent
"inappropriate sexual analogies" were annoying. For example: One historian
described the airplane as "a sophisticated cat-walking glamour girl," and an
instructor barked at a student to "make love to the sky," Dempster reported.
