Over There

Steven Bochco's 2005 FX Network series centering on a squadron of U.S. troops on duty in Iraq was certainly no success in the ratings sense, lasting only half a season before it was cancelled. But it was a noble failure, filled with extraordinary intensity and imagery, as well as an unparalleled degree of historical immediacy. Arguably, one of the main reasons Over There never caught on was that as the real-life occupation dragged on and American confidence in the mission in Iraq deteriorated, it simply became more and more painful to watch such an uncompromising dramatization of the debacle. Of course, the show didn't survive long enough to allow its stable of characters to develop the depth and complexity found in other long-running Bochco series such as Hill Street Blues or NYPD Blue, but the 13 episodes included in this four-disc set feature enough memorable moments to make one regret its too-quick demise. DVD extras include audio commentaries on three episodes (one by several of the actors; another by co-creators/co-producers Chris and Joan Gerolmo; and the third by the show's U.S. military advisor and Iraqi advisor), an 80-minute documentary on the weeklong shoot of what became the final episode, and the featurette “Weapons Debriefing,” describing the various guns carried by squad members. Recommended. (F. Swietek)