Ultimate Force

"That series was such fun to make. It was a real lads' drama. We got to play rugby, handle lots of weapons and chat to the SAS advisors on set."

In 2003, Richard Armitage joined the cast of the ITV series Ultimate Force, playing Captain Ian Macalwain in a recurring role in the second series.

Ultimate Force was an ITV drama created around former EastEnders star Ross Kemp. It told the story of Red Troop, a crack SAS team, and was co-created by Chris Ryan, a former SAS soldier who served in the 1991 Gulf War. Kemp played Sergeant Henno Garvie, leader of Red Troop, while Richard Armitage played the Troop's officer, who rapidly became unpopular with the men and clashed repeatedly with Henno.

Ultimate Force is an action adventure series that probably appeals more to men than to women. Since Chris Ryan was an advisor on the first two series, it's supposedly a reasonably accurate portrayal of life in the SAS. But he and several members of the main cast left the show after series 2, and the show became less successful in its final two series.

Links

Wikipedia's entry for Ultimate Force

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