Lads' Army
A social experiment placing delinquent youths in 1950s military training.
ITV's reality show Lads' Army, later retitled Bad Lads' Army, Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class, and Bad Lads' Army: Extreme, was a social experiment rooted in history. It placed troublesome young men into the same conditions as 1950s British Army National Service conscripts, testing whether that environment could reform them. Kevin Whately narrated the first series, with Dennis Waterman handling narration from then until the programme ended in 2006. Within each series, a small number of recruits either walked out after a 24-hour cooling-off period or were ejected. The majority of those who stayed claimed some benefit, with some choosing to enlist in the real British Army afterward.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Reality
- Composer
- Daniel Pemberton
- Voices
- Kevin Whately (2002); Dennis Waterman (2004–2006)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 4
- Episodes
- 32
- Runtime
- 60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Sergeant Alistair Rae, who served as platoon sergeant for Montgomery, Churchill and Pegasus Platoons, died in November 2020 at age 62 due to COVID-19 complications.
- The format was exported to Italy and first aired there in 2021.
Format
Recruits received period uniforms, equipment, food, quarters, and training according to 1950s standards, with free time limited to NAAFI visits offering period refreshments and facilities. They formed a single platoon of two sections, each under a section commander—either Richard Nauyokas or Joe Murray. In series three, Glenn Thomas replaced Nauyokas, though Nauyokas still appeared as a relief corporal. Sections competed against each other to build competition, teamwork, and loyalty, with success bringing modest rewards and praise for whole-hearted effort. The NCOs and officers were all professional British soldiers. Each series varied slightly in format; series three trained volunteers to become officers, and series four trained them as paratroopers.
Series
Series one was filmed at Browndown Training Camp at Lee-on-Solent. After the series, contestant Michael Lowes suffered clinical depression following indecent exposure charges and died in 2010 at age 28 from an apparent suicide. Contestant Marcus Birks also died from COVID-19 in 2021 at age 40. Series two was filmed at New Zealand Farm Camp on Salisbury Plain. Series three returned to Browndown Training Camp. Series four was filmed at the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, renamed Sandford Army Camp for the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Lads' Army are there?
Lads' Army has 32 episodes across 4 seasons.
When did Lads' Army first air?
Lads' Army first aired on 3 June 2002.
When did Lads' Army end?
Lads' Army last aired on 29 August 2006.
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