Eagle-eyed Radio Times<\/strong> readers regularly point out historical inaccuracies, wardrobe errors and anachronisms creeping into period dramas with a military theme. But why, when so much care and time are obviously taken, do such errors slip through?<\/p>\n On-set expert Paul Biddiss is no stranger to this question in his line of work, having spent 24 years in the British Army as a paratrooper before becoming a military adviser on TV series including Trigger Point<\/a>, Strike Back and War and Peace<\/a>, as well as Sam Mendes\u2019s First World War epic 1917<\/a> and forthcoming films Napoleon<\/a> and Gladiator 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe military adviser always gets blamed,\u201d says Biddiss. \u201cI can only say, \u2018We wouldn\u2019t do it like that,\u2019 but if a director wants to do something, they\u2019re going to do it. I try to get things as close to reality as I can, but nothing\u2019s ever going to be 100 per cent accurate. I\u2019m creating drama, not a documentary.\u201d<\/p>\n For Biddiss, the role is 60 per cent research and 40 per cent his experience of being a soldier. \u201cWeaponry and tactics change throughout the ages, but how a soldier reacts to a situation will be the same, whether they\u2019re carrying a spear, an M4 assault rifle or a lightsaber.\u201d<\/p>\n A military adviser is involved across the board \u2013 from helping with costumes and weapons to hiring extras, where Biddiss\u2019s selection process is nearly as tough as the Army\u2019s. So that stunts look realistic, he tests extras\u2019 physical and mental robustness before giving them rigorous training. Some extras have even enjoyed Biddiss\u2019s bootcamps so much, they\u2019ve joined the Army!<\/p>\n The ideal is to bring a military adviser into the writers\u2019 room, where everything can be thrashed out well in advance of filming. But tight budgets mean this doesn\u2019t always happen, and if there is no military adviser on set, it\u2019s inevitable that mistakes can occur.<\/p>\n Biddiss has also on occasion suggested rewrites. \u201cThe Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence get very worried about how drama series portray the military. No one\u2019s an angel, there are some bad eggs, but you\u2019ve got to give an honest representation.\u201d<\/p> ![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/09\/SB8807HS091620191363-c3fee29.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C459\" "\\"Paul")
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