The Paras (1983)

The Paras was a 1983 BBC TV documentary series about British Parachute Regiment recruits of 480 Platoon undertaking their basic training between January and June 1982. The series aired on BBC1 in November and December 1983. It was later repeated in 1984, with an update on the platoon members' lives in the last episode. Written and presented by Glyn Worsnip, it was shot in the fly-on-the-wall style, giving the viewing public a unique insight to military life. The programme's timing could not have been better as it began filming just prior to the onset of hostilities of the 1982 Falklands War. The series was accompanied by a book of the same name written by the principal researcher Frank Hilton The series was accompanied by a score of military music written and arranged by Conn Bernard. Some of those recruits passing out in 1982 went on to have long and distinguished careers including Dean Ward and Rod Stoner. In addition one of the platoon staff corporals, Al Slater was later killed in Northern Ireland whilst a member of the SAS. This incident and some of this involvement in the SAS were described in two of Andy McNab's books Immediate Action and Seven Troop.