Mail Call
Encyclopedia
Mail Call was a television program
appearing on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey
, a retired United States Marine Corps
Staff Sergeant
, (given the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant
in May 2002). The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup. Most episodes were 30 minutes, but 2007 through the show's end in 2009 some episodes were 60 minutes.
During each episode, Ermey read and answered questions submitted by viewers regarding weapons and equipment used by all branches of the U.S. military now or in the past, as well as by other armed forces in history. Ermey often took his viewers on location to military training areas to film demonstrations. When not on location, Ermey broadcasted from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military gear which have changed throughout the series.
Comic relief was provided as Ermey inflicted DI
-style verbal abuse on his viewers or tested the effects of various weapons on watermelon
s (the host's "sworn enemy") and paint cans, as well as occasional appearances of "Mini-Lee", an action figure
styled in Ermey's likeness, often seen berating a luckless G.I. Joe
figurine. His demeanor as host was similar to the character "Gunnery Sergeant
Hartman" portrayed by Ermey in the Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket
, though this attitude was shown only towards his viewers (e.g., insisting that his viewers return after a commercial break) and not the military special guests. Older viewers might have compared him to Sergeant Vincent Carter, a character in the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
television program.
The program had had several DVD
video releases, including episodes from seasons one through seven, as well as a blooper
video called Mail Call: S.N.A.F.U.
.
-era radio program. It was created by the Armed Forces Radio Service and debuted August 11, 1942. It featured celebrities of the day and was meant as entertainment for American overseas forces featuring music, comedy and sketches. Command Performance, G.I. Journal, Jubilee and G.I. Jive are similar WWII era radio variety programs.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
appearing on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
, a retired United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
, (given the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
in May 2002). The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup. Most episodes were 30 minutes, but 2007 through the show's end in 2009 some episodes were 60 minutes.
During each episode, Ermey read and answered questions submitted by viewers regarding weapons and equipment used by all branches of the U.S. military now or in the past, as well as by other armed forces in history. Ermey often took his viewers on location to military training areas to film demonstrations. When not on location, Ermey broadcasted from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military gear which have changed throughout the series.
Comic relief was provided as Ermey inflicted DI
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
-style verbal abuse on his viewers or tested the effects of various weapons on watermelon
Watermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
s (the host's "sworn enemy") and paint cans, as well as occasional appearances of "Mini-Lee", an action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
styled in Ermey's likeness, often seen berating a luckless G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
figurine. His demeanor as host was similar to the character "Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
Hartman" portrayed by Ermey in the Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
, though this attitude was shown only towards his viewers (e.g., insisting that his viewers return after a commercial break) and not the military special guests. Older viewers might have compared him to Sergeant Vincent Carter, a character in the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
television program.
The program had had several DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
video releases, including episodes from seasons one through seven, as well as a blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
video called Mail Call: S.N.A.F.U.
SNAFU
SNAFU is an acronym that stands for situation normal: all fucked up. It is sometimes bowdlerized to all fouled up or similar. In simple terms, it means that the normal situation is in a bad state, as it always is, therefore nothing unexpected. It is usually used in jest, or as a sign of frustration...
.
Production
"Mail Call" was produced by Digital Ranch in Sherman Oaks, CA, for A&E Networks. Key production staff include:- Rob Kirk - Executive Producer
- Rob Lihani - Executive Producer
- Bill Rogin - Executive Producer
- Rob Beemer - Supervising Producer
- Keith Guinto - Coordinating Producer
- Harlan Glenn - Director / segment producer
- Susan Michaels - Writer
- Tony Long - Writer
- David Aykens - Director/segment producer
- David Cargill - Producer
- David Connelly - Coordinating producer
- Scott Corburn - Co-producer / Segment producer
- Ann Hackett - Supervising producer
- Mike Phillips - Co-producer
- Mike Vincenti - Co-producer
- Martha Sloan - Co-executive producer
Radio
"Mail Call" also was the name of a popular World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era radio program. It was created by the Armed Forces Radio Service and debuted August 11, 1942. It featured celebrities of the day and was meant as entertainment for American overseas forces featuring music, comedy and sketches. Command Performance, G.I. Journal, Jubilee and G.I. Jive are similar WWII era radio variety programs.
Mail Call Origin
"Mail Call" is drawn from the military practice of the same name where soldiers assemble to receive mail from a designated person, who will call each soldier's name in turn to pick up their mail.See also
- Lock N' Load with R. Lee ErmeyLock N' Load with R. Lee ErmeyLock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey is a television program on History that discussed the development of military weaponry throughout the centuries. It was hosted by R. Lee Ermey. In a typical episode, Ermey focused on one specific type of weapon or weapon system, presenting key advancements in its...
, a show with a similar premise also hosted by Ermey