Generation Kill Information

Generation Kill is a British-American television miniseries (7 episodes) produced for HBO, based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the U.S. Marine Corps' 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon and Ed Burns. The series premiered on July 13, 2008. It was produced by Andrea Calderwood.

Production

The cable channel HBO gave the go-ahead to a seven-part miniseries, based on Evan Wright's book about his experiences as an embedded reporter with the U.S. Marine Corps' 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the Iraq War's first phase. The series is set during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, from late March 2003, to early April 2003. The mini-series was shot over a six-month shoot from mid-to-late 2007 in South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia. The primary production value aspired to was authenticity.

Crew

David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire) co-wrote and executive produced the project alongside Company Pictures' George Faber and Charles Pattinson (Elizabeth I) and HBO's Anne Thomopoulos (Rome). Andrea Calderwood (The Last King of Scotland) was the producer; Nina Noble (The Wire) served as co-executive producer. Author Evan Wright was credited as a consulting producer. Robert Harris was the Production Designer. A former U.S. Marine, Eric Kocher, served as the production's military advisor, and also starred in the series. Susanna White and Simon Cellan Jones directed the episodes of the series.

Cast and characters

See Characters of Generation Kill for more information There were 28 starring cast members with a large supporting cast. The majority of the characters were drawn from the Second Platoon of the First Reconnaissance Battalion's Bravo Company. Lee Tergesen played embedded reporter Evan Wright. Wright was assigned to the lead vehicle of Bravo Company, which he shared with Sergeant Brad 'Iceman' Colbert, played by Alexander Skarsgård, Corporal Josh Ray Person, played by James Ransone and Lance Corporal Harold James Trombley, played by Billy Lush.

Other second platoon starring characters include: First Lieutenant Nathaniel Fick, played by Stark Sands; Sergeant Antonio 'Poke' Espera is played by former U.S. Air Force airman, Jon Huertas; Hospital Corpsman Second Class Robert Timothy 'Doc' Bryan played by Jonah Lotan; Corporal Evan 'Q-Tip' Stafford played by Wilson Bethel; Pfc. John Christeson played by Daniel Fox; Corporal Walt Hasser played by Pawel Szajda; Gunnery Sergeant Mike 'Gunny' Wynn played by Marc Menchaca; Corporal Gabriel 'Gabe' Garza played by Rey Valentin; Corporal Jason Lilley played by Kellan Lutz; Sergeant Leandro "Shady B" Baptista played by a U.S. Army soldier, Mike Figueroa; Sergeant Larry Shawn 'Pappy' Patrick played by Josh Barrett; Sergeant Rodolfo 'Rudy' Reyes portrays himself; Corporal Anthony 'Manimal' Jacks is played by Rich McDonald; and Corporal James Chaffin is played by Eric Ladin.

The First Reconnaissance Battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen 'Godfather' Ferrando, played by Chance Kelly. Bravo Company as a whole falls under the command of Captain Craig 'Encino Man' Schwetje played by Brian Patrick Wade. Bravo Company's third platoon is commanded by the erratic Captain Dave 'Captain America' McGraw played by Eric Nenninger.

The battalion's Sergeant Major, John Sixta, is played by Neal Jones. Alpha company is commanded by Captain Bryan Patterson, played by Michael Kelly. David Barrera plays Gunnery Sergeant Ray 'Casey Kasem' Griego, Bravo Company's operations chief. Benjamin Busch portrays Major Todd Eckloff, the executive officer of the battalion.

Other starring cast members include Owain Yeoman as Sergeant Eric Kocher, a long-suffering team leader under the command of Captain America; J. Salome Martinez Jr. as Corporal Jeffrey 'Dirty Earl' Carazales; Nabil Elouahabi as the battalion translator Meesh; and Robert John Burke as Major General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, who is Ferrando's superior. The real-life Eric Kocher portrays another Marine (Gunnery Sergeant Rich Barrott) who drives Captain Patterson's command Humvee in Alpha.

Episodes

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
LineColor = C0C0C0 }}	LineColor = C0C0C0 }}	LineColor = C0C0C0 }}	LineColor = C0C0C0 }}	LineColor = C0C0C0 }}	LineColor = C0C0C0 }}	LineColor = C0C0C0 }}

Music

The series has a large collection of music. Much of it represents music that was popular among the American populace in late 2002 and early 2003. The newer music (in the show's context) serves to illustrate pop-culture during the time of the invasion. All of the songs are sung a cappella by cast members, with the exception of Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around", and Josh Ray Person's "Re-Up Time".

Episode 1: Get Some

"Merry Christmas from the Family", by Robert Earl Keen

"Sk8er Boi", by Avril Lavigne

"Lovin' You", by Minnie Riperton

"Use Me", by Bill Withers

Episode 2: The Cradle of Civilization

"Beyo?lu", by D.J. Kambo

"The Marines' Hymn", Traditional

"Smoke Signals", by Dada Flair

"Complicated", by Avril Lavigne

"Bodies", by Drowning Pool

"Boyz-n-the-Hood", by Dynamite Hack

"Hot in Herre", by Nelly

Episode 3: Screwby

"Hot in Herre", by Nelly

"It Was a Good Day", by Ice Cube

"Tainted Love", by Ed Cobb

Episode 4: Combat Jack

"I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die", by Country Joe and the Fish

"Attahaddiat", by Kadhum Al Sahir

"Entaha Almeshwar", by Kadhum Al Sahir

"Copenhagen Song", by Josh Ray Person

"Teenage Dirtbag", by Wheatus

Episode 5: A Burning Dog

"On the Road Again", by Willie Nelson

"Sundown", by Gordon Lightfoot

"My Cherie Amour", by Stevie Wonder

"Gangsta Gangsta", by N.W.A

Episode 6: Stay Frosty

"It Ain't Easy", by Tupac Shakur

"Let Me Ride", by Dr. Dre

"Fuck tha Police", by N.W.A.

"Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", by Ed Bruce

"Can I Kick It?", by A Tribe Called Quest

"So Fresh, So Clean", by Outkast

Episode 7: Bomb in the Garden

"9 to 5 (Morning Train)", by Sheena Easton

"Come Sail Away", by Styx

"King of the Road", by Roger Miller

"Re-Up Time", by Josh Ray Person

"The Man Comes Around", by Johnny Cash

Critical reception

Generation Kill was nominated for a total of 11 Emmy Awards, winning three in 2009.

Entertainment Weekly gave the series an "A-" rating, with critic Ken Tucker remarking favorably on its avoidance of cliché, self-consciousness and agenda-driven storytelling; and praising its execution, nuance, and verisimilitude. Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote that "the seven-part Generation Kill is what you'd hope for from the people behind The Wire: an honest, barely adorned, sometimes painfully vivid representation of life as we live it now. It's journalism converted to art, with both benefiting". Adam Buckman of the New York Post was not as impressed, describing the series "as dull and throbbing as a severe headache".

A red carpet screening of Generation Kill was held for U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton in California, where the series was favorably received.