Sea Patrol

I'm watching this show after it's had its run through the Australian markets and making its way outward on HULU. It makes me want to see more Australian TV shows. The characters in Sea Patrol are great, and superb acting is the norm. I know to some it seems unrealistic, but of course it should be, as it's a fictional show. Whatever the case, it's very exciting, fun, funny, dramatic, romantic, and though not always heavy on the plot, it's great fun to follow the procedural events and military ventures. I am a military veteran myself though not a sailor, but it seems very real to me, despite the negative reviews that claim the contrary. On a personal level, the characters to me seem very real and remind me of many people that I happened to serve with myself, and some of the best memories of my life. The characters in this show interact so well that at times it's simply a blast to watch. It seemed that the show took somewhat of a hit after Season Three, which is my favorite so far, when it lost the first "Buffer", "Spider", and "Nav",but I still enjoy the show and will watch till the end. I hope to see more excellent Australian shows like this in the future, along with the many British high productions that my wife and I favor over the mindless, trashy junk that predominantly flows out of my own country.

Here I am in the USA in 2020, & despite so many other reviews (& I tend to agree with most -- the good, and the bad) feeling compelled to write my own review. I stumbled across the series on Amazon Prime just a few weeks ago, being somewhat intrigued because I'm interested in military stuff, and as a youth, I lived in Australia for about a year. The first one or two episodes were kind of slow, but I was fascinated by the show obviously having access to a modern Australian Navy Frigate or Patrol Boat, and the Australian accents and various coast/ocean shots made me nostalgic for Australia.

Over the past two months, I've watched all the episodes except the last couple, and absolutely, the plot lines have gotten somewhat stale & some of the tactics shown seem more like they're for the United Nations than the Australian Navy. I don't appreciate some of the political-correctness preaching either (illegal immigrants & fishing), but what's kept me enthralled is the plot lines between the people, and the the appreciation for a a show that can be popular, without having to resort to very graphic violence or sex, like most American shows have resorted to.

Feels weird to be so engrossed in the show & characters, knowing that what I'm watching is from 10+ years ago, and I know I'm going to be going through withdrawals in a few days, when I end up watching the final episode of the series.

In 2007, "Sea Patrol" blasted onto the Channel Nine program. At first I thought that it would definitely not be my thing, and was expecting a boring piece of junk. I was really pleasantly surprised.

This program has everything you could possibly want: action, drama, romance (if you're into that sort of thing), great writing, and more! It also has a stellar cast including: Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake, Saskia Burmeister, and Kristian Schmid (of Tomorrow People: New Generation fame).

If you are looking for Australian drama of exceptional quality, look no further than "Sea Patrol," "Sea Patrol II: The Coup" and "Sea Patrol III: Red Gold."

Over here in the Netherlands this series is behind the decoder. So no Dutch channel airs this show. While zapping I came across it and I got hooked. Of course it is not life in the war zone, but with the general problems: drugs, gunrunning. illegal aliens and all those islands nearby you can do a decent thing. OK, I admit, some episodes are a little obvious and boring but in general it is very watchable. Better than some US series we have over here. The interaction of men and women confined to a ships hull is nicely done and very recognizable. No gunslingers or nautical wonders, but just a group of people doing their daily job on the high seas. Just watched the last episode of season four. Hopefully it ill be continued next season

Given that you have to cram a lot more story into a TV show than happens in real life, they did an excellent job here. I relived the smell of hot oil in the engine room and salt spray on the bridge wings in a storm. The smell of coffee on the mid-watch, sunrise on the bridge during the morning watch. It brought back a lot of the best memories, especially in the brief glimpses of the frigates such as I served many years aboard, although the Aussies seem to consider FFGs as the LARGE combatants!

Small ships have tight crews, and I saw a very realistic portrayal of life aboard a warship (given plot constraints). Second season was much improved over the first in showing realistic chain of command relationships.