Key details

Genres
Comedy Drama, Sitcom
Broadcast
2009
Channel
BBC Two
Episodes
7 (1 series)
Stars
Martin Jarvis, Doon Mackichan, Bruce Mackinnon, Joanna Brookes, Damian O'Hare, Lydiah Gitachu, Lucy Chalkley, Harry Lloyd and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Writers
Tira Shubart and Jon Rolph
Directors
Jon Rolph and Adam Miller
Producers
Tira Shubart, Jon Rolph and Jon Plowman
Company

An acerbic, authentic and caustic comedy drama that covers the entire progress of a small African war, as seen through the eyes of a team of journalists sending back the nightly reports for the BBC News at Ten.

Taking the Flak shows how journalists in war zones live in a state of perpetual danger not just from bombs but from disease, dysentery, bedbugs, bugged beds, their colleagues, their competitors and their loved ones, who are out of sight and out of mind. If they can't get themselves embedded with the army, they'll get embedded with each other.

The team includes the smooth, veteran correspondent; the harassed, but infinitely resourceful, producer; and the green and gauche rookie stringer. They're all dropped into a hotel and forced to choose between a room on 'the shooting side' and 'the mortar side'.

Football-mad boy soldiers, corrupt car dealers, intestinal discomfort, unexploded landmines, old flames, impromptu hostage situations, YouTube viral videos and colossal egos all combust under the African sun. There is a story to be told in Karibu - but who will get to tell it?

Additional details

Also known as
  • The Calais Rules (Working title)
Production
Studio
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 8th July 2009 at 9pm on BBC Two
All previous repeats
  • Tuesday 21st July 2009 at 2:00am on BBC1 - Episode 2
  • Tuesday 14th July 2009 at 2:00am on BBC1 - Episode 1

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