Series synopsis
Mail Call is an American documentary television series that premiered on History on August 4, 2002. It ended on May 25, 2007. It stars R. Lee Ermey.
Mail Call was a television program that appeared on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant,. The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup. Most episodes were 30 minutes, but from 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 t ...
Premise
Mail Call was a television program that appeared on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant,. The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup. Most episodes were 30 minutes, but from 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 broadcast from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military gear which changed throughout the series. At times, he would also have a bulldog - usually symbolic of Marines, especially drill instructors - on his show as well.
Comic relief was provided as Ermey inflicted DI-style verbal abuse on his viewers or tests the effects of various weapons on watermelons 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 and not the military special guests. Older viewers might compare him to Sergeant Vincent Carter, a character in the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. television program.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
Episodes
This series spans 9 seasons with 110 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 5 | August 14, 2005 | |
| Season 1 | 13 | August 4, 2002 | October 28, 2002 |
| Season 2 | 13 | December 15, 2002 | April 12, 2003 |
| Season 3 | 14 | July 6, 2003 | November 2, 2003 |
| Season 4 | 13 | January 11, 2004 | May 16, 2004 |
| Season 5 | 12 | July 11, 2004 | November 9, 2004 |
| Season 6 | 12 | March 4, 2005 | June 24, 2005 |
| Season 7 | 17 | September 16, 2005 | March 9, 2007 |
| Season 8 | 11 | March 2, 2007 | May 25, 2007 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SNAFU (Xtra-Salty Version) | |
| 2 |
Gunny's Deal of the Day Mail Call The Best of Season 2 Xtra Gunny's Deal of the Day |
|
| 3 |
D-Day Special D-Day Special |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Tank; Gatling Gun; Samurai Sword Steering a World War II tank; Gatling gun's speed; power of the samurai sword. |
August 4, 2002 |
| 2 |
Knight's Armor; WWI Backpack; Landmine Parts of 15th-century armor; World War I infantry backpack; ingredients of a land mine. |
August 11, 2002 |
| 3 |
Flak Vest; Medieval Crossbow; WWI Pilots Body armor; accuracy of a medieval crossbow; how World War I pilots shot through their propellers. |
August 18, 2002 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Grenade Launchers; Grape Shot; Shrapnel; D-Day Paratrooper Gear; Jet Packs Learn how grenade launchers work; how a .30 caliber machine gun compares to a .50 cal; watch Ermey behind the wheel of a Flyer 21; and discover the origin of the word shrapnel. |
December 15, 2002 |
| 2 |
Civil War Rifles; 1st Missile Sub; Navy Divers' Gear; Field Strip; Bowie Knife American Civil War rifles from both sides; the first missile fired from the deck of a sub; deep-sea and crush-proof suits; breaking down a weapon; the Bowie knife; the evolution of a hedgechopper. |
December 22, 2002 |
| 3 |
AVLB; Fulton Recovery System; Pilot Survival Kit; Trireme; Battleship Guns; Grapeshot The Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge; the Fulton Recovery System; a pilot's survival kit; the ancient Greek warship Trireme; battleship guns; grapeshot. |
December 29, 2002 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Live from the Gulf This episode was live in Kuwait. Gunnery Sgt. Ermey talked to the troops and answered questions. |
July 6, 2003 |
| 2 |
Super Stallion Helicopter; Flying Banana; Navy Hazing; Seabees; GI Jargon; Tank Ammo Helicopters; hazing ritual; building runways in the Pacific; the G-2; battle tank |
July 13, 2003 |
| 3 |
M-1 Garand Rifle; First Assault Rifle; JATO; Golden Knights Parachute Team; Barr Rifles; jet-assisted take-off; freefall parachute team; barrage balloons; military jargon. |
July 20, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Golden Knights; U.S. Air Force; Flying Tigers; Blood Chit; AC-130U Spooky Gunsh Lee jumps with the Golden Knights; history of the U.S. Air Force; Flying Tigers; blood chit; AC-130U Spooky gunship; P-61 Black Widow. |
January 11, 2004 |
| 2 |
Blimp; Miitary Shotguns; Navy Graveyard; Poop Deck Blimp; aerial reconnaissance during the U.S. Civil War; military shot guns; grapeshot revolver; Navy Graveyard; G.I. jargon: "poop." |
January 18, 2004 |
| 3 |
Guided Missile Destroyer; WWI Aircraft & Aces; Marine Corps FAST Teams Guided Missile Destroyer; World War I aircraft and aces; Marine Corps FAST Teams. |
January 25, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish-American War Rifle; Remembering the Maine; SR-71 Blackbird; U-2 Spy Plane; Training for Extreme Battlefield Conditions | July 11, 2004 |
| 2 | MP5; Three Types of Automatic Weapons; Marine Corps Paratroopers of World War II; Flag Raisers at Iwo Jima | July 18, 2004 |
| 3 | The Navy Marine Mammals Program; The Chain of Evacuation in World War II; WC54 Ambulance; The Desert Ducks | July 25, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballista; Pedersen Device; Peashooter | March 4, 2005 |
| 2 | NORAD | March 11, 2005 |
| 3 | Afghanistan | March 18, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MK-19 Grenade Launcher; PPSH-41; WWII Weasel; Vertijet | September 16, 2005 |
| 2 | Beach Master; DLI; Hooch; Eureka MPTGS Type 3 Tent; Cabanatuan Raid; Arisaka Rifle | September 23, 2005 |
| 3 | German Renaissance; 9mm Luger P-08; AFN; Battle of Britain | September 30, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ermey's Biggest Bangs New intro/Best of: M203 Grenade Launcher, Trebuchet, 1895 Colt Machine Gun, MP5 9mm Submachine Gun, M1 Garand Rifle, A4 .30 Cal Machine Gun, Claymore Mines, Knob Creek Gun Range |
March 2, 2007 |
| 2 |
Ermey's Hottest Rides New intro/Best of: Mid Air Refueling, Cobra Helicopter, Halftrack, The Jeep, Landing Craft Air Cushion Hovercraft (LCAC), Light Armored Vehicle, M5A1 Stuart Tank, 47ft motor life boat, promo - watermelon salesman |
March 9, 2007 |
| 3 | Pinnacle Armor; Apache Helicopter | April 6, 2007 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | History |
|---|---|
| First aired | August 4, 2002 |
| Last aired | May 25, 2007 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Friday at 22:00:00 |