# Ultimate Force (2002)

> An elite British SAS unit, the Red Troop, is sent on dangerous covert combat missions.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/322

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 21
- Episode runtime: 70 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, war, drama
- Created by: Chris Ryan, Rob Heyland
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Ross Kemp, Miles Anderson, Jamie Draven, Christopher Fox, Alex Reid, Danny Sapani, Elliot Cowan, Heather Peace
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334874/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: tense, gritty, intense, physical, serious

## Synopsis

Ultimate Force (2002-2008) is a British military action series created by Chris Ryan and Rob Heyland for ITV1. Centered on the Red Troop, an elite unit drawn from the Special Air Service, the show follows soldiers led by Aidan Dempsey (Miles Anderson), with Henry Garvie (Ross Kemp) and Jamie Dow (Jamie Draven) among the men at the heart of its missions. Each episode is built around a covert combat operation, with the team infiltrating hostile territory, facing sudden danger, and relying on tight discipline and loyalty to finish the job. The series runs across four seasons and twenty-one episodes of roughly seventy minutes each, unfolding as a serialized military drama with recurring characters and escalating stakes. Its tone is tense, gritty and physical, with a focus on the strain of combat and the bonds formed under pressure. Set in contemporary Britain and the world beyond it, it appeals to viewers who enjoy grounded war stories and the pared-down realism of special forces operations, and fans of Spooks, Band of Brothers and 24 will find a similar appetite for high-stakes, team-driven action.

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