The editing is to do with Taiwan’s censorious TV laws (a nipple! the fabric of society will be torn asunder!), not HBO’s original show - their US broadcast will be uncut. I watched a couple of episodes of The Wire on Taiwanese cable - they completely butchered some of the best scenes and dialogue to sate Taiwan’s moral guardians.
The box det is the real deal, for sure. I meant watching the episodes on HBO in Taiwan. I agree about waiting for the DVD set, for there is no comparison between the two.
If one watches a DVD made by HBO, I’m not sure that one can say one is watching it “on HBO”, which to my mind refers to the tube. It makes more sense to say one is watching “a(n) HBO DVD”, or “a DVD made by HBO”.
But what do I know. I’m trying to quit smoking, and my mind is in blender mode. It’s all a little confusing. I can’t even type properly. My fingers feel like they’ve got huge E.T.-like nodules on them. And I feel like phoning home.
Strange days, indeed. "AcK!
So you actually watch the re-runs on cable?
I like Day of Days and Crossroads. They seem the most historically accurate, with less Brit-bashing or overt hype about the quality of the American Army at that time.
And don’t ask me about historical accuracy, I’ve never even been to Europe. They could have purple aliens from Mars, for all I know. I actually watch to learn. And ask. And go read and search. But what do I know? Nothing.
So… Band of Brothers is now on Netflix and I started rewatching the series whenever I can find the time.
I just realized Band of Brothers’ biggest factual error has a connection with Taiwan.
The third episode focused on Albert Blithe of E company, who was so shocked by the ordeals of their jump that he was incapable of fighting for most of the episode, even to the point of losing his eyesight due to “hysterical blindness”. After Winters’ warm words Blithe’s eyesight returned, but he was still unable to fight throughout the night while they were being shelled in their foxholes. After some encouragement the next day he was finally able to make his first kill. Despite gaining his courage back and soon volunteered for a scout mission, he was hit by a sniper in his right shoulder, very close to his neck. The episode ends by sayings Blithe never recovered and passed away in 1948.
The problem is Blithe lived. Despite missing out on the rest of WW2, he recovered, volunteered again for the Korean War, jump into a division of PVA with the 187th, and still lived. He was awarded a total of 3 Purple Hearts, 3 Brown Stars, and one Silver Star by the end of his military career.
After Korean War ended, Blithe was sent to Taiwan to work for MAAG, probably instructed airbornes. In Taiwan he received Taiwan’s master jump wings for having completed over 100 jumps in Taiwan.
Blithe felt ill in Bastogne and later died in a hospital in Germany. Not during WW2, but in 1967 when he went there for an event commemorating the Battle of the Bulge. He was admitted with a diagnosis of a perforated ulcer. He died in the intensive care unit on December 17 after surgery, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors.
The books and the series got it wrong because Guarnere and another guy thought he died in 1948 and claimed they attended his funeral.