Vetting ‘Vetted’
Is television ready for today’s veterans?
I recently headed down to Tribeca Cinemas for a screening of “Vetted,” a television pilot currently being shopped around to the networks.
A comedy, it opens with a man, alone at the bar and sipping on a drink. It’s not long before a flirtatious young woman sits next to him and strikes up a conversation.
“What do you do, or hope to do?” she asks.
“Well, I'm a vet …” which leads to a bumbling conversation with her thinking he’s a veterinarian until he finally gets out that he was a Marine.
Trying to bounce back from her perceived disappointment, he quickly adds that he loves animals too and tells the story of a dog in Afghanistan.
“That’s adorable. Like a mascot. Did one of the guys bring bring her home afterwards?”
“No, no, no. We shot her.”
I’m sure you can guess how that ended for the Marine sitting at the bar.
“But it had rabies!”
Military life has been — for better or worse — brought to television audiences for decades. Shows like “Combat!” presented a gritty, view of war and the men who fight it. Others, like “McHale’s Navy”and “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” were strictly aimed at laughs.
And of course the most highly rated of all, “M*A*S*H*” is still airing in syndication, invoking laughter while posing underlying questions about war and America’s Cold War philosophy.
American television’s fascination with the military largely has hinged on seeing our troops in uniform — even for the most ridiculous shows like “JAG” (because military lawyers obviously can fly fighter jets in between filing legal briefs).
Now, there have been a few post-service portrayals of former military. More often than not, these vets are portrayed either as superheroes, or lunatic troublemakers. In the case of the “A-Team,” a mix of both.
Rarely though do we see a close to realistic depiction of the average Joe or Jane who has quietly, but honorably served their time — now ready to run down the American Dream.
Marine veteran, turned writer-director, Paul Mooney is looking to change that by introducing viewers to Danny Butler, a 29-year-old, recently-discharged artillery officer, who has just returned home to New York City.
“After having been off active duty for about a year, living through the usual transition woes and sick of the endless perception of our generation of veterans being sad, depressed, and half-crazy, I decided to write out some of my frustrations,” Mooney said. “I wanted to write something that reflected the lighter, everyday side of being a veteran and the funny things that come from dealing with everyday life after you've lived through the extreme. I'd rather have somebody listening to and laughing at my crazy stories than just patting me on the head and thanking me for my service.”
While Mooney’s protagonist could use a little work on his story-telling (at least those involving animals), he’s not represented as being broken. He is, however, living on his parents’ couch while struggling to translate the skills he used in the military to those meeting the needs of civilian employers.
Beyond seeing Danny sweat his way through a job interview, we also see him trying to reconnect with old friends. This is not always easy when lives have taken separate paths — journeys not normally involving the accidental bombing of a herd of sheep during a firefight.
Again, Danny’s not good with animal stories.
Plus, there’s Buck, Danny’s friend and fellow Marine, who joins him in NYC. Buck is a bit wild and nothing like Danny’s pre-Corps schoolmates. I can only imagine how this will play out in potential future episodes.
But can a show like this resonate with civilians? After all, it’s one thing for me, as a vet, to appreciate the joke comparing the National Defense Service Medal to a participation trophy. However, when you consider that less than 1 percent of Americans have served in the military post-9/11, is “Vetted” a bridge too far?
“I think civilians will watch this show for the same reasons people like any show with a basis in anything they don't have personal experience with,” said Mooney. “The characters and their drives are all relatable, even if most of them are veterans, and it’s the strength, and humor, of those that people enjoy in any TV show. You don't have to be an astronaut to love ‘Star Trek,’ a Korean War vet to chuckle at ‘MASH,’ or be whiny Manhattanite to own all of ‘Friends’ on DVD. People love shows like that because they relate to the people they see, even if they don't share their surroundings. Plus, it’s pretty funny.”
As I sat in the theater, I tried to gauge the reactions of those around me, a room filled with a mix of network execs and veteran group reps. And while there were moments that struck a stronger chord with the vets, there was steady laughter throughout.
Time will tell if there’s an audience for Mooney’s self-described “show about veterans, by veterans, for everyone.” Yet for at least one night in Tribeca, he succeeded in stripping away the veteran stereotype — reminding us that most of the time our veterans are just trying to get through the day like anyone else.
And as the show’s marketing materials state …
It’s just a bit harder when your old wardrobe is camouflage.
A number of nonprofit organizations are working hard to address the needs of returning veterans. Among them is the Bob Woodruff Foundation which is dedicated to ensuring that post-9/11 injured service members, veterans and their families are thriving long after they return home. BWF navigates the maze of more than 46,000 nonprofits serving veterans to find, fund and shape innovative programs meeting challenges in three key areas: Education and Employment, Rehabilitation and Recovery, and Quality of Life.
Vetted is written and directed by U.S. Marine and Afghanistan veteran Paul Mooney. The executive producer is a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran as well, and a handful of other staff and primary supporters are also veterans. The show is expected to enter several film festivals in 2015, and is currently vying for network attention. If you are interested in scheduling or attending a pilot screening in the New York City area or are a network representative and interested in viewing the program, please contact mooney.pauld@gmail.com. Follow for updates on Twitter @VettedTV .
