The original post: /r/television by /u/Deserana12 on 2024-07-24 13:13:26.
I would give much money for Armando Iannucci of The Death of Stalin, Veep etc to make a show about this. The story is absolutely insane of a Russian fleet, made up entirely of inexperienced and horribly trained young men, who are led by a near sociopathic and high tempered Admiral, travelling to Japan to attack. And everything that can go wrong along the way, does.
The fleet itself consists of ships that are either falling apart or are so poorly built that when they’re in water, the weapons are always submerged. As the most experienced sailors all died in a prior surprise attack it is left to newbies to take the reigns. They also can’t be trained because their harbour is frozen solid. So naturally they all crash into each other the second they leave for Japan.
There are so many insane events that happen in this story, it is the definition of “it can always get worse”. The wider story expands to absolutely awful aim from everyone, they fire hundreds of thousands of rounds and barely hit anything. Almost starting wars with Britain along the way. Bringing aboard exotic pets to boost morale, such as lions, crocodiles and poisonous snakes. Bringing on cigarettes to boost morale, that are laced with opium. A ship going missing and that ship almost starting another war. And there is plenty of other things.
The best part is this highly strung, almost Basil Faulty-esque Admirial who had no patience whatsoever for the people he is in charge of, naming two of his inferiors as “The Manure Sack” and one “A vast empty Space”.
I know obviously people die in this story but it is such an insane series of events that I’m amazed no one has touched this gold mine of an opportunity. It could easily be a 5-episode miniseries in the style of Chernobyl except played as a comedy with an Admirial in complete despair about his situation and everything just going wrong around him. It’s why I mentioned the Death of Stalin. That style is perfect for this.