I love "Bluestone 42" Series 2/3

Isn't it great when the second season maintains the quality of the original series? I reckon the second was even an improvement. Funnier, richer characters (e.g. Bird, Nick, the Lieutenant-Colonel), great new characters (Tower Block) as well as suspenseful situations. What about that cliffhanger final scene?
Series 3 loses cynical Nick, gains keen-as-mustard Ellen, but it is the strongest and most consistent series so far. The puerile but lovable Scottish pair (Mac and Rocket) have developed a great comedy double act. Episode 5's the-net-beats-all-weapons was priceless.

"Bluestone 42" Series 2, 2014... Goodbye BBC3

Good to see the standard of "Bluestone 42" has been maintained in the second series. Richly drawn characters from a diversity of UK backgrounds, the clever single camera work and just the right balance between comedy and drama - in this show about 70-30 (I hate the term 'dramedy').

R.I.P. BBC3
So many inventive shows have been nurtured by BBC3 over the years ("Gavin and Stacey", "Torchwood", "Little Britain" and most recently the brilliant "Uncle"). It is a shame BBC3 will now be only online.

"Bluestone 42" review BBC3 Series 1 Episode 8 (final) TV series, Christmas episode

I gave this show another try. And I'm glad I did. I might watch the earlier episodes now. I can see why a second series has been commissioned. The humping goats intro scene was cute. The scene where multi-talented Millsy (Gary Carr) teaches  takes no-nonsense Bird (Katie Lyons) basic Pashto was Abbott & Costello-esque. Faruq is delightful. I like the tolerant Lieutenant-Colonel and the gormless Rocket. Nick (Oliver Chris) isn't the one-dimensional prick I thought he was in the first episode I watched. Will Padre Mary (Kelly Adams) get it on with Nick? The charred toucan says "Hoo" (Pashto).

The show is nicely photographed, the South African landscape looks great. I was surprised how taut the bomb disposal scene in the Mercedes was. I'm a sucker for the old snipping of the right wire cinema cliche.

Well written characters are always the key to a good sitcom. That's why this show is growing on me.
Update
Just watched Episode 1, very impressed. Why didn't I watch the earlier episodes?

Christmas episode 2013 was a delight. Discovering actors I now recognise from "The Paradise" and "Last Tango in Halifax". This show is a little gem.

"Bluestone 42" BBC3 Episode 7 review

Not sure about "Bluestone 42". It's got a lot going for it. A bold idea, looks great (South Africa doubling for Afghanistan), two of the writers of "Miranda" and nice performances from a diverse cast.
It just didn't grab me. I wanted to like it. Think "M*A*S*H" meets "It Ain't Half Hot, Mum" meets "The Hurt Locker" (especially the handheld camera bit during the bombing scene). The pointless conversations about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scrabble, Greggs and a block of cheese were diverting. The mix of comedy with the serious doesn't quite come off. I liked the Afghan's comment, "sure I'm on your side, you pay me".
And that's about it.