This is the Boston Public of War shows. Or, if you prefer, the NYPD Blue of War shows.

Remember how on Boston Public there was always an “issue” that was taken as representative of school life in America that week? Or remember how NYPD Blue tried to balance serial drama of the characters with issues that normally were resolved within the 40+ minutes allowed per episode? (Or when Law and Order fell to that in its later years and spinoffs?) That’s Over There.

Over There completely ignores most war movies that exist since the ’70s – or at least the good ones – and especially Jarhead, the film that taught us what the “first” Gulf War was really like. Or maybe it tries to condense most of these war movie plots into too short periods of time, and just figures they can pretend each one happened to the same unit.

Anyway, the squad which is the focus of this show is taken to be representative to US soldiers in the “second” Gulf War. So one day they make the news when they shoot women and children. Another time they find $5 million. Another time they have a friendly fire episode. And every episode something happens. Never mind what you see in all those documentaries out there about the Iraq War. That’s not real. This is. Even though its clear the people who wrote this have never been in the army.

And to add to it, the creator wrote the theme song. It’s one thing if this song were supposed to be composed by a soldier, as we are told in the pilot. But then we get a theme-song-driven montage at the end of every single episode. The terrible lyrics wouldn’t be so noticeable if the song’s arrangement weren’t the most cliche thing I have ever heard. Ugh. Screenwriters: you are officially not allowed to write your own theme songs and perform them. Just because you think you can write a TV show doesn’t mean you can write music or lyrics.

Watch Generation Kill instead.