The Lower Ranks (2015 - 2016)

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About the time I started planning the first Murkum Show spin-off, Greasy Food with Gonce, I also decided that the parent show's third season would end with Murkum's retirement, and decided it would be followed by a second spin-off series, centred around the Gamma-3s (who would be banished to live at the Nice Charity Station by Murkum's successor) and provisionally titled The Lower Ranks.  There were a few minor technicalities, such as the fact that I didn't have a clue yet what would actually happen, but I chalked it in to follow Series 3 anyway.

In parallel to that thought process, I'd also been thinking it would be an interesting exercise to try and do a project, either as a comic strip or a video series, where the plot followed a prop or a piece of information as it got passed between various characters, rather than following the characters themselves.  I didn't end up doing this for The Lower Ranks as such, but the concept did help to inform the show's eventual shape, where seven out of the eight episodes are taken up with the Gammas' reaction to the threat of 'New Pains'.

The narrative wasn't quite as thorough as I'd hoped in terms of giving every single Gamma-3 an airing, but it did cover the majority of them, with about a dozen out of the 19-strong contingent getting speaking parts, and all of them at least having a couple of silent cameos.  It did, however, achieve what The Murkum Show Series 3 didn't when it came to the state of the set - there was some damage by the end of Series 3, but I'd stopped short of destroying the whole building; the Lower Ranks finale belatedly got round to finishing the job, with the set getting thoroughly trashed mid-way through shooting Episode 8.

Character Guide

Character photography by Sarah Johnston

Photo:	Name:	Rank:	Role:	First Appearance:	Voice Actor:
--- THE BOSS ---
	Atkun Foundrum	Beta-2.01	Chief Engineer	Prologue; Episode 2: The Phone Call	Matthew Colclough
	Atkun is one of the longest-serving and more competent Murk Army members, and got promoted to Alpha-2 and put in charge of Fort Murk (which he renamed 'Fort Foundrum') after Murkum's retirement.  He never appears on-screen in The Lower Ranks, but can be heard at a few crucial moments as the voice of Authority.
--- THE GAMMA-3s (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) ---
	Mos "Captain Eggs" Vondir	Gamma-3.06	Low-ranking dimwit	Episode 1: Crunch Time	Matthew Colclough
	"Captain Eggs" is regarded as one of the Murk Army's most useless members, and was among the first to get demoted to Gamma-3.  His two worst characteristics are a compulsion to gamble at every possible opportunity, and a losing streak which has gone unbroken for a decade and a half, racking up total debts on the order of billions of pounds (although, fortunately for Eggs, nobody except Solter has managed to keep anything like an accurate record).
	"Left-Handed" Bob Snudd	Gamma-3.24	Low-ranking dimwit	Episode 1: Crunch Time	Timothy Johnston
	The ultimate misnomer, Left-Handed Bob not only isn't left-handed, he doesn't have a left hand at all.  Oddly enough, this doesn't seem to stop him trying to do things with his left hand, and leads to him spreading even more chaos and debris than the average Gamma-3.  Following the G3s' banishment to the Charity Station, Bob seems to have ended up as a de facto sort-of local leader.
	"Mouldy" Tig Stennids	Gamma-3.04	General-purpose goon	Episode 2: The Phone Call	Timothy Johnston
	One of the most annoying Gammas in the Murk Army, and the earliest remaining Gamma-3 demotee - knocked down from Gamma-2 on account of his tendency to shoot his superiors with his ancient shotgun every so often.
	Omoli "Helmet-and-No-Shirt Man" Pashkishiwu	Gamma-3.29	Muscle, and little else	Episode 3: The Protectionists	Matthew Colclough
	"Helmet-No-Shirt Man" gets his nickname from his self-imposed dress code, and where he gets his self-imposed dress code from is a mystery.  His strengths include brute strength, and weaknesses include low temperatures (due to his refusal to ever wear shirts, coats etc) and any task involving much use of the brain.
	Komlin Dalphozwa	Gamma-3.09	Cannon fodder	Episode 3: The Protectionists	Matthew Colclough
	Komlin believes himself to be the rightful Hezzom (i.e. King) of the distant galaxy of Sardastian - which has never actually had a king.  He works for the Murk Army for somewhat less than the minimum wage, on the understanding that "when" they take over the universe he will be given Sardastian as his share of the loot.  There was an incident once when he briefly managed to set himself up as King over a bunch of his fellow Gammas, but none of them really enjoyed being his Peasants.
	Claeve "T" Taarae	Gamma-3.18	General-purpose goon	Episode 4: Iron Perimeter	Sarah Johnston
	T is actually female, but nobody in the Murk Army (herself included) ever pays much attention to that fact, as she thinks and acts very much like one of the lads.  Being a Gamma-3, "like one of the lads" basically means "ineptly".
	"Angry-Teeth" Ambrus Ambrugedge	Gamma-3.36	General-purpose goon	Episode 6: All In the Head	Matthew Colclough
	Ambrus gained his nickname, "Angry-Teeth", from his habit of biting people and objects which get on his nerves.  The same goes for his mismatched and largely metallic dental equipment.  He makes himself useful as a loose-cannon-type self-propelled weapon in melee combat, but not for much else.
	Grammum & Glogmun Fass	Gamma-3.61 & 3.62	Useless	Episode 7: Being Proactive	Timothy Johnston
	The Fass Twins are so identical, and so monumentally stupid, that even they can't remember which one of them is which.  The consequences are never pretty.

Episode Guide

Screening Room

Wallpaper Gallery

Episode 1: Crunch Time 1440p Widescreen Episode 2: The Phone Call 1440p Widescreen Episode 3: The Protectionists 1440p Widescreen Episode 4: Iron Perimeter 1440p Widescreen Episode 5: Enter With Caution 1440p Widescreen Episode 6: All In the Head 1440p Widescreen Episode 7: Being Proactive 1440p Widescreen Episode 8: The Glass Man Cometh 1440p Widescreen