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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
George Bass

‘TV nearly always gets street violence wrong’: a bouncer on what small-screen fights leave out

Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Amazon’s Reacher.
‘Is there anything I can do or say to make you leave without using physical intervention?’ … Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Amazon’s Reacher. Photograph: Keri Anderson/AP

Ever wondered how realistic the fight scenes that you see on television are? As a licensed bouncer, I can tell you that most real-life violence is uglier than anything you’ll see on TV – even on BBC Parliament.

I’ve spent 15 years on the frontline dealing with drunk girls swinging fire extinguishers, or blokes who’ve downed one fish bowl and are now trying to fight an entire bus queue. Nearly all the shows that try to depict street violence get it wrong.

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