according to bbc sources, outhwaite spent a week familiarising herself with army life at the reserve training and mobilisation centre in chilwell, nottingham, prior to filming the series. training included unarmed combat, 9mm pistol training, driving, drill, and understanding the army's labyrinthine hierarchical structure. the series creator and writer, emmy and golden globe nominee patrick harbinson, was in the army himself and previously wrote fifteen episodes of the itv military series "soldier soldier". a bbc spokesman said; "with such experience, patrick infuses red cap with a tangible sense of realism." on 13 march 2004 "red cap" was axed by bbc executives, who cited; "at a cost of £10 million and an audience of just 5.5 million, executives thought it would not be worthwhile to renew it for another series." notably, the series has never been released on dvd.