La fuga de Colditz

I found this show very very good. I really enjoyed the acting, the costumes and the use of the German Language. (as a student of the German language, it was rather nice knowing what they were saying and not some gibberish to throw the average viewer off) The escape stories and sub-plots kept me on the edge of my seat. To me, this was not some mindless TV show where you switch your brain off. What held my interest was that it made you think. It was almost like playing chess. Who makes the next move? Robert Wagner, Jack Hedley and David McCallum are my favorites but I must say, I also found some of the German actors appealing too. Hans Meyer and Bernard Hepton were both splendid. It was nice seeing Mr. Hepton play a Kommandant after seeing him play a barkeeper in Secret Army (another British war/drama) Mr. Meyer's character (Hauptmann Ulmann) was as cold as ice and sometimes, those are the hardest characters to play. (his eyes - how many closeups did that guy have?) This show was not only entertaining, but I found it to be quite educational too. I plan to visit Colditz on my next trip to Germany. Unfortunately, I never did see the end of the series, so I don't know how it ends. I only saw up until end of first season (gone away part 1 and 2) so, if anyone saw the series (or remembers it) please feel free to e-mail me and tell me what happens. I think when History Channel decides to play it again, I'll probably be in Germany and these shows and channels are not available - even on satellite.

This outstanding series is the kind of psychological drama at which the British excell. Set almost entirely within a reconstruction of the now-famous castle-fortress prisoner-of-war camp during WWII, there is little in the way of physical action. Instead we're treated to some of the best form of "mind games" and psychological manoeuvring and competition you can hope to see on TV, as the two sides constantly strive to get one over on the other. The Allied prisoners are determined not to be beaten mentally by their surroundings and look for every possible means of escape, while the Germans are always on their toes, looking for clues about possible break-outs and ways in which the Allied prisoners are trying to outsmart them. I couldn't tear myself away from the series when it first came out in Britain, and I was pleased to see how little it had aged when it was reshown on the History Channel a couple of years ago. Excellent acting and strong story lines make this a must-see for me. Out of 10, I'd rank it about 13.6!!

This grim and claustrophobic series chronicles the lives of the allied prisoners in the supposedly escape-proof Colditz Castle designated Oflag IV-C during World War II. It describes events from the arrival of the first British prisoners after Dunkirk to join the existing Polish, French and Dutch prisoners, until the liberation of the castle by the Americans in 1945.

It records many attempts to escape, as well as the relationships formed between the various nationalities and their German captors. A grudging respect gradually develops between the two sides. Colditz is a Sonderlager (special camp), designed by the Nazis to hold high-risk and later Prominente (politically important prisoners).

Lieutenant Colonel John Preston (Jack Hedley) is the Senior British Officer (SBO). He is the very embodiment of British stiff upper lip. He gets along well with the Commandant, whom he respects but is adept at manipulating.

The Commandant (Bernard Hepton), known only by his forename Karl, is a moderate and honourable Oberst (Colonel), a Wehrmacht man, who adheres to the Geneva Convention to the best of his ability. He is anxious to be seen by the German authorities as running an orderly camp in order to prevent the SS and Gestapo from taking control. He relies on Colonel Preston to keep the British prisoners in check.

Captain Pat Grant (Edward Hardwicke) a young, hot-headed RAF officer who frequently finds himself in solitary confinement, is the first British escape officer in Colditz. His post is later taken by Flight Lieutenant Simon Carter (David McCallum), so that Pat Grant can himself attempt escape.

Hauptmann (Captain) Franz Ulmann (Hans Meyer) is the Security Officer at Colditz. His job is to prevent escapes. Like the Commandant, he is a Wehrmacht man who has no love for the SS. Because of his careful planning and sharp eyes and mind, he is able to avert many escape attempts as well as many attempts of the SS to take over the camp.

Major Horst Mohn (Anthony Valentine) is a very highly connected Nazi Party member. He constantly finds himself in conflict with the Commandant, and is frustrated by what he perceives as the treating of prisoners with 'kid gloves'. The prisoners loathe him. Unfortunately for them, he is ruthlessly intelligent and occasionally pulls off a devastating coup.

Almost all of the events depicted in the series have a basis in truth. While there is not a direct one-to-one relationship between the real and televised characters, most of the televised characters are loosely based on actual persons.

A major goof is that throughout the series captured British fliers are shown wearing full dress uniform, which of course they would not have worn on flying operations.

"Colditz" was shown here in Finland as a rerun in 1997-98. It was based on the books "Colditz and the Latter Days" by Pat Reid which tell the story of a group of Allied POWs who have been sent to the most heavily guarded prison camp in Germany.

The series was so good that I did not miss a single show of it, I also bought the books on Colditz written by Reinhold Eggers (known as Ullmann in the series) and Pat Reid.

The series show how the POWs had to live in Colditz, a few went insane some died while trying to escape and some made a succesful escape. The series is among the best when it comes to drama.

I saw Colditz when it first came out and much enjoyed seeing it again nearly fifty years later. There are no bad episodes, at the time of writing none are rated lower than 7.8. But there are very few reviews and I'm surprised more people don't seek out quality classic stuff rather than settle for the dreary rubbish now served up on tv.

Of the episodes I'd rate 10, Tweedledum is best loved, three reviews of it have said all that can usefully be said. In Ace in The Hole a new inmate, highly decorated RAF officer Tony Shaw (Jeremy Kemp) is polite but somewhat aloof, showing little interest in escaping. This is the most thoughtful episode, Shaw's riveting verbal dual with Major Mohn about the nature of military accomplishment is the best five minutes dialogue in the series. Among strong competition my favourite is The Gambler, in which Ray Barrett plays a ruthlessly amoral card sharp, by a country mile the most dislikeable prisoner.

I would have liked to have seen more of one or two interesting characters who appeared just once. Such as Major Schaeffer (Michael Gough) in Maximum Security, whose alcohol fuelled distain for the Third Reich would have made the perfect foil for Mohn. A couple of the regulars I suspect were there primarily for their looks, no names no pack drill as they say in the army.