Secret Army

I have recently seen this series about WW2 escape lines again. It hardly dates at all. The stories are hard hitting,realistic as are the characters. I hope all these will become available on DVD soon.

I've just finished watching Secret Army on UK Drama and, for me, it's BBC drama at its best. It might have seemed hard for the team that had produced the highly acclaimed 'Colditz' series to live up to its reputation but I believe that this highly popular classic surpassed it.

Colditz did have a distinct disadvantage, taking place mostly within the four walls of a POW camp, making the atmosphere at times rather claustrophobic and making the scope rather limited. Secret Army, on the other hand, was able to use and contrast a variety of places and situations. As well as this, it had more detailed analysis of the all the characters - something which was often lacking in its forerunner – and also examined their motives. Using the setting of Brussels in World War II, the producers were able to capture perfectly the grim realities of life under German occupation with the distant hope of liberation. Everything from the sinister music to the camera angles, special effects and scenery was cleverly thought out. The varied plots, whose frequent twists kept everyone guessing, along with many clever subtleties and inferences, made each episode thoroughly enjoyable.

The central character of Albert Foiret was carefully scrutinised, his greed and ruthless determination to keep ownership of his beloved Candide at any cost coming out. Bernard Hepton seemed able to show an inexhaustible range of emotions, making his character something of a change from the German Kommandant he had played previously. In contrast, the virtually emotionless Kessler could show generosity, and great loyalty, albeit misguided, to his beloved country and Fuehrer. Clifford Rose was perfect as the bespectacled, ice-cold SS man with no sense of humour. Even the smaller parts, such as Alain and Dr. Keldermans were well played by Ron Pember and Valentine Dyall, along with Monique (Angela Richards) whose lovely singing in the seemingly happy atmosphere of the Candide was often made to contrast the often sinister goings on elsewhere.

The series just seemed to go from strength to strength as the characters developed and plots became more complicated. The last few episodes produced a gripping climax as we were left wondering how all the ongoing issues were going to resolve themselves, and there was much irony when many did not end up the way you would have expected.

Unlike many of the older WW2 films this serial was certainly not biased towards the allies - airmen were often seen to act rather crassly and the resistance people could be less than scrupulous, sometimes killing innocent people and breaking promises for their own survival. It also addressed many issues which were not always fully appreciated, like the uneasy relationship the French and Belgian police had with the Germans, the contempt felt by the Wehrmacht for the SS and the bitter power struggle between the resistance and the communists. Being a product of the 70s there was none of the gratuitous violence or obligatory sex scenes which can sometimes mar the storylines of more contemporary works.

Secret Army was very much a true-to-life drama - even if there were many improbable coincidences and few factual errors – with many memorable episodes. I'd certainly recommend it.

This programme is a true masterpiece; possibly the best television series ever made by the BBC.

When I watched it as a young teenager, it was totally memorable and gripping. It is probably the only TV series of its kind from which I could recall every character and many of the plots some 25 or 30 years later. Some of the episodes toward the end of the final series were utterly gripping. The acting was outstanding; the writing fantastic, and the music and intro/credits I recall to this day with total clarity.

UDATE: Having just watched it again on DVD almost 30 years later, my view hasn't changed at all. No sense of disappointment here - this really is classic television at its very best. A clever, nuanced and absorbing series in every respect.

Yes indeed. "Secret army", has to be my favourite series from the 70-ies. A classic in his own right. Very dramatic, very real! Even at this moment it's running again on Belgian TV, and every time it's a joy to watch! I got to mention, especially Kessler, played by Clifford rose, a great performance, even today! I wonder what happened to most of the actors, cause haven't heard or seen much about them after the series. One thing I did find very sorry is, why they had to make a comic version of it! Because the series is telling us of people who risked their lives to save that of others, when Europe, (Belgium), was going trough his most dark period in history! Peter.

I first saw this programme as a child watching with my parents when it was broadcast in the late 1970s. I found it compelling then, though I did not understand some of the nuances. But having watched it again recently on UKTV Gold I have to say that it is one of the very best dramas of its era, and indeed of the subsequent period.

It never took a simplistic view of the people involved, and developed the characters over time. None of the moral situations the characters find themselves in are presented in black and white terms. The very final episodes, when liberation is close and retribution is being sought against people considered to be "collaborators", are so dramatic, and I will not forgot the tone of the final episode set on the day the war in Europe ended.

Marvellous.

Sarah