Secret Army

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 Secret Army in 1977 at the age of 12, it really opened my eyes to the potential for quality drama to be something more than just entertainment. The WWII evasion lines which enabled the escape of thousands of downed pilots is an heroic story of incredible bravery by the Belgium people involved and this series more than does the story justice. As someone with a passionate interest in history I usually prefer documentaries to historical drama but this series tells the story in so many ways better than any documentary could. The series really captures the dangers, the risks and emotions involved. The series is also notable for the way it shows the many character dimensions and dilemmas facing the German occupiers.

This was drama at it's best, great stories, wonderful performances, well written, produced and directed. The suspense and tension in just about every episode is quite remarkable. Sadly overshadowed by it's spoof imitation comedy, 'Allo Allo' (in a way an acknowledgement of how good the original was) but I've watched all the episodes several times in the many years since and it is always just as compelling, quality is timeless and Secret Army is highly recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it and wants to see drama at it's very best. The DVD box set of all 3 series is excellent, Andy Priestner's accompanying booklets are so informative, so I bought his excellent nearly 700(!) page book on the series which has helped me to appreciate the series even more. Modern viewers should not be put off by some of the studio sets which show the age of the series, it is the quality of the drama which shines through.

This series is so underrated and is one which should be constantly repeated for new generations to enjoy and never be forgotten or cast aside.

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

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 wasn't even born when this series was first made. It was my mother who introduced me to the series on uk drama. She insisted that I 'give it a chance.'I am glad that I did!

During the first series the show showed little potential, the characters were stereotypical and shallow, such as Kessler, with his robotic like ways and constant determination to get one over on life line. The melodramatic content was so bad you could almost hear him shouting: 'I'll get you next time!' at the end of every episode. However somebody waved their magic wand at the start of the second series, because the show changed it's angle completely. With the dramatic exit of Yvette, (one of my favourite scenes in television)and the introduction of the Candide. We saw alot of changes for the characters. Kessler gained a love interest, and at last we could see his human side.Life line too showed it had some weak human traits, more often then not Albert's greed resulted in him ordering command just so that he could keep his precious restaurant. And when Monique was left in charge at the end of series two she turned into a bit of a boozer! More importantly, as the storylines developed and conspiracies got more complicated, life line didn't always end up on top, usually at the expense of poor Natalie or Monique.

The show came to prove that it was more about humans fight for survival. And less about the adventurous action man enthusiasm sometimes given to war in american films. What a shame that somebody made a spoof in the form of 'allo, 'allo. This became more famous than the original classic and now shadows it's brilliance. As my Mother insisted to me, I would insist to you: 'give it a chance, please!'