Tenko

I saw parts of these series many years ago on TV, so when the chance came to purchase the dvds of the whole set, I grabbed them. They sat on my shelf until I had the strength to watch them, and I'm glad I waited, it's not easy viewing but compelling and addictive. Now that I am through the whole lot, I will be at a loss for a few days, I'm sure. The story is of course true, a snapshot based on a woman's experiences. The characters are flawless and the acting superb. I have laughed and cried during the re-run, and I'm amazed at how little I remember. As a post-war baby, I cannot imagine how dreadful it really was, I'm only glad we don't have smell-ovision, because I can believe it would have been pretty rancid at times. A wonderfully crafted set of programmes, the continuity and consistency of the storylines leave us wistful for those days of excellent quality tv. Too many really top class actors/actresses to mention. I loved the fact that the air-con was turned off so that we saw genuine sweat! All round perfection - I can't think of a single flaw.

I absolutely adore Tenko - I saw it on video for the first time when I was 19 years old and was absolutely hooked! When I found out that only Series 1 was available on video, and that the BBC had failed to release Series 2, Series 3 and the two part special Tenko Reunion on video, I was hopping mad, I can tell you!

Finally, UK Gold repeated the entire series last year, and thanks to a fellow Tenko fan named Patsy, I now have the whole thing on video for me to watch over and over again!

The characters in this series are so real, that the viwer really does care for them deeply - Ann Bell is Marion Jefferson, the wife of a British army colonel, who finds herself appointed leader of the British women; Sister Ulrica (Patricia Lawrence) is the formidale nun, leader of the Dutch internees; Beatrice Mason (Stephanie Cole), the determined, no-nonsense doctor; Major Yamauchi (Bert Kwouk), the strict but at times compassionate commandant of the camp; nurses Kate Norris (Claire Oberman) and Nellie Keene (Jeananne Crowley); and so on, were just some of the protagonists who made this series so unforgettable.

Some of the most dramatic storylines occurred in Series 2, where a Eurasian woman, the evil Miss Hasan (Josephine Welcome) and a sly internee named Verna Johnson (Rosemary Martin) called the shots. Series 3 took place in Singapore, when the War had ended and the women had to cope with being free, trying to get used to their lives after years of imprisonment.

Gruelling, dramatic, shocking, funny, gripping - Tenko was all of these things, and much more. If it is ever on television, I urge you to watch it.

FYI: I recently met the actress Louise Jameson, who was so brilliant as Cockney Blanche Simmons in Tenko. I told her how much I loved the series, and she said that Tenko was her favourite acting job of all time - and she's been in Doctor Who, Bergerac and EastEnders to name just a few!

I saw this many years ago and I was riveted to the television. Historically accurate, interesting, entertaining, just plain great! The acting is stunning and no one actress outshines the other. I felt their pain, hopelessness, and I felt the sweat and dirt. I would love to read the book(s) it is based on. Paradise Road simply does not measure up to this. To see a Hollywood version of this watch "Three Came Home" with Claudette Colbert. Based on a true story by Agnes Newton Keith, the movie conveys the great pain of the incarcerated woman, but the setting is backlot Hollywood. Also, see Empire of The Sun, another great true POW story, this time focusing on a child.

I, too, wish I could see Tenko again. I hope someday it will be available in the US.

This and The Winds of War/War and Remembrance are outstanding examples of movies that get to the heart of the topic they portray. By all standards TENKO is actually superior due to the raw, less over produced, values.

I watched the original series by happenchance, just flicking through the channels to see what was on (yes, a very male thing to do) when I came across this series. As a lover of anything to do with this time period I stuck around for a few minutes... a fateful few minutes, because I got stuck into what I now consider to be the best drama television has produced.

I credit the superb cast, standouts all. Unlike most American movies, there are no major names so each actor stands equally in the spotlight and makes you believe the awful events are actually happening. I don't know that I could endure what these ladies went through, I would suspect not. I do have the epilogue movie, TENKO Reunion on tape (lousy copy), so at least I can revisit these characters when I want to, even if only through a lot of video noise.

So why is this series not available on DVD or tape in North America? I can only think that someone somewhere is deciding, even as I write this, that it is high time that a release date is set. Wishful thinking? I hope not!

For those people in the US who want to see Tenko again (or even for the first time as I don't know if it was ever on PBS), you can simply order it from Amazon.co.uk and have it sent over. It will take about a week to arrive. Make sure that you have a multi-region DVD player though! I have almost finished with the last season, and it is as good as I remember - perhaps even better. For those new to this series, the first episode of season 1 is a bit clunky, but give it time and space.

The story and characters evolve through 3 prison camps in seasons 1 and 2. I still get chills down my spine remembering the revelation of how Rose was betrayed in season 2.

Season 3 records the end of the war and the difficulties adjusting to a new life of freedom (??).

The third season DVD set also includes the reunion, set in 1950.

I think each season of Tenko is best seen continuously - say over a weekend. It is like reading a good book. But give it time between seasons. In many ways, each season is self-contained. Best to give it at least a few days between them.

Invest in this series. You will be ever grateful that you did.