The Second World War experiences of brave women recruited as undercover agents behind enemy lines.The Second World War experiences of brave women recruited as undercover agents behind enemy lines.The Second World War experiences of brave women recruited as undercover agents behind enemy lines.
Browse episodes
Featured reviews
Wish Me Luck has to be my all time favourite TV series. There is just something about it that captivates me even now 20 years after I first saw it! The characters were perfectly cast and gave excellent performances. Especially Kate Buffery and Michael J Jackson who I thought fitted the bill perfectly. I can't imagine anyone else playing those two characters.
This series is definitely worth watching again (or maybe for younger viewers for the first time around), especially if you're interested in the WW2 era. I think it particularly struck a chord because, although the storyline was fictional, these kind of events or similar actually did take place all those years ago and it's a stark reminder of what the Allies fought for and sacrificed so that we may have our freedom today. And it was portrayed subtly without the 'over dramatisation' some war series/films seem to add.
So if you haven't seen this already - go out and buy it!
This series is definitely worth watching again (or maybe for younger viewers for the first time around), especially if you're interested in the WW2 era. I think it particularly struck a chord because, although the storyline was fictional, these kind of events or similar actually did take place all those years ago and it's a stark reminder of what the Allies fought for and sacrificed so that we may have our freedom today. And it was portrayed subtly without the 'over dramatisation' some war series/films seem to add.
So if you haven't seen this already - go out and buy it!
As a fan of wartime drama series like Secret Army I picked up this Network 2007 title earlier this year and having now strolled through the entire contents I must say, despite the lack of extras, I'm extremely delighted with the entire 23 episodes of "Wish Me Luck" (in a 4/4/4/3/4/4 disc configuration). It has certainly been an enthralling emotional journey for a show that is superbly crafted with well-defined characters, dramatic scripts, effective incidental music and marvellous location filming. Each season of the show follows an established pattern of introducing two new trainee British agents of conflicting backgrounds and personalities and after initial training they find themselves in occupied French territory attempting to put what they have learnt to good use. The German aggressor for each run is primarily personified by a significant officer. For the 1st season it was the softly spoken Colonel Werner Krieger (Warren Clarke), the 2nd season the unsettlingly quiet Colonel Voller (Donald Gee) and the 3rd brought us the barking mad power crazed General Stuckler (Terence Hardiman). The first two seasons pose additional personal complications for Liz Granger with the eventual disintegration of her marriage and her blossoming romance with Kit Vanston a highly effective operative whom she knew before the war. Each season concludes with a dramatic final set piece. In the 1st it is the rescue of Matty Firman from the Germans, in the 2nd it is the engineering factory raid coupled with the resolution to Vivien's renewed relationship with her daughter and in the 3rd it is the mass German assault on the Le Crest resistance movement. Personally I found the 1st season incidental music a trifle overpowering however there are some beautifully effective pieces used in the 2nd and 3rd seasons which helps to greatly enhance the viewers enjoyment. Although present in the 1st it is the beautiful location filming used during the 2nd and in particular 3rd season which is especially breathtaking and helps to significantly elevate this series against other World War Two drama series. Although all the regular cast contribute marvellously to the overall believable aspect of the series I personally would single out both Michael J Jackson & Kate Buffery for special praise for their outstanding performances as Kit Vanston & Liz Grainger, two stars whom convey such a resonate believable atmosphere to their characters, their previous history prior to the war and their newly blossoming romance in such dangerously difficult present times. Passionate delivery of scripted lines can also be appreciated from many of the series guest stars like Trevor Peacock (Renard), Nigel Le Valliant (Laurence Grainger), Shirley Henderson (Sylvie), Caroline John (Helene), Bryan Pringle (Father Martin), Jeremy Brudenell (Jean-Louis) and Stuart McGugan (Gordon Stewart) to name but a few. If you enjoy great emotive exciting drama with engaging character interaction matched with stunning scenery and appropriately moving incidental music then I strongly recommend you nab a copy of this series. I am confident it will be the wisest investment you have ever made!
A creditable depiction of SOE and Resistance operators. The risks run by them and the strain they were under was immense. Third series understates actual support given to FFI on real-life Le Crest. And ending was a bit cheesy. But definitely worth watching.
Those captivated by "Wish Me Luck" when it aired on television will be delighted to hear that it is now being released on DVD. This is an exceptionally well-done drama centered on the work done by civilian volunteers for the British SOE (Special Operations Executive) in France during World War II.
There are, of course, other works of this kind, but "Wish Me Luck" stands out as particularly well-researched, providing innumerable small details that should please aficionados of the intelligence and resistance work of the war. The focus of the series, though, is clearly on the romance, suspense, and drama of the story. Overall a fantastic work.
There are, of course, other works of this kind, but "Wish Me Luck" stands out as particularly well-researched, providing innumerable small details that should please aficionados of the intelligence and resistance work of the war. The focus of the series, though, is clearly on the romance, suspense, and drama of the story. Overall a fantastic work.
10ldocapt
This has been a thrilling series to watch. Wish it went further. It sure beats reality TV. The series tied it all together each episode and the characters brought the story line to real life without overdoing any part of it. I am sorry that there were only three seasons to watch as I was truly interested in the way the war was conducted by the resistance and the German invaders who seem to live up to everything I have ever read. It also portrays the resistance fighters as being lacks in their fighting process but did the best the possibly do under the trying circumstances. I would like very much that the series continued to support the invasion by the allied forces to see how they would handle it. Than You for a great thee seasons.
Did you know
- TriviaThe technical advisor for this series was Yvonne Cormeau (1909-1997.) She was a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) F (for France) Section. Her code name was Annette and she was the wireless operator (pianist) for the Wheelwright Network that was lead by George Starr. The life expectancy for a radio operator in Occupied Europe was around six weeks. Her accuracy and speed on the Morse key were legendary. She was praised by master cryptographer Leo Marks for her skills. In over 400 transmissions, she never made one single mistake. She was one of the fastest senders in the SOE and averaged 18-22 words a minute. Most operators could only send 12 words a minute. In 1941, she was recently widowed with a young daughter. She and her husband were in their home when it was hit in a bombing raid. She was protected when a bath tub flipped on top of her. Her husband was killed. She did lose the baby she was pregnant with. Seeking revenge on some level, she enlisted in the WAAF, Women's Auxiliary Air Force. In a combat area where the life expectancy of a radio operator was six weeks, Yvonne Cormeau survived for thirteen months. She was parachuted into France on the night of August 22, 1943. She was offered a cyanide pill in the event of capture but declined to take one with her. She was armed with a .22 caliber revolver but on the advice of her circuit leader, she didn't carry it. If she got stopped and searched and they found a cyanide pill and a pistol it would be a certain death sentence for her. Depending on the radio system she carried, she would be carrying a device weighing anywhere for eight pounds to 31 pounds. For her own safety, she had to limit her radio transmissions to less then 20 minutes. She would stay in one location no longer then three nights and would often bicycle over 31 miles to get to a safe spot to transmit her signals. Only one agent sent more messages than her, another woman agent named Auguste Floiras. She was nearly captured in June 1944. But she managed to escape, with her radio, despite getting shot in the leg. Her blood stained dress and the briefcase that house her radio are on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England.. She was relived from her duties after the liberation of Paris having been on the ground from August 1943-September 1944. She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), Legion d'honneur, Croix de Guerre, Medaille de la Resistance, the Defence Medal and the 1939-1945 Star. She completed her SOE training with two other women, Yolande Beekman and Noor Inayat Khan. She would be the only one of her class to survive the war.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Drama Trails: 'Cold Feet' to 'A Touch of Frost' (2008)
- How many seasons does Wish Me Luck have?Powered by Alexa
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content