In light of the current cancel culture, I'd say no. Some people might be familiar with 'paradise road' but this is more true to the subject in every aspect. The topics they cover like abortion are still issues being debated hotly today. Of course, it's not completely authentic because the series is not a documentary, but the producers seem to make every effort they can to keep the show out of the bushes. And they don't gloss over the complexities of the end of wwii either what with the chaos of it all and trying to bring back some normality sans colonialism and ultra nationalism. But it's not entirely glossed over either as they have one character of mixed nationalities and her burden dealing with 1940s racism which is subtle but not loud and overbearing and pretentious. But, could it be made today? Probably not. Probably someone(s) would be offended and then it would be yanked with apologies all around. Sometimes the show strays and it's a bit hammy but unlike other hit series of today, it didn't lose anything the three years it was on, but got better. If you can find it, watch it. Btw, creds have to nodded to the cast too because it is about a prison camp and all of the women probably went thru a lot to physically look as they did in the series to reflect the timeline of their characters time in the camps.
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howboutthisone_huh1 March 2022
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catnapbc6 October 2022One of the top female-centred world war 2 dramas to ever be made. The lack of modern make-up, the wardrobe, settings and characters were all very authentic-looking and felt like that period and place. A Japanese prisoner of war camp is not what might appeal but the acting, storylines and characters are all superb and believable. Best watched with subtitles if you can get hold of them. Have re-watched this several times now and can't rate it highly enough. Not the usual maudlin, helpless female protagonists and both sides of the conflict and situation at hand are presented as human beings with strengths and flaws. Excellent dialogue and realistic scenarios. This series covers all the emotions from pathos, anger, tragedy, empathy and even some humorous moments thrown in. Also seems to stay true to the actual events of the time and locations. A must-see!!
The Japanese were not only shown as brutal soldiers doing their 'duty', but as real people with individual characters. Not always a given since they were the aggressors at that time. All actors have strong and believable roles and did a great job of this difficult subject matter. Kudos to all involved. -
To be fair I hated this first time round in the 80s, now I can see the good acting amongst the dodgy low budget. Whilst it certainly is 'of it's time' the story lines are more solid and characters nuanced than many give it credit for.
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chuffnobbler9 March 2003Without doubt, Tenko is one of the BBC's most successful and popular drama series. Never repeated on BBC television, and only the first season available on video (and long since deleted), Tenko still holds strong and popular places in the memories of its audience. I managed to record the whole run on its recent digital television rerun, and became hooked, sometimes watching six episodes in one sitting.
Forcing a group of women to survive in a prison camp, Tenko explores the very human dramas, emotions and personality clashes that arise from this unbearable situation. We spend three-and-a-half years in the company of this group. They have little food, no clean water and no medication or sanitation. Forced into slave labour, sleeping on bare boards, the stresses and strains of their predicament are entirely believable, and make for edge of the seat viewing. Perfectly written (the series was created by a woman who survived a Japanese prison camp) and perfectly acted; blessed with truly amazing make-up (some of the women really do look starving, emaciated, covered in blisters and sunburn); some of the cast have only one dress to wear for the entire series. The human tragedy and awful, grinding horror of prison camp life is unforgettable.
The first series deals with the Japanese invasion of Singapore, disrupting lives of the ex-pats living in the British colony. Forced to evacuate, the survivors fall into Japanese hands, and we follow some of the women into prison. Mentioning "the survivors" is a very relevant point. Tenko is not afraid to show that life in this condition can result in awful, lingering death. Characters whom we grow to know and love, to understand and empathise with, are struck down with beriberi, cholera, malaria. The aching sadness and genuine humanity of Tenko is truly remarkable. Gradually revealing more about the characters, their past lives, and their hopes for the future, piles on the emotion, making it absolutely unmissable. There were some scenes I found I was watching while holding my breath, not wishing to disrupt the heart-and-soul being displayed onscreen.
Season two moves the women to a new camp, offloading several en route and picking up some new faces. The new camp, although better equipped, has a very different regime, and introduces us to Miss Hasan, the malicious and spiteful right-hand woman to the Commandant. The second half of season two deals with a prisoner receiving a gunshot wound: operating on her in a hut full of flies, with just a pair of sugar-tongs to remove the bullet, is absolutely gripping.
Season three deals with the war drawing to a close, and the survivors' return to Singapore. Their struggles to return to "normal" and realisation that they may have had more freedom in prison, away from the strictures of post-war austerity, are perfectly played.
No-one involved in Tenko has a happy ending. There's a definite feeling that, as the survivors climb about the ship to return to the UK, they have lost everything, and are fragile and broken. The horrors they've witnessed and cruelty they faced daily, will be with them forever more. Those who escaped Japanese capture will never understand.
Tenko is a real masterwork. One of the most intense and powerful pieces of television I have ever seen. Careful touches throughout the series never fail to amaze: Commandant Yamuchi occasionally allowing his humanity and honour to shine (witness the scene in season one where he stands beside a newly dug grave, lost in thought); old-fashioned bigot Sylvia Ashburton gradually letting her prejudices slip as she realises everyone is the same, underneath; season two's black marketeer Verna Johnson losing sight of her pole position in the camp as the war takes a turn for the worse; Dorothy Bennett's uncomfortably close relationship with some of the guards; Lillian's love for her young son gradually driving her mad; Sister Ulrica being forced to make decisions she would not make in the "real" world; Doctor Mason's horror at the death and disease she cannot solve ... Tenko is a special thing. Not to be missed, under any circumstances. -
Jools-1014 October 2000Forget Paradise Road! If you really want to have any idea what the women who were prisoners of war of the Japanese this is the series to watch. At times the make up department are so realistic that you do not know these sores are not part of the women. What the men and women went through in these camps is nothing short of Hell. If the fact of malnutrition and hard work didn't kill you the malaria would! Congratulations to everyone who worked on this production because unlike Paradise Road they actually did their homework to make this as real as possible!
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aejm4 December 2005For 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. -
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! -
selffamily26 May 2019I 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.
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ksandness21 July 2007I can only agree with the praise from other reviewers.
As movie reviewers Siskel and Ebert used to say, you come to care about these people.
The situations are absorbing, full of suspense and moral dilemmas, and the actresses are uniformly excellent. In subsequent years, whenever I've seen one of them again in another context (Ann Bell, Rosemary Martin, Jean Anderson, and Elizabeth Chambers have shown up in other British dramas that have played in the States), it's been like meeting an old friend.
I discovered this series when it played on A&E (back when A&E was actually "artistic" and "entertaining"), but unfortunately, I never saw the first half of the first season. I was sorry when the series ended and even more sorry that it was never repeated.
I wish that someone would rebroadcast it or that the DVDs would be made available in the States. However, people who own region-free DVD players can order the series from retailers such as Amazon UK, as I have done with this and several other series that have never been released in the U.S. -
gregoryshnly21 November 2006A real classic series based on true events,Tenko was a powerful series on the suffering of a group of civilian women during World War 2 when Singapore falls to the Japanese in 1942. Ann Bell plays Marion Jefferson,the bored army wife,tired of all the endless tea parties and receptions then when she is evacuated with the other women,the first real shock is her best friend Vicky(Wendy Williams)drowning,Tenko certainly got shock you with the death of a popular character when you least expected it. In the first series we met elderly but defiant Slyvia Ashburton(Renee Asherburn)who refuses initially to sleep beside Eurasian girl Christina Campbell(Emily Bolton) but gradually the woman start to see each other as people and strong friendships are formed particularly when the women build a new hut,much to the surprise of camp commandant Yamauchi(Burt Kwouk) When Cockney prostitute Blanche(one of my favourite characters)is caught escaping with Debbie(Karin Foley)whose mother has just died,the whole camp is punished with a real feud developing between the English and the Dutch,headed by the formidable Sister Ulrica(great performance by Patrica Lawrence)and the selfish Mrs Van Meyer (Elizabeth Chambers) the feud is resolved as the women work towards Blanche's release. Stephanie Beacham is great as the seemingly selfish Rose Millar with flashes of kindness underneath and her friendship with Blanche is one of the joys of the series,the aborted escape causing a real rift between the two,this is resolved when Blanche is sent back to her friends in the 2nd series after being sent to another camp at the start of series 2 along with Nurse Nellie Keane(who falls in love with Sally(Joanna Hole)in series 1,and Slyvia,Blanche informs them,that Slyvia died a month after arriving in the new camp,Nellie dies a few months before the end of the war in series 3. Series 2 to me,is the best,we meet evil Miss Hasan,(Josephine Welcome)the evil administrator at their new camp and corrupt leader Verna Johnson(Rosemary Martin)we learn at the end of series2,they both sold their red cross parcels,causing a lot of unnecessary deaths for Doctor Mason(great performance throughout by Stephanie Cole as tortured soul,Dr.Beatrice Mason) Veronica Roberts as Dorothy Bennett excels,she goes from widowed young mother to seeing her baby die,then becomes emotionally dead as she has sex with guards to get by but forms an unlikely friendship with Shinya,a Japanese guard,who has to shot Rose when she meets boyfriend Bernard,Dorothy eventually forgives him only for him to die in an allied raid. Rose dies at the end of series 2 and is very moving,as is Sally's suicide but the woman who survive carry grimly on but there are laughs too amongst the horror like putting a rat in Miss Hasan's room. Louise Jameson sadly wasn't available for series 3,so Blanche was killed off between series 2 and 3. Series 3 deals with the women adjusting to freedom and Beatrice has to cope with blindness and the end of her practising as a Doctor. The shock at the end of series 3 is the death of Joss Holbrook(wonderful Jean Anderson)worn out by 3 years of bashings and under nourishment combined with a recent mugging and the flu,she is simply worn out. Tenko Reunion deals with the women meeting up in 1950 and discovering old friend Christina is a communist traitor and they narrowly come away with their lives. A great series,very fondly remembered.
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eb99927 December 2000I watched this whole series on TV and have most of it on tape and think it's the finest, most realistic and most involving series about prisoners under the Japanese during WWII. I've seen almost every film and tv series made on this subject and TENKO is the best!
The actors are consistently wonderful and their circumstances truly harrowing. Anyone who is interested in what prisoners-of-war (and in this case, particularly women) went through will love this show.
I just wish it were available on tape in the US. My tapes were made from television and the quality is poor. I would buy this in a minute if it came in the format used here. -
librarylady052826 October 2004I 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. -
margaret-swift7 September 2006This was an excellent series and is still relevant today. It tackled social issues such as abortion, the right to die (think of Rose) and the woman's role in society as well as racial issues, and those issues are still so relevant today. It was extremely well made and paid great attention to detail. The director even went to the trouble of turning off the air conditioning in the studios to get a realistic effect, this made the actors very irritable but gave a realistic view of what life must have been like under those conditions.
I have all three series on DVD and watch them about once a year. I thoroughly enjoy the entire series and would recommend it to anyone interested in world war two. -
koenen-120 July 2006Tenko is the single most memorable series I have ever watched on television. Layered, engaging, challenging, compelling, it has stayed with me for years and I often think about the characters as real people...wondering how their lives continued, wondering what I would do in their company. In these times of war and prison camps, again, and as history is rewritten, forgotten, or ignored, I wish that Tenko would be replayed for a new generation to experience. The characters are unique and nuanced, the story lines complex and resolutions often unexpected yet always genuine. The actors seem to embody their roles. It is gripping and addicting. The followup documentary reuniting some of the survivors is an exquisitely touching finale, though wouldn't it be lovely to continue the series, chronicling the gap between then and now.
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tigress_abr27 June 2007I have been going crazy for the past 5 years while trying to find this older show and I just found it. I watched this show back when I was in high school and became really drawn to the lives of these women trying to survive. I thought I would never remember what the title of this show was but I refused to give up looking. This show left a lasting memory in my mind, just like my memories of watching *M*A*S*H* reruns as a teenager and other great shows. If anyone likes older shows with military and watching people try to survive a living hell, then this show is wonderful to see! I used to have to sneak watching it because of the strong content in it and my parents wanted me raised in a more "sheltered" lifestyle but I am a survivor of tragedy in my own life and could never forget what these women went through just to live through to the next day. I know it's just a show but even a show can remind you to follow your heart, keep a strong will, and overcome anything that is thrown at you and I feel that this was an excellent "foght for survival" story.
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kimbutton5611 September 2006I saw this series on the A&E channel when high quality films were the norm for this cable network. This series follows the lives of women captured in Malaysia during the Japanese invasion and the difficulty they endured. It is 10 episodes long but each is riveting and excellent source of the history of WWII in this arena. These were plum roles for each actress and I am sure the series affected each of them as well. This is not front line fighting but what happens to people surrounded by war and how they cope to survive and keep their spirit intact. Another excellent source of the plight of women captured in Malaysia during WWII is the film "A town like Alice" based on a novel by Nevil Shute. Bryan Brown was in this film and takes you from the Malaysia arena and hardships, to Australia in the years after the war. Excellent film and actors as well.
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thomas-r-112 October 2006Wonderful series - I caught it on PBS about 15 years ago and was waiting for it to come out in Canada (North America) on DVD or VHS - alas it was always region 2. But great news for all of you - Amazon (UK) is now selling the complete series (including the reunion) on DVD in 0 region (will play in all regions). I checked with Amazon before purchasing and they assured me that it would play in NA - I took a chance and ordered it - received it and it plays wonderfully and I don't have fancy equipment - old TV and cheap DVD player. I urge all of you fans to order it as soon as possible. It is a 12 disc set and I paid about $112.00 Canadian - well worth it.
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Briskie-636-4464215 January 2010Have just started watching AGAIN the well worn VHS tapes of Tenko. We first watched it in early 1980s on TV and became capitvated by the strength of these women.........you become wrapped up in the lives of each one of them. Unlike that concentration movie with the women's orchestra, think a Redgrave was in it..........that was "fluff" compared to this. Do so wish it would be copied on DVD that is compatible with USA TVs. We enjoy movies of WWI and WWII giving us some feeling for what people "over there" went thru. This series will draw you into it, believe me. Even friends who we have loaned the tapes to, that had no interest in the time frame.......returned the tapes with gratitude for the loan and highest praise for the series. And many of the wonderful actors are still at it today.....nice to follow their careers. If you never watch another concentration camp film, watch this one! yes, the British accent takes a bit of listening to catch on to, worth the effort!
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pandlstringer5 March 2010Tenko is a series I first watched at the tender age of 13 years back in 1981. From the word go it gripped. The acting is supreme: Ann Bell, Stephanie Cole, Stephanie Beacham are tremendous. The viewer lives and breaths the ordeal of the characters in a way that no other TV series has ever managed. It is head and shoulders clear of the rest. Having purchased the full DVD set, including reunion, a handful of years ago I am shortly to embark on my tenth viewing of the run.
I was sorry to have missed Paul O'Grady's 25 year celebration in October 2007. I can't believe that the cast are now approaching 70. It makes me feel old and long for the days before reality TV ruled when good drama and sitcoms proliferated. -
audible4 March 2003This 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! -
chrissso6 June 2017Many of the BBC WW2 television series from 1970 to 1990 leave something to be desired. Shows such as Secret Army, Island at War, Wish Me luck or Enemy at the Door certainly illustrate unique historical settings and perpetuate the WW2 narrative, but the way they were produced is a problem. They feel low budget, stagey, over dramatic, slow paced and frequently utilize annoying close up camera shots of character faces.
1981's Tenko is no exception, suffering from all of the aforementioned, but there's something about Tenko that grows on you. Simply put it is the story arc and its resulting character development.
The series features a very compelling cast of characters and the journey these women travel is quite remarkable; from the posh life of a British colony to the fall of Singapore in February 1942 through four years in Japanese POW camps to sudden freedom and the effort to fit back into society after the most devastating war of all time to their reunion five years later their characters and relationships are developed magnificently.
It is not an easy watch. At times it is a full on chick flick filled with dramatics, small talk and female problems. The 30 plus episodes are filled with desperation, suffering and tragedy but the journey and historical context are well worth the effort. Noteworthy is the fact the series illustrates the British colonial system in its fading glory as well as the post war power vacuum that it created (communist power grab).
The series shows us an amazing and unpredictable journey of a group randomly thrown together, under the worst possible conditions. It teaches of the cruel mortality of war (note Rose's death). Finally it shows us how such an experience shape characters and friendships and life decisions for generations.
It is a remarkable series! 9 of 10 stars!
POST: Other films addressing the Japanese POW camps; Changi, Three Came Home, Paradise Road, The Railway Men and Unforgiven -
kris-gray5 June 2018I enjoyed this series when it was first broadcast and do so every time it is repeated somewhere, currently on the Drama channel. I always felt it ended too quickly with only 2 series set in the camps, there could easily have been another set there before the one in Singapre. I was also disappointed when the character of Blanch was written out, bad enough when Rose died but we never saw Blanche's passing just the camera panning past her grave marker.
If you have never seen it I can only say you should as soon as possible either when it is repeated again on either Yesterday or Drama, or buy the DVD box set and watch it over and over again.
My only criticism, and you may guess from my title, is the on set catering must have been good, I've never seen such well fed prisoners of Japan, Kate Norris and Dorothy are almost obese!! Not one would look so healthy after four years of imprisonment! I should also like to mention the lack of hairy legs, but then I'm just being picky.
One of the best series of the 80's from Auntie Beeb and highly recommended. -
toonnnnn19 October 2003I watched this programme years ago, recently I have purchased series one and two on dvd they are still powerfull.The will to survive is very strong in human beings even in a prison camp.All aspects of life are racism loyalty and above all freindship the pain of the heroines hurts at times you laugh and cry.The acting and writing is wonderful I must mention Stephanie Cole who as the doctor is out of this world.Watch and enjoy if only the BBC could get back to this type of drama.
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jallenkemp197718 February 2004I remember watching this with my mom when I was 12 & it still resonates with me 15 years later. There aren't very many shows/movies concerning the lives of women during World War II, and I seriously doubt anything in the future could top Tenko in terms of quality. Quality of cast, story, set design, make-up, etc. In the States, Tenko aired in the late 80's on the Arts & Entertainment Network (aka 'A&E'). During that time, A&E was primarily an outlet for WWII and British programing. It was with Tenko that I got my first taste of what the BBC could accomplish. I'd also recommend a movie called 'Bent' for its depiction of homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps. Although the plot is fictional, the premise is based on fact. 'Bent' may not be the best WWII movie but it's interesting because, like Tenko did for women, it sheds light on the plight of gays in WWII. As fascinating as Bent may be, it doesn't hold a candle to Tenko. Perhaps one day it will be released here in North America.
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A few days ago I was delighted to Find"Tenko" listed for sale as both a DVD and tape. I was taken to Amazon to purchase this series that I have been searching for for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, I didn't purchase this immediately and now all trace of it has disappeared except for a review of the original series! I think something very strange is going on. I am not given to flights of fancy and know I didn't imagine this!
The comment from your only reviewer was (parphrased) this is the best prisoner of war film ever made. I totally agree with this opinion and think this series deserves widespread distribution.