The
lowdown: 'Colditz' was a co-production between the BBC and Universal
Studios, and is set in Colditz Castle,
the supposedly escape-proof
facility for Allied prisoners of war during World War Two. Being a British
show, the
focus is very much on the
British POWs and their attempts to escape, as well as their interaction
with their German
captors. However, POWs from
other nations also featured in many episodes, including American, French
and Polish
soldiers. A total of 28
episodes over two seasons were made, and broadcast on BBC1 between 19 October
1972 and
1 April 1974. The series
starred Jack Hedley, Edward Hardwicke (now best known as Dr Watson in Granada's
1980s
series of Sherlock Holmes)
and David McCallum as the main British POWs, Robert Wagner as an American
prisoner
and Bernard Hepton as the
Kommandant in charge of Colditz. The final episode saw the war end and
the Allies taking
control of Colditz after
the castle is liberated by the Americans.
The
episode: 'The Traitor' was the eight episode of the first season,
and was first broadcast on 7 December 1972.
Patrick Troughton had a
one-off guest role as a Catholic priest, known in the episode only as the
padre. The episode
follows the aftermath of
a failed British escape attempt; the Germans were waiting for the escapees,
prompting Colonel
Preston to suspect that
there is an informer in their midst. He enlists the aid of other senior
officers, including the
padre, to interview the
British POWs, while the prisoners from other nations do the same. It is
revealed that the traitor
is a Pole, who did it to
protect his family in Nazi-occupied Poland, as the Gestapo had threatened
reprisals against
them unless he co-operated.
The Pole is put on trial, found guilty and sentenced to hang, having refused
to take his
own life. The padre reveals
to Colonel Preston that the Pole had confessed to him, and tries to prevent
the execution,
arguing that his faith prevents
him from standing by and watching a man be killed in this way. As a last
resort, Preston
informs the Kommandant of
the imminent execution. The padre, usually a man of peace, uses a large
crucifix to knock
out one of the would-be
executioners just as the Germans burst into the room, and the Pole is saved
in the nick of time.
The
verdict: 'Colditz' is a superb television
drama of the type that just is not made anymore. It may look rather dated
now,
and many of the actors who went on to bigger things look incredibly young,
but it still makes for great viewing,
with
good acting, excellent scripts and lots of tension. Sadly, 'Colditz' is
not yet available on DVD.
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