Tenko

[Brokit]

Just seen this is being shown again on True entertainment channel. I remember watching it in the 80s and it was powerful stuff.
It's about a group of women prisoners of war in Singapore.

I have it on dvd....excellent series but harrowing stuff.

Used to love it back then.

Superb series. One of the best Brit programmes made, I think. I enjoyed the reunion special too, set in 1950 or thereabouts - it had a great twist.

I love Stephanie Cole, just wanted watched her in an old Doc Martin rerun.

The reunion special was excellent!

I loved Tenko. Used to watch it with my mum and Nan. I was probably eRly teens - does anyone know when it was first shown?

I do remember my great uncle walking in one night and asking us to turn it off. He was in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and just could bear it

When is it on? I vividly remember watching on Thursday nights with my mum. It was an outstanding drama.

It was based on the memoirs of a nurse called Margot Turner who'd been through it. I think the book was called Surviving Tenko. I believe that the characters of Kate and Beatrice were based loosely on her.

MissEliza I thik it's on every night on some obscure channel called True Entertainment. I've skyplussed it.
I watched the first two episodes last night. Setting the scene. The production quality has not aged well. Considering it was made in the 80s it's poor. Some of the acting in the early scenes is dreadful, particularly from peripheral male characters.
However I may still be hooked and I know that the performances of the central women characters was highly acclaimed.

Stephanie Beecham was great.

Stephanie Beecham was great.

Yes, her character was my favourite - I was gutted when she was written out. I liked Stephanie Cole in it as well.

I don't think I ever noticed the production quality being poor. I remember being utterly gripped by it at the time. I didn't know it was based on the memoirs of a real person, though.

I loved it, glad to see it's on again. I'm trying to remember what age I was as I'd like to watch it with my young teenagers.

It was made in the early 80s for TV, perhaps it just doesn't do well on a huge HD screen. Yes I reckon it would be great viewing for young teens and very educational as that part of WW2 history isn't as well known.

I've just set it to record, unfortunately I can't find the first three episodes.

Watched it recently too for the first time.

Blanche was the one that got me.

I never saw it at the time, as we didn't have a TV, but have since seen it on DVD. It is very good. I've also read the book it was loosely based on.

Most of the camp bits were filmed in Dorset, apparently.

Anyone still watching? I'm half way through series three - watching a few every week, and I'm enchanted and captivated by it.

I'm watching Brokit. I was doing well keeping up until this week and now I have five episodes on the planner to watch. I'll try to catch up over the weekend.

Thanks so much for letting us know it was on because I wouldn't have seen it otherwise. I'm loving watching it all again and even though I remembered a lot of the characters I had forgotten a lot of the stories.

Actually I'm only on series 2 not 3! I'm going to ration it now as I don't want to get to the end. Just re-read this thread and got a spoiler though - about Stephanie Beecham (Rose).