Tenko

[SammyScrounge]

Tenko is back on the Drama Channel!. One of my favourite series ever. It had such powerful characters and didn't spare the nastiness of events in the camp.
It was out at around about the same time as Cagney and Lacey A great era for strong female characterisation.

I used to watch that every week without fail. loved it.

Watched the whole thing back to back again a couple of years ago. So nice to see female centric drama.

Oh thanks for the heads up. One of my all time favourites. Stephanie Cole was magnificent. I did rewatch it a few years ago and I thought it aged well.

Tenko is the best.
One of the first TV dramas that was created, written and staring women and about women.
There was an excellent book published about the making of it (huge massive book). Really interesting.
(I'll see if I can find the details).
I had the novelisations too.

I remember watching the original series. Very good.

Here's the book.
It's a fascinating read.
A few years ago I also found a copy of the autobiography book called "Three Came Home" by Agnes Newton Keith which was one of the women that some of the characters were based on.

It was fab. I loved the reunion set in the 1950s too. There was a brilliant twist in that.

I remember reading the autobiography of the woman on whom Kate was based. I can’t remember its name though.

Cagney and Lacey was brilliant too. And Golden Girls was out at that time as well. A good time for women in drama.

Oh i loved tenko

I remember reading the autobiography of the woman on whom Kate was based. I can’t remember its name though.

There's Women Beyond the Wire - Lavinia Warner and John Sandilands, 1982.

Here's its bibliography.

Thank you!

Another one who loved this series First time around I had recently returned to UK having lived in Singapore so it was a must to watch. Have watched it again at least three times over the years.

Used to watch it with my mum and sister, great memories. Thanks for reminding me.

I loved this. I was definitely too young to watch it when I did (primary school age) but it was a brilliant series. I might rewatch it as an adult.

There's a new book advertised - 'In The Shadow of The Rising Sun' -- a memoir by one of the child detainees in the camp.Has anyone read that?

I loved this. Used to watch it with my mum. Would love to see it again. Thanks for the book recommendations too.

My mate's wife was in Tenko. He tells me the same story about it every time I see him... puts me off watching a bit.

It's on Drama at least every 6 months.

It was a fantastic series. Really superb.
I'm always a bit loathe to go back to something that I remember being so goo, in case it is disappointing 3 decades on.

I am sure The Making of Tenko is available on Kindle Unlimited for free if you're a subscriber.

@twilightcafe thanks. I don't have a kindle but thanks to this thread I was just eyeing up old copies of the novelisations online (which I used to own).

This series holds its own well. It's as fresh, raw and compelling as it was when I first watched it as a kid.

Agree with the PP above about the standout performance by Stephanie Cole: so many complex emotions and nuances were associated with her character as she gradually loses her confidence and certainties in life as the series progresses. The wonderful Jean Anderson as the incognito aristocrat, and Patricia Lawrence as Sister Ulrika, were also stellar.

I loved the Dorothy character, thought she had the most pronounced character arc between the loss of her husband and child, her growing ability to survive against the odds and eventual reemergence as a successful antiques dealer by the time of the reunion.

I also liked the cold, hard, treacherous Christina Campbell better than her earlier breathless people-pleaser demeanour. Marion's occasional outbursts were entertaining, too.

This series is responsible for at least one item on my bucket list: a Singapore sling (or three) at the Raffles Hotel!

Re. War dramas - Secret Army suffered through association with Allo Allo but this was another example of how women in wartime really came through. The Comet escape line was mostly the initiative of women, who took unbelievable risks in their resistance work. It's founder was a diminutive woman of only 24 years of age.

The character of Natalie was fantastic.

@SerafinasGoose I used to like Wish Me Luck and a series no one ever remembers called Bluebells which was about a dance troop in occupied France.

Admittedly I haven't heard of them either, but will now track them down thanks to your recommendation. Many thanks!

I used to love Tenko and didn't realise until recently that most of it was filmed in Dorset.