Secret Army is a BBC drama series back in the days they were truly great. Set in Belgium during Nazi occupation we follow the fortunes of the resistance, along ‘Lifeline’, an escape line for Allied airmen fallen behind enemy lines.
Years later, I can still recall the characters – Albert, Monique, Madeleine Duclos and above all Kessler.
What makes this series so special?
The script, the actor’s interpretations, the development of character and plot that is seldom seen in such compelling complexity today. Always encouraging you to interrogate your own moral stance, it’s never predictable or easy – a drama capable of constantly surprising you!
And talking of surprise, I wanted to share a clip of Nazi officer Kessler (played with brillaintly evil bureaucratic fastididousnes by Clifford Rose) and his romantic relationship with the lonely Belgium society lady Madeleine Duclos, but it seems to have disappeared from everywhere apart from my mind. So, I have chosen this sharply written dialogue, still pertinent today:
