Colditz (TV series)
| Colditz | |
|---|---|
Colditz's title card
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| Created by |
Brian Degas Gerard Glaister |
| Starring |
Jack Hedley Robert Wagner David McCallum Bernard Hepton Edward Hardwicke Anthony Valentine |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 28 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 Hour |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Original release | 19 October 1972 – 1 April 1974 |
Colditz is a British television series co-produced by the BBC and Universal Studios and screened between 1972 and 1974.
The series deals with Allied prisoners of war imprisoned at the supposedly escape-proof Colditz Castle when designated Oflag IV-C during World War II, and their many attempts to escape captivity, as well as the relationships formed between the various nationalities and their German captors.
Colditz was created by Brian Degas working with the producer Gerard Glaister, who went on to devise another successful BBC series dealing with the Second World War—Secret Army. Technical consultant for the series was Major Pat Reid, the real British Escape Officer at Colditz. One of the locations used in filming was Stirling Castle.
Michael Bryant was nominated for a Bafta for his performance in this episode [1][2]. Wing Commander Marsh (Michael Bryant), an assistant to the British Medical Officer, decides to use his extensive knowledge of mental illness for an escape. He proposes to "go insane" and be repatriated. Colonel Preston agrees to let him, so long as he follows through with it to the bitter end. Marsh does a very thorough job: his bizarre, disruptive behaviour continually annoys the other allied officers, who are mostly unaware of the scheme. However, the Germans are not convinced, and Ulmann asks a Corporal to observe Marsh closely. The Corporal has a brother who is insane, so Ulmann believes he is a better judge of Marsh's condition than any doctor. The Kommandant initially refuses to allow the Swiss authority to examine Marsh, but relents when Marsh's evident madness embarrasses him in front of an important visitor. By the time the Germans are willing to consider repatriation, Marsh has done such a convincing job that even the Doctor is uncertain whether or not Marsh is simply pretending to be insane. After Marsh has been successfully repatriated to the UK, it is revealed that his feigned psychosis has become genuine, and that he has been committed to a mental hospital for long-term care. Colonel Preston immediately forbids any further escape attempts along the same lines.
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