An Englishman's Castle
| An Englishman's Castle | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Philip Mackie |
| Directed by | Paul Ciappessoni |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Innes Lloyd |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company(s) | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | 5 June 1978 – 19 June 1978 |
An Englishman's Castle is a BBC television serial first broadcast in 1978, written by Philip Mackie and directed by Paul Ciappessoni. The story was set in an alternate history 1970s, in which Nazi Germany won World War II and occupies England. Peter Ingram (Kenneth More) is a writer for a soap opera (also called An Englishman's Castle), which is set in London during The Blitz and subsequent Nazi occupation.
Plot
Ingram is oblivious to Nazi rule, which is hidden behind a façade of seemingly normal English daily life. As is mentioned in historical references, the occupation was followed by several years of guerrilla warfare, which culminated in an amnesty that enabled the resisters to resume normal daily life in return for accepting the reality of German occupation, which they generally did, feeling that further resistance was futile.
A kind of normality was restored, with few Germans to be seen in the streets, and German rule is maintained mainly through an extensive system of collaborators. When dissidents are detained it is done by polite, soft-spoken English police, but they are then delivered to horrible torture in Gestapo chambers kept discreetly out of sight.
Ingram gradually becomes aware of the real state of things. First, he encounters his superiors' firm objection to the inclusion of a Jewish character in the series. Having such a character would violate the official policy of letting the extermination of the Jews remain a secret that is never discussed openly. Then, Ingram discovers that his mistress is secretly Jewish and a member of an underground resistance movement. Eventually, his loyalties are tested and he sides with the resistance. In the closing scenes of the final episode, an anti-Nazi revolution/rebellion breaks out. Ingram loads a gun and awaits his fate, which is undisclosed.
Cast
- Kenneth More as Peter Ingram
- Isla Blair as "Sally"
- Anthony Bate as Harmer
- Kathleen Byron as Mrs. Ingram
- Noel Dyson as "Mrs. Worth"
- Rob Edwards as "Bert"
- Fiona Gray as Susan
- Nigel Havers as Mark Ingram
- Peter Hughes as "Mr. Worth"
- David Meyer as Henry Ingram
- David Roy Paul as Head waiter
- Brian Peck as Jimmy
- Philip Bond as Inspector
- Anthony Stafford as "Frank"