Customer Reviews

Enemy at the Door - Series 1

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Set during WW2 on the German-occupied British Channel Island of Guernsey, just a few miles off the coast of France, Enemy at the Door is a compelling, gripping, riveting period drama. I am not a huge fan myself of military drama in general; however, this series captivated our entire family to the point where we eagerly awaited each successive episode. The series was produced between 1977 and 1980, and it is of the same ilk as Upstairs Downstairs, The Duchess of Duke Street (both of which took place in part during the first world war), and Danger UXB. In short, if you've enjoyed any of those series, you will certainly enjoy this one--whether or not you have a particular interest in military drama.

Like the aforementioned shows, Enemy at the Door deals with the subject of war (and in this case the occupation) from a very human and personal perspective; in short, it is not a show about tactics, manoeuvres, and the war from a military perspective. The series centres around the lives of two families: The Martels and the Porteouses. Firstly, there is Dr. Martel, the local physician who is involved in committee work and bridges the gap between the islanders and the governing Germans. Martel is joined by his wife and his strong-willed, fiercely anti-German daughter, Clare. The Martels also have a son, Clive, a British soldier off fighting in the war. The Porteous household consists of Peter, a young farmer and close friend of the Martels who's eager to do his bit as a loyal Brit despite living in occupied territory, and Peter's wheelchair-bound mother. Each episode is a complete, independent story, though there is, as one would expect, carry through of the underlying stories as the war progresses. Other characters come and go, some to be seen only for one episode.

Though the series revolves around the islanders and their plights and predicaments, there are a few high-ranking German officers who are also regulars. Most notably, the man in charge of governing the island, and Dr. Martel's liaison, is Major Richter, a stern but relatively fair man. He's in an unenviable position, forced to make decisions requiring the wisdom of Solomon at times. Then there is the chief of police, Oberleutnant Kluge. A shrewd and very capable bloodhound, he's a hard man who will stand for no nonsense, neither from the islanders nor from the German soldiers. Things get particularly tense, however, whenever the elite German SS get involved, and their presence on the island is represented by the cruel, devious, and hard-as-nails Reinicke. Reinicke is Hitler's man, and whilst Richter, as head of the military unit on the island, is technically Reinicke's superior, Reinicke is dangerous and not a man to be crossed. Ironically, though the enemy of the Germans is technically the native island population, one cannot help feeling that the real enemy of the German military is the SS.

Both this boxed set and the second one consist of thirteen 50-minute episodes each, for a total of 26 episodes. The series bears some similarity to the recently produced Island at War, and certainly if you've enjoyed Island at War you will enjoy Enemy at the Door. Further, you needn't worry (as I did) that this series may be somewhat repetitious. There are some similarities, but only initially (ie. in the first two or three episodes). More to the point, although I saw Island at War prior to Enemy at the Door and although I enjoyed the former series (brief though it was), I have no hesitation in saying that I greatly preferred Enemy at the Door. Like Upstairs Downstairs or Danger UXB, what this series may lack in slick production values it more than makes up for in quality. In short, this is an impeccably-acted, compelling, riveting series with tightly-written, well-crafted storylines that keep a person glued to the show from start to finish, and with 26 episodes the series has been given the necessary time to really develop. I only wish there'd been even more episodes made! I recommend Enemy at the Door extremely highly to all fans of the very best in period drama, British or otherwise.

My wife and I watched this after seeing "Island at War" -- an updating of the story of the German occupation of the Channel Islands on Masterpiece Theatre. Although the more recent telling was very similar in some of the plotlines, and had much superior production values, we found that this mid-70's production to be more enjoyable, and oddly enough, more realistic.

This may be because Enemy at the Door is more episodic and deals with a wider range of people, everyone from the upper and upper middle classes, down to the very poor. At any rate, it does seem to give a very credible representation of what the occupation was like. Watching it demands something from the viewer; like much television from its era, it is not dumbed-down to a 12 year-old's level.

Some caveats: Like an earlier reviewer, I wish the Germans, if they were going to speak without subtitles, had used at least mild German accents. Sometimes if a German was not in a Wehrmacht uniform, I wasn't sure if he was a German or not! This might have reinforced the "othnerness" of the invaders. Only the policeman Kluge seemed consistently half-way German-sounding.

I also wish that some of the characters introduced in the episodes had reappeared later. Like characters in "Gunsmoke", folks show up for however many minutes, and then, even though they obviously haven't left the island, are never seen again.

Finally, both my wife and I kept desparately hoping that the Martell's insufferable daughter would be killed off. We haven't watched Series 2 yet. We'll keep hoping.

Notes on the DVDs: An earlier reviewer was quite correct in saying the colors are somewhat washed out. I would not say, then, that this series has been "digitally restored". But I'm not perfectionist on such things.

The "Extra Features" are pretty much worthless. Don't even bother. It would have been very nice to have some sort of historical information about the Channel Islands occupation, since we Americans are fairly ignorant concerning that aspect of WWII.

"Enemy at the Door" begins in June, 1940, as the English Channel island, Guernsey, received the undesired but expected arrival of German soldiers. The occupying force was established as a doorway into England. It was a political and psychological ploy to gain advantage over the British, who as yet were victorious with the air war over the Channel.

The first few episodes well establish the main characters, the struggle between the nationalities, as well as the sentiments of the individuals involved. Many island locals have mixed feelings about the need for assisting in any way with the occupation force. Some must walk the fine line between helping the Nazi command and looking out for the needs of the island's inhabitants during the occupation. A young rich local, Peter Porteous (Richard Heffer), leans on the defiant side of the line. Island doctor, Philip Martel (Branard Horsfall), reluctantly takes a role on the local committee to work with the enemy command in hopes it will advance fair treatment for the Guernsey population. His daughter, Clair (Emily Richard) is much less sympathetic and agreeable. Leading the German officers is Maj. Richter (Alfred Burke), who desires compliance but hopes it to be a less than combative existence for both sides. But he must follow orders. The complications of both sides trying to make an unwanted situation work is what makes this series so compelling.

Each episode is like a stand-alone story about living on this occupied island, amidst the fears of war, yet having to learn to live with and under an enemy force. Stories surrounding the lives of local persons, such as the librarian, young girls swayed by even enemy uniforms, a barber, and others, creates both exciting and heartbreaking plots about the loves, interaction, hateful attacks, plus attempts at normalcy in a time when "normal" has no lasting definition.

This series is a real eye-opener to those of us who have never had to experience war, let alone living under the occupation of an enemy force. This is definitely not your normal WWII drama. It can leave you hating the German force in one episode and feeling some compassion for the Nazi officers in the next. There is enough connection by main characters to tie together all of the episodes, but viewers are not compelled to force the watching of all 13 at one sitting. Fear not, there is no need to study-up on the British/German WWII activity prior to watching. This set of episodes has more to do with local living, and interaction between people during war, than it does with the military war itself.

Some captioning to assist with the British accents would have been occasionally helpful but is not a lasting problem. My wife and I were surprised to find this historical drama quite addicting. Very believable situations and human reaction make "Enemy at the Door" a recommended viewing.

I really enjoyed both series 1 and 2 of Enemy at the Door. It is fine period drama--well-written, wonderfully acted, and a fine production all around. I don't quite understand the negative comments; I didn't feel it was a whitewash at all. Not all German soldiers were Nazis; many were simply young German males who were required to serve. In fact, in the series a German commandant is also a victim of Nazi repression, despite being a stellar German officer. I found it an excellent, insightful series. I highly recommend it to all drama lovers.

In this compelling television production of events on English Gurnsey Island during WWII, peaceful island life is transformed overnight by the arrival of the governing military command of occupying German soldiers and officers. But the island can only support so many people .. supplies, food, fuel and medicine become scarce as the Germans hoard for themselves. Tensions fly as the two populations confront eachother: The islanders wish to preserve their lifestyles .. whereas the German military commands respect and control under order of death! Decisions made by each person impact others with dire consequences. Each episode is a cliffhanger!

Season one episodes should be watched before season two as the story line continues.

This series was on BBC television years ago and although the DVD quality isn't as good as productions made today, it is a well told story of how the UK Channel Islanders survived during the German occupation in WW2. You will get caught up with the characters and find yourself wanting to watch all segments in just a few stretches, so it is good to buy both season one and season two at the same time. Alas, the series was cancelled before it reached the end of the war and I found myself wanting to see more. If you have visited the Channel Islands and seen the artifacts left by the Germans during the occupation then you need to watch these shows. I'm glad I have it in my collection of WW2 stories.

"Enemy at the Door," a British television series, was made in the late 1970's, once again for Britain's independent - privately owned - television stations (ITV). It ran for two seasons on ITV, from 1978-1980, and was broadcast in the U.S. on public television. It combines two highly popular genres, period drama and World War II history. Its series 1 now reaches us in a four DVD box set, comprising 13 episodes, running approximately 663 minutes, with special features including historical background. Unfortunately, it does not include subtitles that would be most welcome in a series of this nature, with such varied accents; still, it is possible to follow the action well enough. (Series 2, not yet released, comprises another 13 episodes.)

The series deals with the British Channel Islands that were invaded and occupied by the Nazi German army in June, 1940: Germany thought they would be a good jumping-off point for its planned invasion of the British Isles themselves. We now know that invasion was never to come, as, in the Battle of Britain, the Brits managed to inflict substantial enough losses on the vaunted German air force, the Luftwaffe, as to disable it from supporting such an invasion. Still, the Channel Islands, although they then became a forgotten backwater of the war, were occupied for five years, almost until the end of the war, and British and Germans had to manage to live together.

Alfred Burke ("Public Eye") stars as Major Reichter, Commanding officer of the occupying forces; Bernard Horsfell( On Her Majesty's Secret Service); stars as Doctor Philip Martel, who unwillingly finds himself on the committee which must liaise with the Germans. Emily Richard (Empire of the Sun), plays Clare Martel, the doctor's daughter; Anthony Stewart Head, (TV's Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Collector's Set (40 discs)), makes his acting debut as Clive Martel, the doctor's son; Antonia Pemberton plays Olive, the doctor's wife. John Malcolm plays Oberleutnant Kluge, a German policeman from Hamburg, performing similar duties for the occupation forces; Simon Cadell plays Haupsturmfuhrer Reinecke, a sneering, villainous cad of an SS Officer. Richard Heffer plays Peter Porteous, scion of the island's largest land-owning family. Guest stars include John Nettles (Midsomer Murders: Set 12); Alun Armstrong (New Tricks : Complete BBC Series 1 ); Joss Ackland, and James Maxwell.

The overwhelming impression the series left on me is that it is surprisingly revisionist in outlook. This may be somewhat due to the fact that Burke is a more skilled actor than is Horsfall, and is more capable of giving his character an inner life; still, the German major, and the cop, come across as men struggling to do the best they can in difficult circumstances: the doctor and his wife come across as stick figures. Furthermore, the younger generation, the doctor's son and daughter; the landowner Porteous; and a lawyer's daughter, are portrayed as disastrously reckless and feckless. They cost lives, and among their own people, too. The script sometimes veers into melodrama, and unlikely coincidences abound. Still, the series benefits from the typically lush British production values of the period; location photography is lovely; interiors, transport and clothing are recreated with care; there are extras aplenty; and I imagine the history of one of the least-known stories of the war is as accurate as the makers could get it. For enthusiasts of either World War II, or British drama, it's a good addition to the DVD shelf.

If you're looking for great combat action with acompanying mayhem and destruction--this series probably isn't what you're looking for. While classified as a drama--it's really more of a soap opera in a world war II setting. I normally don't care for soaps--but this one is done very well. Some characters aren't used as well as they should have been--John Nettles, for example, appears in only one episode as a policeman investigating black market activities-and though he's a bit younger than Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby--he plays the part in a very similar style. One of the better episodes involves a young German soldier who is accused of rape-although from what we are shown-he is only guilty of poor judgement coupled with a typical young mans testosterone--but his "punishment" is a very moving moment.
Another fine episode involves a young German named Eric who falls in love with a British girl, but the German command opposes his interest in her-and he winds up transferred to the Russian front. Of the Germans-Alfred Burke as Major Richter and John Malcolm as Oberleutnant Kluge are actually two of the more likeable characters--while Simon Cadell as Hauptmann Reinecke makes an almost perfect villain. The British are mainly represented by the Martel family, Peter Porteous and his invalid mother. All in all, I give this series a high recommendation, well worth the cost--there are a total of 13 episodes, each roughly 55 minutes in length and though some episodes are clearly better than others--all are interesting and well acted

Most of us cannot imagine what it would be like to live during wartime in a city where the enemy controls every aspect of our lives. This series gives us a pretty good idea of the range of responses to the German presence, from the Stoic acceptance by Dr. Martel, who feels responsible for the people of Guernsey, to the rebellious hatred of the Germans by Dr. Martel's daughter. A wide range of attitudes is also depicted among the German officers. Major Richter, the commander, is an educated and humane man, who is fairly lenient with the civilian population of Guernsey. Richter's colleague Major Freidel is tolerant and humane, and generally in agreement with Richter. The commander of the German police force is a by-the-book German, concerned with justice for both Germans and islanders. Hauptman Reinicke is the SS officer, far less lenient than the other officers. He despises the SS, but does his job of exercising strict control of the islanders because he is an ambitious man. The German officers are not evil people, at least in the early years of the war. They are just ambitious men doing their jobs.

Each episode is written by a different writer, but unity is maintaned by having the same main characters appear throughout the series. The stories are heartbreaking and ultimately tragic. There are no happy endings.

This is a brilliant series, beautifully written and beautifully acted. Series II is as brilliant. I wish there were more like it.

This is a fairly well written and acted series regarding the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. A part of the historical record, mostly forgotten, of a Nazi occupation of British territory that is largely overlooked. I found the series of interest and
look forward to viewing the secord set in the hope that all the character issues, etc. will be resolved.