Tenko (1981–1984)

WWII drama follows a group of British, Dutch, and Australian women; from the bombing of Singapore to their years spent in prison camps and eventually to the end of the war where the survivors try to readjust to civilian life.

Creator:

Lavinia Warner

Stars:

Ann Bell, Stephanie Cole, Claire Oberman

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ann Bell	...	Marion Jefferson (30 episodes, 1981-1984)
Stephanie Cole	...	Beatrice Mason (30 episodes, 1981-1984)
Claire Oberman	...	Kate Norris (30 episodes, 1981-1984)
Emily Bolton	...	Christina Campbell (27 episodes, 1981-1984)
Elizabeth Chambers	...	Mrs. Domenica Van Meyer (26 episodes, 1981-1984)
Veronica Roberts	...	Dorothy Bennett (24 episodes, 1981-1984)
Patricia Lawrence	...	Sister Ulrica (21 episodes, 1981-1984)
Jean Anderson	...	Lady Jocelyn 'Joss' Holbrook (20 episodes, 1982-1984)
Stephanie Beacham	...	Rose Millar (19 episodes, 1981-1982)
Burt Kwouk	...	Major Yamauchi (19 episodes, 1981-1984)
Takashi Kawahara	...	Shinya (17 episodes, 1981-1982)
Eiji Kusuhara	...	Lt. Sato (17 episodes, 1981-1984)
Takahiro Oba	...	Kasaki (16 episodes, 1981-1984)
Louise Jameson	...	Blanche Simmons (13 episodes, 1981-1982)

Storyline

Three 10x55min series. The first series set in 1941, a group of English and Australian women from Singapore are shipwrecked while they try to escape the Japanese invasion. The survivors are captured and put in a prison camp. They and their Dutch companions must all make drastic adjustments to and discoveries about their lives. In the second series, the group is moved to a new camp with a completely new pecking order and a particularly vicious camp leader. At the beginning of the third series, the prisoners are liberated and must re-adjust themselves to live in Singapore, in the aftermath of the war.

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Plot Keywords:

singapore | australian | prison camp | dutch | bombing | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

Australia UK

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

22 October 1981 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Dorset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min 50 min (30 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mrs. Van Meyer's pet songbird, which appears in season one, is named for the actress Simone Simon.

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Quotes

[repeated lines]
Mrs. Domenica Van Meyer: How dare you speak to me this way?

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Connections

Featured in The Story of the Costume Drama: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (2008)

User Reviews

One of the best programs I've ever seen!

I saw this many years ago and I was riveted to the television. Historically accurate, interesting, entertaining, just plain great! The acting is stunning and no one actress outshines the other. I felt their pain, hopelessness, and I felt the sweat and dirt. I would love to read the book(s) it is based on. Paradise Road simply does not measure up to this. To see a Hollywood version of this watch "Three Came Home" with Claudette Colbert. Based on a true story by Agnes Newton Keith, the movie conveys the great pain of the incarcerated woman, but the setting is backlot Hollywood. Also, see Empire of The Sun, another great true POW story, this time focusing on a child.

I, too, wish I could see Tenko again. I hope someday it will be available in the US.