Island at War 

During the Second World War, a quiet channel island community is thrown into turmoil by the invasion forces of Nazi Germany.

Stars:

Saskia Reeves, Owen Teale, Julia Ford

1 win.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Saskia Reeves	...	Cassie Mahy 6 episodes, 2004
Owen Teale	...	PC Wilf Jonas 6 episodes, 2004
Julia Ford	...	Kathleen Jonas 6 episodes, 2004
Clare Holman	...	Felicity Dorr 6 episodes, 2004
James Wilby	...	Sen. James Dorr 6 episodes, 2004
Sean Gallagher	...	Sheldon Leveque 6 episodes, 2004
Joanne Froggatt	...	Angelique Mahy 6 episodes, 2004
Samantha Robinson	...	June Mahy 6 episodes, 2004
Ann Rye	...	Ada Jonas 6 episodes, 2004
Philip Glenister	...	Oberst Heinrich Baron Von Rheingarten 6 episodes, 2004
Daniel Flynn	...	Hauptmann Dieter Muller 6 episodes, 2004
Conor Mullen	...	Oberleutnant Walker / ... 6 episodes, 2004
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Bailiff Francis La Palotte 5 episodes, 2004
Caroline Strong	...	Margaret 5 episodes, 2004
Sean Ward	...	Colin Jonas 5 episodes, 2004
Sam Heughan	...	Philip Dorr 5 episodes, 2004
Laurence Fox	...	Bernhardt Tellemann 5 episodes, 2004
Louisa Clein	...	Zelda Kay 5 episodes, 2004
Stephen Mallatratt	...	Vicar 4 episodes, 2004
Andrew Havill	...	Oberleutnant Flach 4 episodes, 2004
Colin Tierney	...	Oberwachtmeister Wimmel / ... 4 episodes, 2004
Richard Dempsey	...	Eugene La Salle 3 episodes, 2004
Nick Roud	...	Ronald (Colin's Friend) 3 episodes, 2004
Sarah Kirkman	...	Delphine 2 episodes, 2004
Cara Chase	...	Mrs. La Salle 2 episodes, 2004
Malcolm Raeburn	...	Mr. La Salle 2 episodes, 2004

Storyline

Set during the occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. The story shows how Island life changed overnight after a German invasion. Islanders were restricted to walking and cycling, town names were changed to German names, clocks were set to continental time, and no society could meet without the permission of German High Command. The focus is on three families, the Dorrs, the Jonases and the Mahys, as they struggle on with day to day life under the restrictive new system.

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Plot Keywords:

island | invasion | occupation | british channel island | tv mini series | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

ITV [UK] PBS [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ilha em Guerra

Filming Locations:

Castletown, Isle of Man

Box Office

Budget:

£9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

540 min (6 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

The new commandant of the island arrives in 1940 wearing a decoration (known as The German Cross in Gold, or "the fried egg") on his right breast pocket that was not introduced until September the following year.

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Quotes

Oberleutnant Flach: [ironically] Inconvenient, isn't it, war?

User Reviews

Brilliant

This was the best mini-series I have ever seen. I began watching in the middle of episode 2 after my husband kept saying "You should really see this." By episode 3 I was hooked. The storyline is very intense without being crude, graphic or gory. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. The acting and dialog are brilliant. Each character is multi-dimensional and well developed with credit due to the incredibly honest writing of Stephen Mallatratt and the skill of the actors in bringing that writing to life. I felt like I was there.

I never knew about the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands until I saw this. There have been some complaints that the series is not historically accurate, but this is not meant to be a documentary; it is a fictional drama. A drama with teeth though - many of the characters wrestle with moral and ideological dilemmas that leave you thinking. It's also just plain fun.