Manhunt

This is a great example of what can be done on a small budget.

A great cast, including a sleazy pre-Blakey Stephen Lewis are set adrift somewhere in France. Set work is minimal, with the three main protagonists usually running through what appears to be the same field.

In one episode, there is a nod to Greek tragedies, in that the action is taking place outside, with only the actors narrative telling the cast and viewers what is happening.

I remember parts of this series first time round and wanted to see how it panned out. Time fades the memories.

Some may be shocked mainly by Jimmy's misogynistic attitude and Nina's acceptance of what he says.

That noted, good to see a well written drama, with some great acting.

Some reviewers have panned this series, but it is theatre, FGS, not a documentary. What I love about it is the dialogue - a long gone cultured English that is intelligible - whether the action is in French, German, or English it remains in English - and that suits me. The performance of Robert Hardy as the ambivalent Abweht sergeant Gratz is a tour de force. He is moving, funny, frightening and human. Poor Nina (the gorgeous Cyd Hayman) ! Men either want to sleep, torture, or kill her. And the sinister Obersturmbanführer played by Philip Madec (don't tell him Pike) is terrifying.

There are of course, to our contemporary sophisticated eyes sole ludicrous. Moments, but you have to expect that is dramas of that period - think of Olivier's performance as Othello that evokes laughter today with its West Indian mimicry. The dialogue written for Gratz never varies in its brilliant portrayal of his wit and cunning.

I recommend it heartily,-you do not need subtitles to clarify the sloppy diction of today's actors, or the risible portrayal of the upper classes by bit players from East Enders.

Prior to 'Manhunt', the majority of films about the French Resistance, certainly in Britain and America, were very simplistic boy's own adventure stuff about plucky men (and sometimes women), with little exploration of the issues relating to collaboration and resistance. 'Manhunt' changed all that.

Of course, it helped that it had literate scripts, fascinating characters, and superb performances. It was an instant T.V. 'hit'. But it was a superb history lesson. It showed the resistance movement as a collection of individuals with a variety of motives - Communists, Gaullists, evaders from labour service, and people with personal motives. They distrusted each other sometimes, and saw other groups as rivals. Similarly, the Germans were not monolithic. The S.S. and Gestapo hated the Abwere, and vice versa.

The most interesting character was Graz, the Abwhere intelligence officer, for he was on the fringe of the anti-Nazi resistance movement.

Consequently, you never really knew what happened from one episode to the next. That was what made it so exciting and watchable.

The series proved so popular that it was extended beyond the anticipated number of episodes.

In many ways 'Manhunt' prefigures themes in 'Army of Shadows' and 'Soldier of Orange'.

For years I wondered if it would be possible to see Manhunt.

I was working shift when it was aired in 1970, so I only managed to catch the odd episode, but I was really hooked on it and never forgot it.

What a let-down it is to watch it now. I really has aged very badly. The melodrama is awful, the acting, terrible.

I accept it may have been original at the time and paved the way for future dramas like Colditz and Secret Army, but it is embarrassingly bad now.

They were supposed to be on the run, but ran across open fields, half hid behind hedges and walls with Germans walking by, talked out loud in occupied houses and killed a few people, et al. A scout patrol could have caught them.

Nina was awful, particularly during one of her frequent meltdowns, and Jimmy was far too glib, "old love", about their plight. Vincent was unconvincing, especially when holding a gun.

There was no real sense of drama because we all knew they would be ok as there were plenty of episodes left.

A great shame really.

This series about the French resistance deserves to be seen and praised. The acting and writing is outstanding. The historical background is very good. This is a 1970 British tv production but it looks less dated than productions of similar vintage. I first saw this as an 11 year old,amazed my parents left me watch this. I can't praise it highly enough,even better than the better known Secret Army.