Colditz TV Series S01-E05 - Maximum Security 

Love the way as a good German he measures the minute.

He was very good in two episodes of minder.

Donald Simmons XI agree - a fantastic character

Indeed, however in s later episode he did give a captured escapee a quick dig in the ribs so he's no angel. Traitors episode.

I would have fleshed out Major Mohn’s relationship to Anna a bit more to both help highlight his personal background as well as foreshadow his fall in “Chameleon”. There are clues about both, but they are often too subtle to notice. I do love how all of the characters act within the confines of their established traits. There are archetypes, but not cartoonish stereotypes, as you said. The viewer isn’t slapped in the face with themes or developments, nor are they left to try and bridge a chasm between out-of-character actions or developments( the closest being Mohn’s fall, but as noted, there are hints).

His fall was simply a desperate last minute attempt to win favour with the POWs, was it not?

Absolutely however, he did panic a bit when they bombed the bridge in the final episode, though he soon found his composure.

Totally agree about the handshake. The commandant’s approval & gratitude; Ullman’s satisfaction at his boss’ recognition of a job well done. They both realize the proposal’s swiftness & excellence stymied the SS. All that without a word spoken. Incredible performances.

He belonged to the Wehrmacht which was a very different part of the Nazi defence forces than the SS or SD.

Leila L : Both he and his Captain Ulmann were both staunch Wehrmacht and had little time for SS Officers who never saw action in War !

Ya, true, this Krout was a gent, but the other one Hitler, seemed to be a real jerk!!!

@@robstack3712 lol🤣🤣🤣

@@robstack3712 Hitler was Austrian!

Not according to some British accounts

God that must have been amazing......I would give anything to see that place but seeing that I am on the otherside of the world (Africa) I do not see that happening in this life time, this was such a great series, what those men went through.......

@@michelleduplooymalherbe2837 Yip it was incredible to walk around the place and match up the old pictures .We went up the spiral stone stairs to the loft where a replica of the glider is .In the morning we were having breakfast and the chef pointed to a big pot that they mixed the glue in when they built the replica glider .Nice guy to talk to.Last year we went to Berchesgarten and stood in the exact spot where the nasty little man with the moustache lived .The concrete retaining wall is still there .I was amazed at how close the house is to the main town .400 yards down from the train station .Turn right and snake up the very steep hill .Take a left and it's on the right 50 yards before the hotel Turken .

That is very sad. Another great actor gone. He truly incarnated the role of Uhlmann.

Great actor , perfect for roles such as this, one of the few actors who could convey so much just with a look … RIP Hans ...

R.I.P. Hans you will be remembered

Rip Hans great performance

I guess Meyer spoke a little bit of Afrikaans too, didn't he?

My favorite German character too.

Yes, he always has that intense stare. But when he is in the conference and watches the SS-officer next to him, I can see much worry in that (almost) same stare. What an actor!

Yes he never says much throughout the series and is quietly spoken but has a real intensity of presence.

Bollocks..Rathbone and Bruce.

@@bazbarrett8103 Both fine actors, but given scripts and direction that made the characters, particularly Watson, a laughing stock.

Fair point Christopher.

+Scott Clinton You might not know it, but for the first season Colditz was co-produced by the BBC with the US company Universal. Apparently there were going to air Colditz on prime time tv in the US, that is why we have Robert Wagner and David McCallum in the show, but it never happened and it was only originally aired in the UK.

It was actually pretty accurate from what I have read and seen over the years from the men who were there.

Pat Grant was meant to be the real life Pat Reid who wrote the books. Apparently Reid did receive some criticism from contemporaries due to seeing out the war in Switzerland (neutral) after escaping from Colditz!

I know nathing i know nathing😀👍🇨🇦

@@roddyteague6246 This is something most people don't understand. A large percentile of the escaping POWs that reached the Swiss border were interned their for. the. duration! They weren't given a choice, and were basically under house arrest.... More freedom than a POW camp, but after you check in, "you can never leave". (No Passports, and other things needed to get on an airplane!!!)

@ John King You shouldn’t imagine that this was done out of altruism.

@@tomhanna8508 Please explain further

John King It was a turf war between the SS and the Wehrmacht. It was fought over many areas of conflicting interest; availability of manpower, resources and influence over the mechanisms of government. In effect Himmler tried to build a state within a state. The SS even had its own economics branch. It controlled the industrial complex within labour and concentration camps. Controlling allied POWs was a natural progression. The Wehrmacht opposed their control over POW camps just because the SS wanted it, not because they believed the SS would be nasty.

One should always remember that not all POW were treated like those from the UK, USA, France and the western allies by the Wehrmacht/Luftwaffe/Kriegsmarine in their camps. While not as bad as the SS, the treatment of the Poles and especially the Soviet POW was beneath the standards of the Geneva Convention and often criminal/shameful/abhorent. It's in the human nature that decent men/women can do terrible things.

@@chrishieke1261 The Soviets did not assign to the Geneva Convention, and so the SS and Nazi used this to ensure poorer treatment.

I notice Bernard in a lot of tv stuff old and new, he's a quality actor.

yes another excellent series

Prinz Nezz how do you know that ?

I won't mention the 'Allo Allo' thing but using the same logic for its main character, the cafe owner. The Colditz Kommandant was serving in Colditz through the war till its end. The Belgian cafe owner did the same. So they're defintely not the same person! They are... twin brothers seperated at birth!

You only have to look at how the SS treated prisoners in their camps in Poland. Need we say anymore?

@@johnking5174 Or all of those who were shot "trying to escape" after their recapture during The Great Escape!!!

“Tell Ullman. Keep it casual. Don’t panic him.” Hahahahahahahahahaha…*breathes*…hahahahaha! His was a great character: pragmatic, even-tempered, and dispassionate. He took his job seriously, taking every precaution to keep the prisoners from escaping, but held no contempt towards them. He even warmly greeted Carrington after he was captured the second time. All of his actions were taken from the view of risk: his dislike for poor Willie was sourced from his emotional recklessness, and hie never took the bait from Mohn’s (Edit:spelling correction) taunting, later on( something Carter could have done well to emulate, but then he wouldn’t have been Carter).

Agreed. The only other thing off the top of my head he was in The New Statesman. He was actually a South African who died in April 2020 aged 94.

No one outshines Hepton in terms of acting though! I love them both in this.

Both made by the BBC, who back then put in the effort, time and money into making great television drama.

besides. the last episode, the last 20minutes, of the last DVD is broke :´( I am so happy it is on youtube :) this time I will see it :D

I agree as it's all lefty rubbish with statutory black people in it by law !

Hi, the DVD collection is available from here - www.amazon.co.uk/Colditz-Complete-Collection-Limited-Collectors/dp/B0042JSSG8

Let's hope he manages to cash a small cheque, 100 pounds should suffice!

Yes I noticed Lord Melbury too lol

Sorry, year later: There are many all-region dvd players for even very decent prices. Door opens to British, European and especially Scandinavian series and movies.

It's also an unusual weapon for an ordinary soldier, he should be carrying a rifle. Submachineguns were usually reserved for underofficers.

Patrick Troughton. Who's the others?

They were, did you not see them smashing out the bricks with the iron bar?

Michael Gwynn is the actor's name. He sadly died in 1976, four years after his appearance here in Colditz.

His drinking was brought on by his realisation of the horrors his own country's army were doing, and so he drank to escape reality.

Colditz the TV show was based on events that happened in the castle for real. However a large amount of dramatic license was taken. Stories presented here are purely fictional, but had a little bit of truth to them.

That's what the guard said, all were bricked up a year ago. Evidently no German has checked them since prisoners arrived . . .

Exterior scenes were filmed at Stirling Castle in Scotland. Interior scenes were filmed at Ealing Studios which the BBC owned and operated back then.

@@johnking5174 Thanks. Never knew that. Thank you for your contribution.

Filming "on location" in Colditz would have been impossible in 1972 since back then the castle was located in the GDR.

Remember the passage of time. This is episode 5, and the part 2 of the first series was placed possibly one or two years later.

@@johnking5174 haha Yes, the magic of films!! But to be fair , they did learn German and have courses as part of escape skills. This series shows how with little money, the English make a great show and "the Professionals" really little money it seemed but great gritty drama with Gordon Jackson and Blakes 7 with very little for special effects but the stories were engaging. I found Colditz and very glad i did as seen it all a number of times.