Search - Wish Me Luck - Series 1 on DVD

Brilliant!

Ian K. Cartwright | Church Stretton, Shropshire. England | 07/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To anyone who has taken an interest in the work of SOE during the War Years this series is absolutely brilliant.A lot of research has gone into the making of this series and the detail and background is second to none.If you are looking for a lot of action,you may be dissappointed,as the series does tend to concentrate on the people involved and the effect it has on their lives and the people involved in their lives.but this all makes for very real and believable drama.The characters portayed are very much based on real people involved,and the series does show how the different "social" barriers were overcome during these times.It doesn't tend to overglamourise the situation,and portrays the dangers the agents faced on a day to day basis.

As someone who has a keen interest in the work of SOE I would thoughly recommend this series.

My only concern is when are they going to release the 2nd and 3rd series ?"

Undercover in occupied France

drama lover | Alexandria, VA USA | 02/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have this series on VHS and, after having watched it at least three times, still really enjoy it. I find it well-written, well-acted, well-paced, and an interesting take on the usual male spy story. As a woman, I admittedly enjoy stories about women who succeed at difficult tasks. The two women who star in this series face an extremely difficult task--to pass as Frenchwomen in occupied France, despite having spent the majority of their lives in England, while passing secrets under the noses of the ever-watchful Germans. Unlike another reviewer, I won't try to say whether members of the other sex will like it or not. I don't see it as a chick flick at all--simply as a story about spies in WWII which features the women who were spies, as well as the men. Jill Hyem is a fine writer and this is fine WWII drama. If you're looking for lots of battle scenes, however, this isn't it. This is about people, not weapons, and life among the enemy. I recommend it."

Rich view of another side of the war

L. F. Ribeiro | North Hollywood, CA USA | 06/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, an exploration of WW II that demonstrates that women can be brave, loyal, daring and patriotic. For all the compelling war movies out there, its very rare that women are allowed those noble qualities as they are usually subjugated to the role of lover, femme fatal, wife, mother or child. "Wish Me Luck" features women, in all their various personal roles, but also engaged in the war to save their nation. Refreshing! For the insecure among you who need bang-bangs to reassure you there's a war going on, yes, look elsewhere for your pyrotechnics. "Wish Me Luck" tells the story of three "Baker Street Irregulars" -- or members of the British Special Operations Executive - spies sent to France to assist the resistance movement. Although the British series ran for 23 episodes, only the first 8 have made it to DVD (we can all hope for more) and follow two women and a man from training through their perilous missions in France. Subtle, thoughtful and filled with great period detail, this is great entertainment with a slightly different view of the war. If the topic interests you, do try the films "Carve Her Name With Pride" and "Odette," both based on the real experiences of well known women in the SOE."

The Reality of Special Operations Comes Through

Kass McGann | 07/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I couldn't believe it when I saw these videos in a mail order catalog. I had no idea anyone had done a program on SOE apart from documentaries. I had no idea anyone in the country knew what SOE was but us! My husband and I are WWII re-enactors and at living history events, we portray agents for the Special Operations Executive in occupied Belgium. We explain to the public that this branch of the British military recruited civilians to train, supply, and communicate with local Résistance forces (with varying degrees of success). This is a great series to show our fellow re-enactors when they are just beginning to learn the impression. The videos are a bit melodramatic and it's entirely a fictional account (none of the characters portrayed are real, although they have copied some stories straight from the SOE files). But Bob and I agree that they get alot of things right (Résistance's distrust of SOE and vice versa, the unavailability of good equipment and timely drops, the quarrelling between SOE and normal forces...). It's the fictional story of two women who go through training together and are eventually posted as a courier and wireless operator on the same team. Still it's not overly romanticized. The constant fear of discovery comes through very well. I highly recommend it."