Wish Me Luck, Series 1

The British Special Operations Executive (SEO), a World War II government unit that sent civilians into occupied France as undercover agents, is the focus of this ITV-aired series. The eight episodes compiled here from the 1988 first season trace Col. Cadogan's (Julian Glover) recruitment of Liz Grainger (Kate Buffery), an elegant wife and mother who becomes a courier; and Matty Firman (Suzanna Hamilton), a half-Jewish factory worker who's a crack radio operator. Also involved are their male colleagues on the continent (Michael J. Jackson and Jeremy Northam), as well as a French friend of Liz's (Jane Asher), who's forced by the local Nazi commander (Warren Clarke) to betray her friend. Budgetary concerns kept the occasional action sequences small-scale in this show that places more emphasis on relationships among characters, both in France and in the families left behind in England, as well as Cadogan's efforts to keep his agents safe while sending them on dangerous missions (Liz is married, with a young daughter and a husband unaware of her involvement, so her capture would prove a public relations nightmare). While the series often comes across as rather talky (and the overbearing background score is a distraction), the SOE's work is a fascinating sidelight to British war intelligence efforts, while the emphasis on female agents gives Wish Me Luck an unusual focus. DVD extras include a photo gallery and text info on several of the real women of the SOE. Recommended. (F. Swietek)