Based on real-life experiences, Tenko remains one of the most fondly remembered and acclaimed BBC dramas of the early 1980s. It follows a group of women, formerly comfortably well-off ex-pats living in Singapore, as they are captured by the Japanese during World War II.
Based on real-life experiences, Tenko remains one of the most fondly remembered and acclaimed BBC dramas of the early 1980s. It follows a group of women, formerly comfortably well-off ex-pats living in Singapore, as they are captured by the Japanese during World War II.
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The first season, set in 1941-42, charts the drama from the women being captured and sent to live in squalor and deprivation in a Japanese POW camp.
E1 · Shattered Dreams
SINGAPORE, 5 DECEMBER 1941: Due to lack of information from the Army and the media, most of the inhabitants of Singapore remain blissfully unaware of any danger in their lives. Then the Japanese land …
E2 · All Aboard
SINGAPORE, 10 DECEMBER 1941: The aftermath of the Japanese bombing of Singapore causes the evacuation of many of the British civilians in Singapore. Marion, Christina, Kate, Nellie, Rose, Tom (Kate's …
E3 · Internment
KAMPONG GETAH, FEBRUARY 1942: Joined by others, including Beatrice, the women are taken to their internment camp, where a contingent of Dutch internees join them, including Sister Ulrica. Everyone mak…
Ulrica is made leader of the Dutch internees. The older women worry when the younger women are unexpectly removed from the camp, but it turns out they're being used for labor crews. Dorothy smuggles m…
E5 · Malaria
Some time having passed, social structure in the camp is breaking down, and more women are becoming sick. Some groups refuse to help other groups. Malaria makes its first appearance, and requests for …
E6 · Rape
Marion is questioned about British organization in Singapore prior to the fall of the city. The new sickbay is completed. Blanche and Dorothy become friendly with the guards in exchange for cigarettes…
E7 · Unnatural Friendship
Sally, pregnant before her capture, is coming into her seventh month of pregnancy, and one of the nurses, Nellie, becomes very supportive of her. When the baby is stillborn, their friendship becomes c…
E8 · Escape
Just before Judith Bowen dies, Marion promises her that she'll take care of Debbie. Blanche becomes determined to escape from the camp. Debbie discovers Blanche's escape plans and barges her way into …
E9 · Five Hundred Hats
Punishment details are imposed on the camp in general and the escapees in particular. The commandant yields to Marion's plea for mercy for Debbie, and agrees to be release Blanche if the internees wil…
E10 · Christmas
Christmas is approaching. The work party reports seeing a group of men in the distance. When Marion asks the commandant for names of the men, the list causes both joy and disappointment. The women are…
Season 2, set in 1942-43, began with the women on a long march to a new camp, where things seem much more luxurious at first, but they find they have troubles settling into the strange regime of their new home.
E1 · The March
DECEMBER 1942: The women have been split up as they march to their new camp and Marion's group later learns that the second group, including Blanche, Nellie and Sylvia, are being sent to another camp …
E2 · The Price
1 JANUARY 1943: The internees adjust to life in their new camp, where things are radically different and seemingly much more luxurious than the last one, but soon realise that luxury always has its pr…
E3 · Suicide
2 JANUARY 1943: The ridiculous restrictions of the new camp, such as no swearing, leave the women restless, especially Dorothy and Joss. Dorothy agrees to teach Shinya how to speak English. Marion cla…
E4 · Penance
15 JANUARY 1943: Punishment continues to be severe following Sally's death. Rations are cut and workloads increased. Mrs Van Meyer finds out that Joss is in fact a lady, and starts sucking up to her w…
E5 · Breaking Vows
Sister Ulrica tries to talk Dorothy out of aborting the baby: she says that its either that or she will kill herself. Verna and Miss Hasan arrange for her to have an abortion next day, but then they f…
E6 · New Arrivals
31 MARCH 1943: Marion asks Yamauchi about Christina and the other women from the first camp; next day, Christina and Blanche are returned to join their friends. Bea is crestfallen that they have sent …
E7 · Rendezvous
22 APRIL 1943: With Christina's help, Rose and Bernard arrange to sneak out of their camps and meet up in the jungle on the night of the Emperor's Birthday, when the guards will be busy at a party. Bl…
E8 · ...for Food
30 APRIL 1943: The internees suffer severe punishments following Rose's escape. She is brought back to the camp alive, but shot in the back; Bernard was killed at the scene. Bea and Kate operate on Ro…
12 MAY 1943: Lillian and Bobby are transferred to another camp by Yamauchi following Marion's request, when the other women and children bully them both and refuse to have anything else to do with the…
E10 · Comeuppance
3 SEPTEMBER 1943: Conditions continue to worsen inside the camp, not helped any by a drought and an increased work load. Marion's diary is burned by the guards. The prisoners discover that Red Cross P…
The final season took up two years after the previous one, as the war drew to a close and the women were returned to their normal lives. Well, as normal as they could be after their imprisonment.
E1 · Go Down Fighting
1 JULY 1945: Two years have passed and the women are in another camp, this one in the site of a former prison. Times have been hard and many have died - including Blanche, Verna, Daisy and even little…
E2 · Wealth of Stores
20 AUGUST 1945: Marion stops Maggie and her mob from attacking Sato and stops Kate taking down the Japanese flag. She explains to the women how things will work now. Yamauchi reveals the wealth of sto…
E3 · Acclimatization
The women are met in Singapore by RAPWI officer Phyllis Bristow, who take their details, She wants to transfer Kate and Mrs Van Meyer to other groups, but they refuse and are left where they are. Alic…
E4 · Marion is Wanted
Still looking for Clifford, Marion is asked to give evidence against Yamauchi. Joss meets up with Stephen Wentworth, an old friend of Monica's (the women she spent most of the series looking for), who…
E5 · Scars
Marion is reunited with Clifford, who is at the hotel waiting for her, and tells her Ben is okay. Clifford reveals he is in charge of leading the hunt for war criminals, and intends to start by tracki…
E6 · Diary
Sister Ulrica catches up with the other women and counsels Dorothy, who finds out her mother is dead and leaves to go back to England. Clifford and Marion have drifted apart badly: he doesn't want to …
E7 · Evidence
The women start being questioned by the military to give evidence against Yamauchi and co for war crimes: Bea flips out, Mrs Van Meyer tells lots of lies and Maggie gives emotional testimony about Bla…
E8 · The Visit
Kate is distraught when Tom dies and seeks comfort from Sister Ulrica, who comes to the funeral even though Tom was a protestant. Kate also decides she definitely wants to become a doctor. Marion visi…
E9 · On the Rocks
The women all prepare to go home, and say goodbye to Alice as she sets sail for England. The Jeffersons' marriage is clearly in trouble as Clifford sees how much Marion has changed since she has been …
E10 · Sayonara
The women all prepare to leave Singapore to go back home, agreeing to have a reunion at Raffles in 1950, exactly five years after they separate. Joss dies in hospital. Bea agrees to stay on in Singapo…
