Fortunes of War

tv show

poster for Fortunes of War

7 total episodes

-

1 seasons

First Aired October 11, 1987

Genres:

Overview

Fortunes of War is a 1987 BBC miniseries adaptation of Olivia Manning's cycle of novels of the same name. English literature lecturer Guy Pringle and his wife Harriet navigate the early years of WWII in Bucharest. They become involved in anti-fascist politics and are forced to flee as the war escalates, crossing paths with various characters along the way. Starring an ensemble cast led by Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, the seven-part series follows its source material relatively faithfully, with no major plot departures.

tv poster

Greece: October 1940

Season 1 - Episode 4 - 1h 58m

Air Date

November 01, 1987

Overview

A despondent Harriet arrives in Athens, where she's overjoyed to see Yakimov at a cafe. They find employment at the British Information Office but the mood sours when Pinkrose arrives. Harriet meets soldier Charles Warden, who is quite taken with her. She considers an affair but, as she is going to his hotel room on the final afternoon before his departure, she meets Sasha on the stairs. Sasha is convinced that the Pringles turned him in; Harriet assures him they did not. The delay makes her think better of her relationship with Warden. Guy applies for a lecturing post at the English School but is dismayed to find he is not first in the queue. When Athens comes under enemy fire, Yakimov is shot dead by a sentry. The remaining group leave Athens by sea for Cairo.