British TV series or programme
Island at War is a British television series that tells the story of the German occupation of the Channel Islands. It primarily focuses on three local families: the upper class Dorrs, the middle class Mahys, and the working class Jonases, and four German officers. The fictional island of St. Gregory serves as a stand-in for the real-life islands Guernsey and Jersey, and the story is compiled from the events on both islands.
Produced by Granada Television in Manchester,[1] Island at War had an estimated budget of £9,000,000 and was filmed on location in the Isle of Man from August 2003 to October 2003. When the series was shown in the UK, it appeared in six 70-minute episodes.
Reception
Overall, the miniseries earned more favourable reviews in the United States than in the United Kingdom. In a review by Anita Gates for The New York Times, Gates wrote, "You can call 'Island at War' a soap opera, as some British television critics have, but if that's true this soap opera is a gripping, poetic one—about moral courage in many guises. You might also call it a drama of manners."[2] New York magazine called the series "reasonably absorbing but no great classic."[3] In the Channel Islands themselves, the series faced widespread criticism in the local press due to inaccuracy, mispronunciation of names (for example, 'Mahy' was pronounced 'Mah-hee' rather than the correct 'Ma'yee'), and the fact that the series was filmed not on the islands themselves, but the Isle of Man. The Guernsey Press noted that "the programme caused outrage among many people who accused the producers of distorting Guernsey history."[4]
DVD release
The complete DVD collection was released in 2008, by Acorn Media UK. The DVD received a second release in 2017 by Network.
Cancelled second series
Although highly successful during its initial transmission the series ended, rather abruptly. The writer Stephen Mallatratt died from cancer shortly after the series broadcast. This, coupled with the high production cost and controversy over historical accuracy, meant the series came to an end. Each episode cost around £1 million to produce.
