Churchill's Secret Agents: The New Recruits
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| genre = Reality
| starring =
| narrated = Douglas Henshall
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| country = United Kingdom
United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 5
| executive_producer = Dan Gold
Cate Hall
| location =
| camera = Multi-camera set-up
| company = Wall to Wall Media
| runtime = 45-48 minutes
| first_aired = {{Start date|2018|04|09|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2018|05|08|df=yes}}
}}
Churchill's Secret Agents: The New Recruits,{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Charlie |date=25 July 2018 |title=Churchill's Secret Agents is the best reality TV show on Netflix right now |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/25/17614630/churchill-secret-agents-netflix-reality-show |access-date=25 February 2019 |website=Polygon}} originally released as Secret Agent Selection: WW2 in the UK, is a BBC television programme produced by Wall to Wall in association with Netflix. The five-part series was originally broadcast from Monday 29 June to Tuesday 8 May 2018.{{Cite web |title=Secret Agent Selection: WW2 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09zg6f4 |access-date=20 October 2022 |website=BBC}}
Premise
This "living history" series reconstructs the training programme of one of the Second World War's most covert organizations. Fourteen modern day recruits undertake the same rigorous physical and psychological assessments as the 1940s candidates for the Special Operations Executive. The programme follows their progress to determine if they have what it takes to be an agent of SOE and fight the Nazis in occupied Europe.{{Cite web |title=Secret Agent Selection: WW2 |url=https://www.walltowall.co.uk/program/secret-agent-selection-ww2_1717.aspx |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=wall to wall}}
The SOE was a civilian part of wartime British intelligence, responsible for sabotage and espionage. The organization recruited ordinary citizens from all backgrounds and walks of life, and put them through gruelling training to extract the traits necessary to be an SOE agent deep in enemy territory.
Filming occurred in Scotland on the Alvie and Dalraddy Estates in the Cairngorms area, and Forglen House and estate in Aberdeenshire.{{cite web |last1=SWINDON |first1=Peter |title=Nazi-hunting secret agents trained to kill in Scottish Highlands for new TV show |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16191844.nazi-hunting-secret-agents-trained-to-kill-in-scottish-highlands-for-new-tv-show/ |website=The Herald |access-date=22 June 2020 |date=29 April 2018}}
Cast
The Trainers:
- Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Weale, commanding officer
- Brigadier Nicky Moffat, instructor
- Mike Rennie, military psychologist
- Rod Bailey, SOE historian
The Recruits:
- Samy Ali, ex-armed forces, eliminated during training
- Rohini Bajaj, doctor, eliminated during training
- Roger Barris, retired investment banker, voluntarily resigned during training
- Charlotte Beauclerk, interpreter, eliminated during evaluation
- Will Beresford-Davies, paralegal, successfully completed the course
- Ceebe Cae (credited as Maria Ceebe Camara), council administrator, eliminated during evaluation
- Debbey Clitheroe, drama teacher, grandma, successfully completed the course
- Rob Copsey, ex-paratrooper, successfully completed the course
- Dan Dewhirst, corporate developer, eliminated during training
- Lizzie Jeffreys, research scientist, successfully completed the course
- Alastair Stanley, maths graduate, successfully completed the course
- Paul Stone, entertainer, eliminated during evaluation
- Magda Thomas, interpreter, successfully completed the course
- Vicki Wright, former police officer, eliminated during evaluation
Selection
In the first episode of the series, the 14 prospective recruits were put through an initial four-day selection process, to determine which candidates would proceed to training. As per the 1940s, the recruits were graded according to a colour code scheme, which was displayed on a blackboard using poker chips. The board made only fleeting appearances on screen and in the later stages looked like this:
=Poker Chips=
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Recruits
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Observational ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Mechanical ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Morse ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Obstacle ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Verbal ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Blocks ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Matrices ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Psychology ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Groupstacle ! scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Pond Test |
---|
Ali
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || ? || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| |
Bajaj
| style="background:black;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || ? || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| |
Barris
| style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || ? || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| |
Beauclerk
| style="background:black;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || ? || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:black;"| |
Beresford-Davies
| style="background:black;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:red;"| |
Camara
| style="background:black;"| || style="background:black;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:white;"| |
Clitheroe
| style="background:black;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| |
Copsey
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| |
Dewhirst
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:black;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:red;"| |
Jeffreys
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:black;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| |
Stanley
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:yellow;"| |
Stone
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| |
Thomas
| style="background:white;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:yellow;"| |
Wright
| style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:white;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:red;"| || style="background:cornflowerblue;"| || style="background:lightgrey;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:forestgreen;"| || style="background:white;"| |
:{{Color box|red|border=darkgray}} The Recruit had an Outstanding performance in this portion of the test.
:{{Color box|yellow|border=darkgray}} The Recruit had a Good performance in this portion of the test.
:{{Color box|forestgreen|border=darkgray}} The Recruit had an Above Average performance in this portion of the test.
:{{Color box|cornflowerblue|border=darkgray}} The Recruit had a Below Average performance in this portion of the test.
:{{Color box|white|border=darkgray}} The Recruit had a Low performance in this portion of the test, but passed.
:{{Color box|black|border=darkgray}} The Recruit Failed this portion of the test.
:{{Color box|lightgrey|border=darkgray}} The trainers did not put a chip on the board.
Episodes
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:99%;" |
scope="col" style="background-color: #5FA934; color: #000000;"| No. overall ! scope="col" style="background-color: #5FA934; color: #000000;"| No. in ! scope="col" style="background-color: #5FA934; color: #000000;"| Title ! scope="col" style="background-color: #5FA934; color: #000000;"| Original air date |
---|
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1 | EpisodeNumber2 = 1 | Title = Selection | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|04|09}} (UK) / {{Start date|2018|06|29}} (US) | ShortSummary = The series opens by charting the beginnings of SOE. The students face the Student Assessment Board - an intense 4-day course to discover who has the raw talent to progress to the full training. DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
After deliberation, the training officers decided which four recruits would not move forward to training. The eliminated recruits were Charlotte Beauclerk, Maria Ceebe Camara, Paul Stone, and Vicki Wright. The remaining Recruits were loaded into a truck and taken to their first day of training. Note: Some or all of the recruits also took part in a Verbal Skills test, a Kohs block design test, Raven's Progressive Matrices, a Psychological evaluation, and a "Groupstacle" test. However, these tests were aired only briefly or not at all during the episode. | LineColor = 5FA934 }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 2 | EpisodeNumber2 = 2 | Title = Training | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|04|16}} (UK) / {{Start date|2018|06|29}} (US) | ShortSummary = The students training begins as they learn how to use guns, explosives and silent killing techniques. We learn how these skills all came together and helped SOE pull off one of the most audacious assassinations of WWII. | LineColor = 5FA934 }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 3 | EpisodeNumber2 = 3 | Title = Survival | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|04|23}} (UK) / {{Start date|2018|06|29}} (US) | ShortSummary = The students go to the remote Scottish Highlands where they learn the survival skills required for life in the field. They are schooled in some of the same techniques which prepared a group of agents to halt Hitler's atomic ambitions. | LineColor = 5FA934 }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 4 | EpisodeNumber2 = 4 | Title = Finishing School | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|04|30}} (UK) / {{Start date|2018|06|29}} (US) | ShortSummary = The students attend the SOE "finishing school" where they will learn the skills needed to operate undercover inside enemy territory such as lock-picking and sending coded messages. They then face a mock interrogation. | LineColor = 5FA934 }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 5 | EpisodeNumber2 = 5 | Title = The Final Scheme | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|05|08}} (UK) / {{Start date|2018|06|29}} (US) | ShortSummary = As the immersive history series draws to a close, eight of the original students have fallen by the wayside. The six remaining recruits undertake a 24 hour practice realistic mission that will test all the skills they have learned. | LineColor = 5FA934 }} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09zg6dm Secret Agent Selection: WW2] on BBC
- [https://www.netflix.com/title/80195811 Churchill's Secret Agents] on Netflix
- [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8268994/ Secret Agent Selection: WW2] on IMDb
- [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/churchills_secret_agents_the_new_recruits/s01/ Churchill's Secret Agents] on Rotten Tomatoes
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Netflix original programming
Category:2010s American reality television series
Category:2018 American television series debuts
Category:2018 American television series endings
Category:Historical reality television series
Category:2010s British reality television series