Down the Line: a Secret Army podcast

When two American evaders kidnap Kessler and hold him aboard Hans Von Broecken's barge Lifeline's agents inevitably become involved and tragedy ensues. This episode, written and directed by Paul Annett, weaves together: Nazi art theft - with both Albert and Monique, and Kessler on the trail of a priceless Rubens painting; the return of our favourite bargee and his wife - Hans and Lena; and the rash actions of two scared Americans, in a complex but enjoyable episode of Secret Army.

As well as exploring Weekend's key themes AJ and Andy ponder Monique's family background, Madame Desmartes's metaphor, that 'difficult period' between Jesus's crucifixion and entombment, and the whereabouts of waitress Genevieve. They also discuss the passing of the golden era of chocolate boxes, the impact of 'Allo! 'Allo! on Secret Army, and who actually wrote the 'Evening at Le Candide' theatre evening - was it Andy or Angela?

The Czech film adaptation of the Lidice story is available on DVD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lidice-DVD/dp/B009V1W9OE. There are also many books published about the incident including 'A Little Village Called Lidice' by Zdena Trinka (1947), available on Kindle: 

If you want to view William Wyler's 'Memphis Belle' documentary, which is about the Flying Fortresses featured in this episode, it has been made available by the American Library of Congress on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW4F_ZMrS3A

On a lighter note, if you want to reacquaint yourself with Weekend chocolates then go here: https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2022/11/weekend-by-mackintosh.html

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Little Old Lady and Guests at God's Table which are in preparation.

Thank you, as ever, for listening and for coming down the line with us.

Next Time: AJ interviews Paul Wagar (who played evader Peter Harris in this episode)

In today's special episode of 'Down the Line' AJ interviews Hazel McBride who played Madeleine Duclos in the second and third series of Secret Army. Hazel shares how she won the role, her memories of playing opposite Clifford Rose, recording in the studio and filming on location, and what she has been doing since Secret Army. 

AJ and Andy review the second season episode Scorpion in which Brandt is joined in Brussels by his wife Erika, and Albert learns that the Line has been compromised by another infiltrator. Ultimately, it is none other than Hans Van Broecken who is enlisted to unmask the fake evader.

As well as thoroughly enjoying the arrival of guest star Brigitte Kahn, your hosts discuss the episode's many couples, the glorious Madame Van Artevelde, the sets by Austin Ruddy. and its expertly handled themes such as change, class, and dignity.

As usual we also hear from Ryan after he watches the episode for the very first time and Alex who has a very different take on Scorpion to AJ and Andy...

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes The Big One and Little Old Lady which are in preparation.

Thank you for listening and for coming down the line with us again.

AJ and Andy review the series two episode in which Natalie and her new boyfriend Francois are injured when a communist group blows up the train on which they are travelling. These Brussels-based communists are led by Paul Vercors who it transpires is determined to take over Lifeline via Max Brocard. 

For this David Crane-scripted and Viktors Ritelis-directed episode AJ and Andy find themselves conducting impromptu investigations into: the communist's terrible plan; the sudden introduction of Francois; and the portrayal of the Belgian black market.  Elsewhere they explore the development of Albert and Monique's relationship, the fate and travels of a perfume box and discuss their 'least 5' favourite episodes of Secret Army, of which this is most definitely one.

As well as hearing from Alex and Ryan on their thoughts we hear from Belgian Peter Thiebaut on his memories of the series.

We also mark the passing of Andree Dumon, the last survivor of the Comete Line, the evasion network on which Lifeline is based: https://heldenvanhetverzet.be/artikels/in-memoriam-andree-nadine-dumon-1922-2025-english-version

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Weekend and The Big One which are in preparation. Thank you!

Next Time: Scorpion

This month AJ and Andy are thrilled to be joined on the podcast by writer Joseph (Joe) Lidster as they discuss the legendary series two episode Trapped, penned by N (Norman) J Crisp. 

If you need a reminder, it's the episode in which Monique is shot while down the line and has to be rescued by her Lifeline colleagues before Kessler arrives and identifies her. 

Joe explains how he came to watch Secret Army during lockdown and specifically why he fell in love with the character of Monique and the fact that the show eventually becomes her story. From his perspective as a writer he also celebrates how unique each character is, with Madeleine, introduced in this episode, being a great example. 

Other aspects of the show discussed in this episode include: background noises in the Candide; hat-action; eating and smoking in hospital; women being bored by men; a surplus of courgettes; and how, in Joe's opinion, N J Crisp effectively created Secret Army!

We also hear, as usual, from Ryan and from Adam Wright who first became acquainted with the series on Talking Pictures. 

Joe Lidster can be found at: https://linktr.ee/josephlidster 

The book AJ mentions is Belgium in the Second World War: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belgium-Second-World-Jean-Michel-Veranneman/dp/1783376074

The faded Netherlands Ry Wagons-Lits railway poster seen behind Natalie in this episode (and which has subsequently been purchased by Ryan for Andy) is at the top of this webpage and in full further down the page: https://retours.eu/en/60-bagdatopoulos-railway-posters/ 

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Scorpion and Weekend which are in preparation. Thank you!

Next Time: Not According to Plan

When a Polish scientist needs to be operated on and rescued from Belgium, his handler, a British agent called Bradley encounters Lifeline. When he discovers that Natalie is being tailed by the Germans he elects to intervene...

This month AJ and Andy review Juliet Hammond's favourite episode, the Natalie-centric Lucky Piece, in which we first meet maverick secret agent Nick Bradley played by Paul Shelley. The pair debate the episode's potential chauvinism,  how Natalie is depicted, and the directorial choices made by Viktors Ritelis.

Elsewhere, Andy is excited to share a new location find, while AJ debates if Bradley is a cat person or not.

We also hear from Andy's partner, Ryan; Alex Wilcock; and our end credits guest: Dr Madeleine Jowett. 

The book that AJ mentions is 'London 1945' by Maureen Waller.

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Scorpion and Weekend which are in preparation. Thank you!

Next Time: Trapped (with special guest Joe Lidster)

This month we take a short break from the second series for an interview which AJ conducted with actor Constantine Gregory who played one of the two Russians in Russian Roulette: Ivan Ilyich Kusnetsov. American-born Constantine shares details of his Russian ancestry, his friendship with Richard Marner, and highlights from his career as both an actor and as a dialogue coach on films such as The Last Emperor and Conspiracy with Kenneth Branagh. 

We are grateful to Constantine for sharing his memories wth us. If you enjoyed the interview and would like to show your appreciation for his contribution, then please consider donating to his chosen charity: Turning Tides: https://www.turning-tides.org.uk/ which seeks to end local homelessness in the UK. 

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Not According to Plan and Scorpion which are currently in preparation. Thank you!

Next Time: Lucky Piece

'That megalomaniac upstart is rapidly degenerating into a latter-day Caligula!'

Our review of Secret Army's gripping second series continues with John Brason's Russian Roulette: soon after hearing about the death of their leader Lisa, Lifeline have to contend with two Russian evaders, Brandt is asked to join a plot against Hitler, and Albert accepts Kessler's invite to a sinister garden party...

While AJ realises just how much of the episode they had forgotten, Andy disagrees with himself from the past about both locations and musical instruments. The pair agree that the episode could also be called 'Natalie's Very Bad Day' and consider issues as diverse as: Alain's family and his share of the Muny farm; why everyone is suddenly and inexplicably calling Lisa, Yvette; the meaning of European hand gestures; and the decision not to subtitle the episode's plentiful Russian dialogue. 

There's also Ryan's reaction on first viewing, Alex Wilcock considering both the episode's title and Kessler's return invitation to Albert, and Joanna from Australia who first watched the series at ten-years-old.

The book that AJ mentions is The Nine by Gwen Strauss about a band of daring resistance women who escaped from Nazi Germany. 

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Trapped and Not According to Plan which are in preparation. Thank you!

Next Time: Lucky Piece

In this special episode of Down the Line, AJ Interviews none other than Jan Francis who played Lisa Colbert: codename Yvette, in Secret Army. As well as her memories of being cast in the show, Jan recalls its creator and producer Gerry Glaister, and the learning curve she and her fellow cast members went on as they found out about the historical reality behind the series.

Having recently watched the series again on Talking Pictures, Jan also reflects on whether Secret Army still stands up today. She also reveals some surprisingly relevant stories of her own father's wartime exploits. 

We are incredibly grateful to Jan for giving up her time for this interview and for sharing so generously. If you would like to show your appreciation, then please consider donating to Jan's chosen charity: SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity) at: https://www.ssafa.org.uk/ (and mention this Secret Army podcast when you donate so that contributions relating to this interview can be grouped together). 

As ever, we'd love to hear from you. We will shortly be recording our thoughts on the Series 2 episodes: 'Trapped' and 'Not According to Plan' - if you have anything to say about either then our email is: [email protected] You can also send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod 

Thank you for listening!

AJ & Andy x

Next Time: Russian Roulette

AJ and Andy finally arrive at Series 2 and its fair to say they're excited to be here. They discuss the big changes between seasons as Lifeline takes up its new centre of operations in the high-class Restaurant Candide in the Grand Place and Albert, Monique and Natalie begin to rub shoulders with the enemy on a daily basis. Along the way your hosts also discuss the off-screen departure of Jacques Bol, the Birthday Paradox and this episode's terribly misjudged instrumental music. 

As ever the historical reality behind the episode is also explored and Andy's partner Ryan shares what he thinks after his first time watch. We also hear from regular contributor Alex Wilcock and there's a special musical Easter Egg from 2006.

Spoiler Alert: Although this episode is from 1978 we feel duty bound to issue a spoiler warning relating to the death of one of Lifeline's regular characters. Do watch the episode in advance of listening. 

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Lucky Piece and Trapped which we have yet to record. Thank you!

Next Time: Interview with Jan Francis (in two weeks time)