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Product Description ------------------- The Heavy Water War depicts one of the most exciting stories from the World War II - the Nazis' efforts to develop an atom bomb and the Allies' desperate struggle to prevent it from happening. The series starts in Stockholm in 1933 as German scientist Werner Heisenberg is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and although considered "unreliable" by the Nazis, he is allowed into the secret Nazi nuclear energy project, 'Uranverein.' Heisenberg's work reveals that the atom bomb can only be made with the use of heavy water, which could be produced in sufficient quantities by the Norsk Hydro factory in Rjukan, Norway. After Norwegian professor Leif Tronstad catches wind of Germany's interest in heavy water, he escapes to England to enlist Allied help in thwarting the plan. Despite numerous sabotage attempts by the Allies against the factory, the atomic research continues and Heisenberg brags in a speech that the Germans will soon have a bomb no larger than a pineapple that will destroy London. Featuring leading English, Norwegian and German actors, The Heavy Water War portrays real characters in this true-life story of an epic struggle, the outcome of which will determine the future of Europe. Review ------ Meet Heisenberg not Walter White, but the original: Werner the German theoretical physicist, he of the uncertainty principle. Here he is collecting his Nobel prize, in 1932. And later, at the outset of war, being accused by a y SS officer of terrible crimes such as not hating Jews, and camping and swimming with other boys in his youth, before being signed up to the German nuclear weapons project. Saboteurs (More4) has Heisenberg as a somewhat reluctant member of the Uranium Club. He is not a saboteur, of course. Theyre the people who are going to wreck the in occupied Norway whose heavy water Heisenberg and his bomb-making chums want. In Norway, Leif Tronstad, scientist, heavy-water expert and soon to be intelligence officer, is going to be a saboteur. And in London, Colonel John Wilson and Captain Julie Smith are going to be saboteurs. Captain Julie (Anna Friel, below) will attack the enemy with a hockey stick, probably. Thats where were heading here, I think: Operations Grouse, Freshmen and nerside; plucky allied heroes gliding by night into icy northern places; heroes of Telemark, possibly. Certainly, Im expecting/hoping for cross-country Scandinavian skiing. And because this six-part television mini-series, like those wartime operations, is a collaboration Norwegian, Danish, British it looks at those events from a broad perspective. Not just goodies (allies) v baddies (Germans), it paints a more complex, interesting picture. Its probably the shows Nordicness that allows it to focus on characters, and even a little light quantum physics, rather than just diving into the action. There is a raid, at the start, but it turns out to be a practice run. Then its back a few years, to Germany and Norway, to find out what it was all about. Ill leave it to people who are more in the know to approve, or contest, Saboteurs historical accuracy. As TV, though, its intriguing, exciting and involving, even in three different languages. My only moan is a minor one, about a prop. The Austin FX4 London cab came into service in 1958. So what the hell is one doing dropping Leif off here, 17 years earlier? Taxi for whoevers responsible. Otherwise very good, carry on. --The Guardian