Beginning on 14 October 1980, Forgive Our Foolish Ways was shown in half-hour episodes at 8.30 pm each Tuesday for four weeks.
Set in Yorkshire in 1946, the short BBC series told the story of Wolf Hahn (Hartmut Becker), a German POW who had been a teacher before the war and was now allotted to menial tasks in a small boys’ boarding school run with icy authority by Vivien Lanyon (Canadian actress Kate Nelligan).
Wolf falls in love with Vivien – whose husband is missing, presumed lost in the Far East – and her feelings of hostility towards him slowly change, despite herself.
By the time the school is closing for the Christmas holidays, and the boys are leaving to return to their respective homes, word comes from the War Office that Vivien’s missing husband has been declared dead.
Despite universal disapproval of their relationship, Vivien now anticipates spending the rest of her life with Wolf, and as a gesture of defiance towards the doubters, she rehearses the school choir to sing Silent Night in German.
But in the final scene, she receives a letter from Wolf explaining that he is being repatriated to Germany. His voice is heard reading the letter – explaining that it is his responsibility to build a new Germany – as the boys sing “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”.
Not a dry eye in the house . . .
The casting was perfect with beautiful performances from the two leads. Harold Goodwin played Capper, the head gardener, and Fanny Carby, the cook. Tim Preece was Cameron Worrell, one of the teachers.
The four-part love story was written by Reg Gadney and directed by Christopher King. The school scenes were shot at Aysgarth School in Newton-le-Willows near Bedale in North Yorkshire.
The series was broadcast in the US as a movie in 1984, with the four episodes combined.
Vivien Lanyon
Kate Nelligan Wolf Hahn
Hartmut Becker Cameron Worrell
Tim Preece Cook
Fanny Carby Rita
Jayne Lester Mary
Elissa Derwent Christopher Lanyon
Ashley Clark Capper
Harold Goodwin Peggy Fawcus
Dorothy Alison John Senior
David Robb Dr Alex Fawcus
John Dunbar
By the time the school is closing for the Christmas holidays, and the boys are leaving to return to their respective homes, word comes from the War Office that Vivien’s missing husband has been declared dead.
