Die Kinder (1990– ) User Reviews

One of My All Time Favorites

[dreamtraveler-2 · 10/10 · 5 September 2008]

Die Kinder is the show that made me truly appreciate the considerable talent of Frederic Forrest, who plays a jaded private detective (Lomax) hired by a British woman (Miranda Richardson), whose young children are abducted by their German father. Forrest plays this role with amazing range - he is cynical, pragmatic, romantic, protective, devious, heroic. You name it, he does it with this character, and he is completely believable in each nuance that was written into the role. I cannot imagine anyone else playing the part.

All praise for Forrest aside, Milne's script is simply terrific. Lots of plot twists, and each one believable. The characters find themselves caught in an invisible web of bad guys, underground radicals, and betrayed ideals. The final scene left me speechless for several minutes. Interestingly the short novel that was based upon the screenplay presents just one of the many endings that you must develop in your own imagination when you watch the series. This is one story where I DON'T recommend reading the book first.

The down side of all this is that WGBH has no plans to re-broadcast this mini-series, nor do they plan to release it on video. At least that was what they told me the last time I wrote to them. I write every few years with the same request. Perhaps fans of this series should start a letter campaign so they know it's worth releasing for sale. There are several of us out here who have Die Kinder at the top of our all-time favorites list - I cannot imagine there aren't lots more anonymous fans who would love to see it again. My worn out VHS is a precious possession.

A "Must See!" program

[cmw-tzvi · 10/10 · 2 May 2007]

This is the ONLY program shown on "Mystery!" (PBS) that I remember with enough affection that I want to find a copy of it to own. I have watched "Mystery!" for many years, but no other offering has grabbed me in quite the way "Die Kinder" ("The Children", in German -not "Perish More Nicely"). I recall that at first the action seemed to move more slowly than I wanted, but I hung in there- it was WORTH IT! The fact that the program was historically accurate in the setting used for the story only added to my enjoyment.

Another aspect of the program was that every episode (chapter?) started with a flashback to the original bombing from the '60s. I haven't seen it since it showed on PBS, but it seemed to me that the flashback made more sense to me as the episodes progressed. I'm not sure whether this was due to increased understanding from information given in previous episodes, or whether there were subtle changes in the flashback as the program progressed. That is ONE (but not the only) reason I want to own a copy of this program for myself.

I won't spoil the program or ending for those who haven't seen it or who don't remember it, but I must say that this program is a MUST SEE (in my humble opinion) for anyone who likes "Mystery!" or suspense films.

Brilliant

[miac · 10/10 · 18 January 2011]

We are out of country, living outside of the comforts of language, and were trying to find great series to re-watch on Surf the Channel. Die Kinder came up in conversation as one of the very GREATS, right up there with The Wire, the best of Prime Suspect, A Very British Coup, etc. Why is this series not available? We would nearly kill ourselves to get to the opening scene, to make sure that we were tuned in on time. The quality of this series--from the inventive narrative-expanding, plot-thickening opening credits, to the writing and acting, to its very end--was consistently thrilling. Back in 1990 we were telling everyone to watch and felt like it was a private treasure trove; twenty years later, I am still perplexed about its apparent un-availability and the small audience of fans for the series. Its relevance continues: terrorism--both renegade and state-sponsored, political fanaticism across the ideological spectrum, political resistance and refusal, it all matters. The recent Baader-Meinhoff film was good and gripping; this series is formidable, smart and superlative.

Great Series

[madisonken · 30 December 2005]

This one turned me on to both Paule Milne, the author whose work I now look for on BBC productions, and Miranda Richardson, who is a wonder as a mother terrified after her children are kidnapped. And I've always like Frederick Forrest. A bit more background on the plot: What happens when old comrades in a violent (the bombing) radical 60's group (think Beider-Meinhof or Weather Underground) come back into your life as a now contented middle class mother whose radical youth is way in the past (or so she thinks). To keep her silent because one of them is running for a high political seat, or is it because one of them is a powerful industrial force, or is it because the government hasn't forgotten about your activities and wants some information--anyway, off go her kids and people close to her get killed. Time to panic? I'd say so. Her ex-husband isn't much help. Along comes alcoholic, disillusioned Fredrick Forrest. Can he save the day? What the h is going on? The plot keeps you involved the whole time.

I've missed taping the first episode but have the last four or five. Even now I like watching it once in a while. Why it's not on DVD is beyond me.

Intensely Good

[RobinCook70 · 10/10 · 8 July 2010]

I just finished watching the DVD copy of this six part series. It was very intriguing to the very end. From reading another comment I gather that there is a book ... and if the film followed the book's ending, then I guess that's okay, BUT, with the way filmmakers take advantage in changing various events from their "based-on" books, I truly wish they had done so with how this series ended and let the Lomax character remain alive and well at the end, but they didn't. Perhaps in the book the Lomax character wasn't as likable and deserved to get blown up? Other than the ending, the entire series was topnotch from the different intro scenes at the start of each episode to the casting and acting. I was glad that it was not heavily milked for doing over-dramatic scenes of "mother missing daughter." It had just enough drama alongside the intense intrigue.

All in all, this was a very good and well done series.

Kinder Lost

[HMVincent · 6 October 2005]

I liked this series, which aired on PBS back in the day. I have always been a Frederic Forrest fan, and to see the character he played, cynical and pot-gutted, was a treat. I wish the series were available on DVD, as is "Traffik."

If I remember correctly, a woman loses her children. Police and so on either can't or won't help her to find them. She hires Forrest's character to help her to find them. He is in it for the money, but at the end he finds that he actually cares about what they are doing, and makes an effort and a sacrifice.

As the series progresses, you learn that terrorists are involved. The opening credits reflect this, by revealing a tiny bit more each episode (blurry images become sharper, a short scene gets longer). I thought it was clever.

I've seen other reviews of this sort written by people who did not like this series at all. I may be the only one who does; who knows?