“As I went to bed at about 3am I was conscious of a profound sense of relief. I felt as if I were walking with destiny and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.” - Sir Winston Churchill
This new partly-dramatised programme for ITV, which marks the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s death, reveals how he overcame his demons to inspire Britain to repel German forces during his first three months as Prime Minister.
Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain brings to life letters, diaries, speeches and personal testimony to depict the months of May, June and July 1940. This was a period when France was collapsing, the Nazis had the Allies on the run, the British Army was being defeated at Dunkirk, and - at any moment - Britain faced invasion by Hitler’s troops.
The story is brought to life by actors including Robert Hardy (as Winston Churchill), Jemma Redgrave (as his wife Clementine), Phil Davis (as Churchill’s physican Charles McMoran Wilson) and Edwin Thomas (as civil servant Sir John Colville), while the programme is narrated by Nigel Anthony.
Their words are woven with archive footage to portray how in two battles, three months and four great speeches Churchill convinced Britain to continue fighting in the Second World War.
