Blue Light (TV series)

Did You Know?

• Except for its first episode, Blue Light was filmed entirely at Bavarian Studios in Munich, West Germany.
• According to Robert Goulet, it was the first American television show filmed in color in Europe.
• The first four episodes were edited together into a theatrical movie titled I Deal in Danger, released in the United States in December 1966.

Synopsis

David March, a journalist, was one of 18 sleeper agents the United States placed in Germany before World War II as part of the espionage network "Code: Blue Light." To the Germans, he posed as a foreign correspondent who had renounced his American citizenship and backed the Nazis. He produced and broadcast Nazi propaganda, and occasionally spied for Germany. The other 17 agents were caught and killed, leaving March the sole survivor. His cover was so complete that the world saw him as a pro-Nazi traitor; the woman he loved took her own life over his apparent support for Nazism. He had to evade capture or assassination by Allied intelligence agencies that did not know he was actually working for them. His only confidante and link to the French underground was Suzanne Duchard, a double agent who pretended to be a Gestapo officer and hated him publicly, but knew his true allegiance and fell in love with him. March frequently faced moral choices between following orders and protecting innocents, and often killed to preserve his cover or complete a mission.

Critical reception

For a mid-1960s TV audience, Blue Light was unusually violent. While other heroes simply knocked out guards, protagonist David March killed them with a knife. The series earned praise for its unflinching look at World War II espionage and the tough ethical dilemmas it raised. Singer Robert Goulet, better known for his music, won positive reviews for his convincing performance as March, and the show moved quickly with tight, efficient plots. Its guest stars included many of the decade’s finest television character actors. However, actress Christine Carère was seen as a weak point, especially in her romantic scenes with Goulet. The half-hour runtime also hurt the series, forcing writers to make March’s enemies one-dimensional and far too simple for him to outsmart.