'Masterpiece' war drama you've probably never heard of that you can watch for free

A drama series you may never have heard of is hailed by fans as "masterpiece" that moves audiences more than 40 years after it first appeared on the small screen. Tenko tells the story of a group of British, Australian and Dutch women captured and imprisoned by Japanese forces following the Fall of Singapore in early 1942.

The series, a BBC and Australian Broadcasting Corporation co-production, featured an ensemble cast including a number of British stars from Stephanie Cole to Elizabeth Chambers. Tenko, which takes its named from the fictional camp where the characters are trapped, was created by Lavinia Warner and inspired by real-life stories of Allied women held prisoner as Japanese POWs during World War 2.

It confronts everything from class divides, racism, and the emotional struggles faced by internees. It ran for three series and concluded in 1985 with a double-length reunion special.

And while these days it's not often mentioned among the great series and dramas about World War 2, fans who watched it at the time say it stayed with to this day.

One, writing on IMDb, hailed it as a "masterpiece", calling Tenko "the single most memorable series I have ever watched on television".

Another wrote: "Tenko is a series I first watched at the tender age of 13 years back in 1981. From the word go it gripped.

"The acting is supreme: Ann Bell, Stephanie Cole, Stephanie Beacham are tremendous. The viewer lives and breathes the ordeal of the characters in a way that no other TV series has ever managed. It is head and shoulders clear of the rest."

A Google Reviewer wrote: "Great series watched it first round with my mum. But now old enough to understand what those women went through. Very well acted."

Another wrote: "Excellent from start to finish couldn't move until I'd watched all. Would definitely recommend 10 out of 10."

Episodes range from PG to 15 certificates and the series deals with some upsetting themes, including the mistreatment of prisoners and suicide, so may not be for everyone.

Tenko is streaming now on U.