The Diary Of Anne Frank
Episode Guide
Episode 1
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June 1942. Amsterdam is under Nazi occupation and Anne Frank, a teenage Jewish girl, is celebrating her 13th birthday with her family and friends by having a party. Amongst her birthday presents she is given a red diary that she starts to write in immediately.
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Days later, call-up papers arrive for her 16-year-old sister, Margot, prompting her parents, Otto and Edith, to hasten their plan to go into hiding from the Nazis to ensure the family don't get separated.
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The family go into a secret annexe at the back of the building of Otto Frank's business. The Franks's helpers, Mr Kleiman, Mr Kugler, Bep and Miep, are the only people to know of their hiding in the annexe and risk their lives to help them survive.
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The Franks are soon joined by another family, Mr and Mrs Van Daan, and their teenage son, Peter. Anne doesn't think much of Peter but decides she must try and be pleasant to him to keep the peace. She writes more and more in her birthday diary, detailing life in the annexe and her feelings about her companions.
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Anne Frank is played by Ellie Kendrick, Margot Frank is played by Felicity Jones, Otto Frank is played by Iain Glen, Edith Frank is played by Tamsin Greig, Mr Kleiman is played by Roger Frost, Mr Kugler is played by Tim Dantray, Bep is played by Mariah Gale, Miep is played by Kate Ashfield, Hermann van Daan is played by Ron Cook, Petronella van Daan is played by Lesley Sharp and Peter van Daan is played by Geoff Breton.
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Episode 2
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October 1942. In the secret annexe where Anne Frank is in hiding from the Nazis with her family and close friends, the Van Daan family, Anne is finding Mrs Van Daan increasingly hard to bear. She also finds Peter Van Daan frustratingly dim and never misses an opportunity to tell him so.
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Overall, the group are getting used to their incarceration and the strict rules of daily quiet by which they must live. Otto oversees their school studies and everyone has their routine tasks to perform and their daily routines, such as bathing, which they each do in their different ways. Only at night when the bomb raids start is Anne so scared that she runs into her parent's room for comfort.
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The companions are joined by another Jewish man, Mr Dussell, who has to share Anne's bedroom and soon becomes the butt of all her jokes and frustrations.
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Nicholas Farrell plays Mr Dussell.
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Episode 3
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It's November 1942, and Otto tries to keep up with company business by lying on the floor and listening to meetings downstairs. He is shocked to discover the building has had to be sold.
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They fear the new owner will demand access to the annexe, but Mr Kleiman tells the owner that he's left the key at home. The lease wont be exchanged for months yet and the war might be over by then so, for now, they can all relax.
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Anne asks Mr Dussell to let her use their shared bedroom as agreed. He isn't ready to give up the desk, however, and they row. When Otto manages to get him to see that writing is important to Anne, he finally agrees to share the desk.
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Anne thinks Mr Dussell is sulking but he is, in fact, heartbroken about being separated from his fiancé. He is finally distracted when Miep brings in his dentistry equipment and he extracts one of Mrs Van Daan's teeth. Only Anne is brave enough to hold her down.
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Episode 4
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It's 1943 and Anne is growing into a young woman – and amazed by the changes happening to her body and her emotions. Much to her own surprise, she realises that her feelings are changing towards Peter and she begins openly flirting with him.
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Mrs Van Daan spots what's going on and starts to tease them, causing more tension between mother and daughter. When Edith finally notices she warns Anne not to play with Peter's affections.
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Even Otto is concerned and tells Anne not to get too involved as theirs is an unusual situation. Angry at her parents, Anne flees to the attic where Peter is waiting for her and the pair kiss passionately – admitting their love for each other.
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Episode 5
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Deborah Moggach's adaptation of The Diary Of Anne Frank reaches its conclusion tonight. It's 1944 and the occupants of the attic hear a broadcast that announces the Dutch government want diaries and accounts of the war from civilians. Anne's family encourage her to submit her diary, so she sets about editing it for publication.
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She is determined she wants to be a professional writer and has no time now for a relationship with Peter. She writes compulsively and, although the poor light is giving her headaches, news of D-Day only makes her more determined.
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The families sit around and dream of what they'll do when the war is over and Anne and Peter reach a new understanding as friends.
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A few days later, Anne is writing in her diary when there are noises on the stairs. It takes her a moment to realise that Mr Kugler has been taken in by Nazi soldiers who have been tipped off about their existence. Anne is the last to be discovered.
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The Nazi officer is amazed that eight Jews have managed to hide in the annex for two years. He gives them five minutes to pack a bag and say their goodbyes, before they are led out to be transported to concentration camps.
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