Premieres Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream with KPBS+
"The Great Escaper" tells the true story of Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) who made global headlines in the summer of 2014. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary.
The late, two-time Oscar® winner Glenda Jackson also stars as Bernie’s devoted wife, Irene. While Bernie is on his trip to Normandy, Irene recalls their younger days and falling in love during World War II.
Bernie’s story captured the imagination of the world as he embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitized retelling of one man’s need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war.
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Credits: Pathé and BBC Films present "The Great Escaper," an Ecosse Film production made in co-production with Film I Väst and Filmgate Films.
