Thrown together just five weeks before the final of the 1948 London Olympics, Bert Bushnell (Doctor Who's Matt Smith) and Dickie Burnell (Sam Hoare) defied all the odds and made history in the double sculls. This is the story of how they did it - not only by pushing physical and emotional limits, but also by overcoming their vast professional and personal differences.
Acting
Matt Smith's restless energy against Sam Hoare's posh restraint.
Production
Ration-book London recreated on a TV movie budget.
Writing
Snappy class warfare banter between unlikely partners.
Director
David Blair
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Bert Bushnell lived to 88 and only started rowing because his father banned him from football.
The 1948 'Austerity Games' were so cheap athletes brought their own towels and slept in RAF camps.
US
GB
