Synopsis of Episode 1

Summer, 1939. After spending three years in Spandau prison in Germany serving his second sentence for fraud, Schulz is released and sent to work in an underwear company. Shortly afterwards war is declared between Britain and Germany and he receives his call-up papers and goes to work in postal censorship.

Major Neuheim of the SS Counter Espionage unit discovers a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and negotiate peace with Britain. He arrests two German officers who were due to meet with the British Secret Service and has them shot. He decides to take their place and kidnap the British agents, even though the meeting is due to take place in neutral Holland. Schulz is transferred to Neuheim as he speaks five languages, including English and Dutch. They drive to the Dutch border and meet the British in the no man's land between the two checkpoints. Neuheim and a reluctant Schulz force the outraged British agents at gunpoint into their car. The British at the Dutch checkpoint open fire and Neuheim's driver is killed. Neuheim orders Schulz to get his driver's keys and drive the car away. Unwilling to leave the bulletproof car, Schulz hotwires the ignition and manages to make a successful getaway.

Neuheim sets up a high-class brothel named Salon Kitty, in which all the rooms are bugged so that he can eavesdrop on its visitors. Schulz falls for Brenda, who runs the establishment. When the British drop counterfeit clothing coupons during a raid, he tries to buy a night with her, but she sees immediately that they are forgeries.

At a meeting with Hitler, Neuheim, at Schulz's suggestion, proposes that they forge millions of £5 notes to undermine the British economy, much to the disgust of Count Von Fritsch of the Department of Economics, who sees it as tantamount to a war crime. In private, Hitler gives his assent. When the SS technical department says that it is impossible to make the forgeries, Schulz recruits his friend Solly from Spandau and together they collect a group of criminals and forgers to help put the plan in action. Schulz's private scheme is to keep some of the banknotes so that he and Solly will be very rich once the war is over.