Overrun by Austrians, and ruled by the evil tyrant, Landburgher Gessler, Switzerland soon forms a resistance movement. One such band is led by William Tell.
Annoyed by Tell's activities, Gessler issues orders to have the archer arrested - but Tell has disappeared. Not to be outdone, Gessler seizes six villagers as hostages: each of them will die - unless Tell returns within 12 hours.
When his wife is captured by Gessler's troops and sentenced to death, Tell offers himself in exchange - a dangerous move? Not when you have the loyalty of several trustworthy supporters.
A religious relic, the Gauntlet of St Gerhardt, appears to inspire the Swiss to feats of valour. Gessler makes plans to steal it by having the Abbot who guards it killed. Tell, however, has other plans.
On his way to deliver a message to William Tell, a resistance man is captured and taken to a secluded fortress. It appears Tell will learn his secret - but the resistance leader has other plans.
After a disagreement with Gessler, Judge Furst is thrown into a dungeon. His clerk - a secret Austrian collaborator - is appointed Judge in his place, but Tell plans to expose him.
Two Swiss collaborators, arrested by Gessler for murdering Prince Karl, are given a chance to save their necks from the hangman's noose. They must discover Tell's hiding kill him.
When her husband is invited to visit the castle of a beautiful baroness who says she is being blackmailed, Hedda, suspecting the woman of working for Gessler, follows Tell and uncovers a devious plot.
A local monastery, run by Italian monks, is making a delicious brew, then donating the proceeds to founding a school for Swiss children. Never one to pass up an opportunity to swell his coffers, Gessler arrests the holy men.
Tell must prove a young girl innocent of the charge of giving information to the Austrians about secret arms shipment secret arms shipments to the resistance workers. If he doesn't, the girl will be hanged by the townspeople.
Early every morning, Gessler is awakened by a cuckoo. At his wits' end, his problem is compounded further when he receives a message from the Emperor demanding taxes Gessler hasn't yet collected.
When his son joins Tell's group, and refuses to return home, the Bear, a robber, swears to seek revenge on Tell and his followers. As events turn out, the two men form an uneasy an uneasy but beneficial alliance.
Doctor Klein, a scientist working for Gessler, invents an explosive powder for use in road-making. When his employer decides to use the invention for warfare. Klein seeks refuge with William Tell - who has greater need of such a discovery.
Having discovered where the resistance hides its funds, Gessler make plans to stop further money reaching them. As always, he has reckoned without William Tell's interference - and the Landburgher's coffers suffers as a result.
Maddelenna is being forcibly taken to Altdorf Castle as a bride for Gessler. Tell sees this as an opportunity to reach their enemy a lesson, but his wife Hedda is not so sure.
Can Tell trust the word of his enemy? He must, if he is to obtain the release of several young boys whom Gessler is holding as slaves in a labour camp. Alone and unarmed he may be - but Tell has an ace up his sleeve.
Having escaped from Gessler 's troops, Tell and his wife are given refuge by the beautiful Countess von Marheim. Recognising her guests, Paul, her servant, threatens to inform Gessler of their whereabouts - unless the Countess agrees to marry him.
Tell comes face to face with his exact double - an Austrian imported by Gessler to impersonate the resistance leader and rob Swiss peasants. But which of the look-alikes is which? Gessler's attemps to find out cost him dearly.
By using a traitor planted in Tell's camp, Gessler plans to smash the resistance movement in one swoop. But even the best laid schemes are prone to failure - as the Landburgher soon discovers.
Hedda, lured away by a message that her sister is ill, finds herself an unwilling pawn in Gessler's latest plot to squash the resistance. Confident that this time Tell will be taken, the Austrian is in for a surprise.
Trapped on an island owned by Prince Erik, a man who enjoys hunting prey, Tell's careers appears to be at the end - but helps arrives from a most unexpected quarter, and the resistance leader finds a new ally.
Accused of murdering a partisan helper and stealing his gold, Tell must find a way to prove his innocence - and that's not so easy when you suspect one of your accusers of being the real killer.
Seriously wounded, Tell is taken to the home a Swiss surgeon. To throw Gessler off their trail. Tell's followers pretends their leader is stricken with the plague. Will their ruse work? Tell's life depends on the outcome.
When faced with conflict between duty and conscience, Fritz, a young Austrian soldier, unexpectedly turns not to Gessler, but to William Tell for help - a move which places the resistance leader's life in great peril.
Investigating why people from the swordmaking village of Linzon have stopped sending arms his headquarters. Tell's visit to the community is treated with an air of suspicion. What's more, the villagers are anxious to get rid of him. Why?
When Tell investigates why two envoys disappeared while on their way to him to discuss a treaty of friendship, he uncovers a greater mystery - one that threatens to engulf his family and will ultimately test the loyalty of his followers.
When one of his men fails to return from a mission to Rinaldo, a rival resistance leader,Tell suspect treachery. Unknown to him, a bandit is in the area, under orders from Gessler, seeking to cast doubt on Tell's activities.
When his daughter Anna kidnapped and held for ransom. Gessler knows of only one man who can help him obtain her release his arch arch enemy, Willian Tell. But can he swallow his pride long enough to meet Tell on neutral ground?
While collecting provisions from a Swiss patriot, the Bear is captured and flung into Gessler's dungeons. Tell must devise an ingenious method of engineering his friend's release.
Disguised as Austrian soldiers, Tell and Hans enter the fortress at Schwartzburg. Their mission is to seize arms needed by the resistance - but disaster strikes when Tell is recognised by a guard.
Visiting Werner Castle to track down the murderer of a resistance leader, Tell finds himself involved in a deadly game of fear and intrigued - with his own life offered to to the victor.
Stealing arms intended for the Swiss resistance movement is crime enough, but when three Italian rogues compound their crime by attempting to sell the weapons to William Tell, they have cause for concerns.
So anxious is he to read a letter from Judge Furst informing William Tell of the location of a large arms shipment. Gessler fails to realise that the missive is in the sole of his own boot. When finding it, the hapless Austrian really puts his foot into it.
The resistance leader and the Bear set out to investigate reports that Gessler is erecting new fortifications along the Swiss coastline. Should the rumour be confirmed, it will effectively cut off the resistance group's escape route.
Armed with a new 'secret weapon' - Mara, a beautiful, but highly dangerous spy known only as the Shadow - Gessler lures Tell and his followers into a trap. Could this spell the end of Tell's fight for free freedom?
Certain that no one knows their whereabouts, Tell and his wife visits a friendly resistance leader's camp. During their journey home, they are attacked by a gang of rogues.
Hearing that a ruthless Austrian commander, nicknamed the Spider, has captured two of his men and threatens to torture them unless they divulge the location of Tell's camp, the resistance leader infiltrates the Spider's ranks.
A beautiful young girl, rescued by Tell from a troop of Austrian soldiers, leads him into a situation from resistance leader barely escapes with his wife - and reputation - intact.
Hearing that a close friend, an agent to the Emperor, has died, Tell enters enemy territory disguised as a trader. He intends to rescue Magdalen, the Emperor's daughter - but things go disastrously wrong.
