Disappointed at the sad lack of any type or realism. Don't people know the difference between MI5 and MI6 as the leads actions in a affair overseas was a action done by MI6 not a MI5 operation.
Plus little fact on real life they don't have agent s go into the field with too much knowledge due to them been prone to be captured and made to talk.
So we get a major event predicted by a defecting KGB colonel talked about in corridors by the Daddy and his actual name as if it was latest voting results. So im supposed to forget any try at realism for the drama effect.
Ill add a true fact about the services they are fairly weird as a friend observed about them . Even if the World war was starting they would not run. They don't do panic.
Yes. It's usually the case with these types of dramas these days.
Watchable enough but desperately wanted to be Tinker Tailor and there was far too much posing and cheek sucking from the lead.
Was Cox's character called "Daddy" in homage to The Avengers' "Mother"?
Yes,it was not bad at all.I agree Joe Lambe as Tom Hughes was obviously playing a scarred individual,haunted by his past and all that.But at times he was hamming it up so much it was laughable.I also found his strange Scouse-like mumbling accent hard to understand.I had to turn the volume right up when he was speaking.
Yes,it was not bad at all.I agree Joe Lambe as Tom Hughes was obviously playing a scarred individual,haunted by his past and all that.But at times he was hamming it up so much it was laughable.I also found his strange Scouse-like mumbling accent hard to understand.I had to turn the volume right up when he was speaking.
I think he looks a bit young to have all this baggage behind him
Penry Jones would have been better
Just watched the first episode, and have mixed feelings. The recent Tinker, Tailor film was obviously a big influence. Some of it seems a bit cliched but I think they'll be enough twists to make it interesting.
I'm putting my money on the copper being the mole.
The problem is that any BBC produced spy drama- particularly one set in this time period- is always going to be compared to TTSS and invariably suffer in comparison. Le Carré remains the unquestioned master of the genre and the adaption of TTSS (and Smiley's People) represents a high watermark not just in the field of espionage drama but in British television of any description. It doesn't help its cause that The Game so explicitly aligns itself with TTSS in terms of its characterisation, tone and aesthetic as to invite such direct comparison; and that any criticism then becomes about what the show is not as oppose to what it is.
If viewed in isolation then I think the show is perfectly watchable and entertaining if not much more. The premise is intriguing, the acting uniformly solid if slightly mannered in some cases and the camerawork is at times beautiful in its rendering of 70's Britain; albeit a simulacrum informed by modern techniques and tropes that creates an almost heightened sense of realism. In the debit column was a rather heavy-handed approach to the story-telling that was almost insulting of the viewer's intelligence at times. That was In addition to a tendency to cliche- the abandoned fair, the apple peeling, the deathbed confessional/accusation- that veered close to pastiche, and a lackadaisical approach to procedural detail that occasionally stretched credulity to breaking point. Still looking forward to next week though!
Just watched the first episode, and have mixed feelings. The recent Tinker, Tailor film was obviously a big influence. Some of it seems a bit cliched but I think they'll be enough twists to make it interesting.
I'm putting my money on the copper being the mole.
That is not technically a spoiler, since it's just your guess at something, not an actual fact.
It doesn't help its cause that The Game so explicitly aligns itself with TTSS in terms of its characterisation, tone and aesthetic as to invite such direct comparison; and that any criticism then becomes about what the show is not as oppose to what it is.
If viewed in isolation then I think the show is perfectly watchable and entertaining if not much more.
I have watched TTSS and Smiley's People (again) recently. Apart from the inevitable superficial similarities of the time, there doesn't seem to me to be anything of significance that The Game shares with these two original series. (I haven't seen the TTSS film).
So when people claim to see similarities I simply don't get it. The story is completely different. The pace is a stark contrast (esp. to TTSS) and The Game contains far more action than the cerebral TTSS.
I recently watched ITV's 13 part 1980's adaption of Len Deighton's Game, Set and Match starring Ian Holm...
How did you manage that?! I can't find it anywhere, I'd be ever so grateful if you could point me to a source.
As for The Game... am disappointed, but not surprised, it's the 'modern' BBC standard. I'll keep watching for the whodunnit element, can't resist that.
Deighton LOATHES it and has barred any repeat or home release. I did some work on it back in the day and even I can barely recall what it was like!!
Thanks, Straker I've been googling and came across a blog where it was reported that Deighton had probably stopped its re-release. The blog also reported that a new version was in the offing. I won't continue to digress.
I thought Tom Hughes was perfect for the role. I love his accent and the way he played a character who I suspect is not all he seems. The yearning for payback following the brutal murder of his lover adds a bit of red blood into a genre that tends to be dry and crusty like a smelly older man.
How did you manage that?! I can't find it anywhere, I'd be ever so grateful if you could point me to a source.
As for The Game... am disappointed, but not surprised, it's the 'modern' BBC standard. I'll keep watching for the whodunnit element, can't resist that.
I got it off a site focused on rare British TV a couple of years ago but it is sadly now defunct. There's nearly always somebody selling copies on eBay these days but they tend to be priced prohibitively. It really is a very good drama although the picture/audio quality tends to be a little dodgy in parts so your enjoyment might be affected depending on your tolerance for such things. I read that Deighton's main objection was the casting of Ian Holm as Bernard Sampson; an actor he considered completely wrong for the part of the central protagonist and therefore a fundamental flaw in the production. For my money Holm inhabits the role brilliantly despite the physical differences to the character as described in the books. In modern terms it's akin to dismissing Wolf Hall because Mark Rylance bears little or no resemblance to Thomas Cromwell.
I'm confused about the ballet dancer defection sub-plot in tonight's episode. She had already left China for Hong Kong, and it turned out that she was married to a man who wasn't born in China, so would China still have any control over her movements, as they seemed to be suggesting? I couldn't see why it would make such a difference to her whether she went back to Hong Kong or not?
Also I wondered whether her marriage might just be a marriage of convenience, but "Daddy" didn't seem to consider that, just sent her back when he found out she was married?
Disappointed at the sad lack of any type or realism. Don't people know the difference between MI5 and MI6 as the leads actions in a affair overseas was a action done by MI6 not a MI5 operation.
Plus little fact on real life they don't have agent s go into the field with too much knowledge due to them been prone to be captured and made to talk.
So we get a major event predicted by a defecting KGB colonel talked about in corridors by the Daddy and his actual name as if it was latest voting results.
So im supposed to forget any try at realism for the drama effect.
Ill add a true fact about the services they are fairly weird as a friend observed about them . Even if the World war was starting they would not run. They don't do panic.
But we were slapped around the face repeatedly with the point pretty face was on his own mission in Poland. He was after the girl and her child (his child?). He was out of his depth in another country trying to play a disaffected MI5 officer willing to trade information for something to do with the girl.
Yes,it was not bad at all.I agree Joe Lambe as Tom Hughes was obviously playing a scarred individual,haunted by his past and all that.But at times he was hamming it up so much it was laughable.I also found his strange Scouse-like mumbling accent hard to understand.I had to turn the volume right up when he was speaking.
Comments
Yes. It's usually the case with these types of dramas these days.
Yes,it was not bad at all.I agree Joe Lambe as Tom Hughes was obviously playing a scarred individual,haunted by his past and all that.But at times he was hamming it up so much it was laughable.I also found his strange Scouse-like mumbling accent hard to understand.I had to turn the volume right up when he was speaking.
I think he looks a bit young to have all this baggage behind him
Penry Jones would have been better
If viewed in isolation then I think the show is perfectly watchable and entertaining if not much more. The premise is intriguing, the acting uniformly solid if slightly mannered in some cases and the camerawork is at times beautiful in its rendering of 70's Britain; albeit a simulacrum informed by modern techniques and tropes that creates an almost heightened sense of realism. In the debit column was a rather heavy-handed approach to the story-telling that was almost insulting of the viewer's intelligence at times. That was In addition to a tendency to cliche- the abandoned fair, the apple peeling, the deathbed confessional/accusation- that veered close to pastiche, and a lackadaisical approach to procedural detail that occasionally stretched credulity to breaking point. Still looking forward to next week though!
That is not technically a spoiler, since it's just your guess at something, not an actual fact.
Too young and has silly hair.
So when people claim to see similarities I simply don't get it. The story is completely different. The pace is a stark contrast (esp. to TTSS) and The Game contains far more action than the cerebral TTSS.
How did you manage that?! I can't find it anywhere, I'd be ever so grateful if you could point me to a source.
As for The Game... am disappointed, but not surprised, it's the 'modern' BBC standard. I'll keep watching for the whodunnit element, can't resist that.
Deighton LOATHES it and has barred any repeat or home release. I did some work on it back in the day and even I can barely recall what it was like!!
Thanks, Straker
I got it off a site focused on rare British TV a couple of years ago but it is sadly now defunct. There's nearly always somebody selling copies on eBay these days but they tend to be priced prohibitively. It really is a very good drama although the picture/audio quality tends to be a little dodgy in parts so your enjoyment might be affected depending on your tolerance for such things. I read that Deighton's main objection was the casting of Ian Holm as Bernard Sampson; an actor he considered completely wrong for the part of the central protagonist and therefore a fundamental flaw in the production. For my money Holm inhabits the role brilliantly despite the physical differences to the character as described in the books. In modern terms it's akin to dismissing Wolf Hall because Mark Rylance bears little or no resemblance to Thomas Cromwell.
I wondered the same thing. Which wouldn't be TTSS and much more an homage to The Manchurian Candidate.
I am really liking this - especially Paul Ritter and Judy Parfitt's exchanges. Priceless!
Also I wondered whether her marriage might just be a marriage of convenience, but "Daddy" didn't seem to consider that, just sent her back when he found out she was married?
Nothing at all is confusing on that.
Based on 1 1/2 epi's he looks fine to me.
Or even Tom Hughes as Joe Lambe :-)
Is nearly 30 too young? I don't think so.