The Game
Roquentin
Posts: 143 Forum Member
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The Game is a 1970s set Cold War spy thriller by Toby Whithouse and starring Tom Hughes, Paul Ritter and Brian Cox. It aired on BBC America last year and was apparently quite well received. I was wondering if anyone knew when it will finally air in the UK as I thought I saw it advertised but can't find an exact date. Also I would be interested in hearing from people who have already watched it. I know Whithouse has already spoken about doing a second series.
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Thanks! I spent ages yesterday trying to find out that simple bit of information. I'm even more excited now that I know it's only a week away.
Here are some good spoiler free reviews for anybody interested...
Hollywood Reporter
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/game-tv-review-746634
AV Club
http://www.avclub.com/review/bbc-americas-miniseries-game-offers-retro-spy-thri-211125
Variety
http://variety.com/2014/tv/reviews/tv-review-bbc-americas-the-game-1201342861/"]http://variety.com/2014/tv/reviews/tv-review-bbc-americas-the-game-1201342861/[/URL]
Indiewire
http://www.indiewire.com/article/review-bbc-americas-the-game-plays-like-john-le-carres-homeland-20141105
Collider
http://collider.com/the-game-review-bbc-america/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/3584e0cb-e99f-42fa-8253-ec35f2f5b345
It starts on Thurs BBC2 at 9 but does anyone here know if it's repeated on another day? I've been unable to find out.
I suspect you'll have to rely on iPlayer but I don't know for sure.
Thanks for your reply. I've programmed my Sky box planner
Finally BBC UK has decided to show it here, if you liked the Tinker Tailor movie from a few years back you'll enjoy this as well. Has the same look and feel, an excellent cast just adds to the quality.
I highly recommend this cracking spy drama to everyone!
Excellent, that's just what I wanted to hear! I'm huge fan of John le Carré and Len Deighton so this should be right up my Straße so to speak. Apart from brilliant The Americans there hasn't really been a decent Cold War era spy series for quite some time. Spooks and the Johnny Worricker series were enjoyable and hopefully the Beeb won't screw up their The Night Manager adaption but in general I find there's something slightly less compelling about modern set spy shows.
I agree regarding modern spy shows, I just finished watching Season 3 of The Americans and for me it has probably been the best of the 3 in terms of storytelling.
Thing I like about the period set spy dramas, is there's little reliance on tech and more about the spy Tradecraft as they call. Makes everything seem more real, having to rely on your wits and skill seems more exciting to me.
The Game has some nice twists 'n turns along the way to keep the audience guessing, I absolutely loved it.
I, like you started a thread about The Game back in November when it was originally shown on BBC America.
I haven't seen the third season of The Americans yet since ITV pulled the plug but I'm in the process of 'acquiring' it. If it continues to be as good as you suggest then it might just become my favourite programme of all current shows. I know it's been renewed for a fourth season at least but my hope is that it will continue long enough to go right through the eighties.
You've hit the nail on the head about tradecraft in modern espionage. Technology has done irreparable damage to the spy genre in art and literature imo. Then again maybe I just find the Cold War ear aesthetic- trench coats, cigarette smoke, soot, grime, drizzle- and the grey/brown colour palette more evocative. I recently watched ITV's 13 part 1980's adaption of Len Deighton's Game, Set and Match starring Ian Holm and it was fantastic. Likewise The Sandbaggers with Roy Marsden which had been made a decade before that. From everything I've read The Game would seem to be a throwback to this kind of show.
You can take authenticity too far, as I thought the standard of acting was the same as shows of that era.
Saving grace, was Victoria Hamilton, excellent actress and I've found her sexy, since I first saw her in "Lark Rise to Candleford."
Was Cox's character called "Daddy" in homage to The Avengers' "Mother"?
Thanks. North America definitely got a trimmed version of the series.
I thought the stereotypical geek, lacking in social skills, was poorly written and the actor didn't manage to make him believable. Much like Sebastian in NCIS New Orleans.
Still, it'll do to fill in till some channel shows The Americans season 3 (please!)
Surely someone on set should have picked up on Victoria Hamilton pronouncing 'nuclear' as 'nucular' at least twice? Perhaps that's to help sell the series into the US.
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.
Its the BBC yearly spy type drama, we had one last year and the honorable woman.