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Highly recommend the BBC 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' miniseries with Alec Guinness. I always liked Alec Guinness (Obi-wan!) but seeing this made me understand

Highly recommend the BBC 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' miniseries with Alec Guinness. I always liked Alec Guinness (Obi-wan!) but seeing this made me understand just what an incredible actor he was. BBC just knocks it out of the park here, and, it's way better than the Gary Oldman film (no disrespect). IMHO one of the best television shows ever made. Would totally put it up against The Wire, although it's an apples-to-oranges comparison for a variety of reasons. FYI said miniseries can often be found floating around on Youtbe.

wlll 6y ago
Agreed, the series was a masterpiece, though I am not sure I recommend watching the sequel series (I forget the name). I think I preferred the suspense of the first series as the ending. Also, watch the series not the film (if you must, watch the film second). The series is far better.
- mhh__ 6y ago
  The film is pretty damn good considering it has to make do with about 2 hours, and has to keep the audience interested. It's also absolutely beautiful - fantastic cinematography and direction.
  - kirrent 6y ago
    The film is absolutely gorgeous. As one example among many, I'm blown away every time that plane gently drops down behind Esterhase and Smiley on the runway.
  - wlll 6y ago
    I think it's OK, but I think it spoils the far better series.
- andrewmutz 6y ago
  It is called "Smileys People" and has Patrick Stewart playing soviet super spy Karla. It's not as good as TTSS, bit still worth watching in my opinion.
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Tycho 6y ago
The Night Manager dramatisation from a few years ago is also great.
- aksss 6y ago
  That really was - it came and went like a ship in the night so I often forget about it but it was very well done. Have been intending to rewatch at some point.
- W-Stool 6y ago
  Hugh Laurie as the super villain? Hell yes. It was fantastic, and JLC has a cameo in it as well.
- dcl 6y ago
  I really enjoyed it. But it left me a bit empty. My take away from it, was that the real 'bad people' (MI6) are so embedded and protected that their work is not going to stop just because the more public/exposed figures (Laurie's character) are removed. Olivia Colman's character essentially accomplished nothing and was after the wrong people the entire time.
- namdnay 6y ago
  If you liked it, I strongly recommend checking out the little drummer girl, a similar BBC miniseries based on Le Carre
billfruit 6y ago
The film is stellar too really, has a visual authenticity to it, and great actors as well Oldman, Benedict Cumberbach, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy. Oldman in fact does turn out a subtle and nuanced portayal of Smiley, that is not any less superlative.
- justin66 6y ago
  Unless I’ve forgotten something about the BBC program, it’s really just The Alec Guinness Show, in contrast to the film, wherein every supporting role was played brilliantly. I’m a bit of a fanboy, but honestly, the whole film is worthwhile just to hear John Hurt’s Control tell Esterhase “I should have left you where I found you.”
  - klelatti 6y ago
    Ian Richardson, Bernard Hepton, Michael Jayston, Ian Bannen, Joss Ackland, Beryl Reid, Anthony Bate, Sian Phillips and even Patrick Stewart. Definitely not just the Alec Guinness Show.
    - justin66 6y ago
      An impressive list of actors, but the person comparing the two productions will compare the direction and the performances. It's a little unfair, given the standards of early eighties television, but still. To the original point that you seem to disagree with - I think the person making that comparison will agree that the show is built around Guinness in a way the film is not built around Oldman. I don't think that's wrong, and which is "better" must be a point of personal preference. One could not make a show with Alec Guinness any other way, and the result is certainly worthwhile. It really is a great show and of course I'd encourage anyone to watch both. A person reading your comment might end up being a little disappointed, though. The most eminent name on that list, and the one people outside the UK are likely to recognize, does not even have a speaking part.
      - adamsea 6y ago
mcbain 6y ago
For anyone in Australia, BBC's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the follow-up Smiley's People are both available on Amazon Prime Video here - I don't know about elsewhere. I'm gradually watching through TTSS now. So good, although the first episode suffers from the common problem of no subtitles for the Czech scenes in Ep 1.

wlll 6y ago

Agreed, the series was a masterpiece, though I am not sure I recommend watching the sequel series (I forget the name). I think I preferred the suspense of the first series as the ending. Also, watch the series not the film (if you must, watch the film second). The series is far better.

mhh__ 6y ago
The film is pretty damn good considering it has to make do with about 2 hours, and has to keep the audience interested. It's also absolutely beautiful - fantastic cinematography and direction.
- kirrent 6y ago
  The film is absolutely gorgeous. As one example among many, I'm blown away every time that plane gently drops down behind Esterhase and Smiley on the runway.
- wlll 6y ago
  I think it's OK, but I think it spoils the far better series.
andrewmutz 6y ago
It is called "Smileys People" and has Patrick Stewart playing soviet super spy Karla. It's not as good as TTSS, bit still worth watching in my opinion.
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Tycho 6y ago

The Night Manager dramatisation from a few years ago is also great.

aksss 6y ago
That really was - it came and went like a ship in the night so I often forget about it but it was very well done. Have been intending to rewatch at some point.
W-Stool 6y ago
Hugh Laurie as the super villain? Hell yes. It was fantastic, and JLC has a cameo in it as well.
dcl 6y ago
I really enjoyed it. But it left me a bit empty. My take away from it, was that the real 'bad people' (MI6) are so embedded and protected that their work is not going to stop just because the more public/exposed figures (Laurie's character) are removed. Olivia Colman's character essentially accomplished nothing and was after the wrong people the entire time.
namdnay 6y ago
If you liked it, I strongly recommend checking out the little drummer girl, a similar BBC miniseries based on Le Carre

billfruit 6y ago

The film is stellar too really, has a visual authenticity to it, and great actors as well Oldman, Benedict Cumberbach, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy. Oldman in fact does turn out a subtle and nuanced portayal of Smiley, that is not any less superlative.

justin66 6y ago
Unless I’ve forgotten something about the BBC program, it’s really just The Alec Guinness Show, in contrast to the film, wherein every supporting role was played brilliantly. I’m a bit of a fanboy, but honestly, the whole film is worthwhile just to hear John Hurt’s Control tell Esterhase “I should have left you where I found you.”
- klelatti 6y ago
  Ian Richardson, Bernard Hepton, Michael Jayston, Ian Bannen, Joss Ackland, Beryl Reid, Anthony Bate, Sian Phillips and even Patrick Stewart. Definitely not just the Alec Guinness Show.
  - justin66 6y ago
    An impressive list of actors, but the person comparing the two productions will compare the direction and the performances. It's a little unfair, given the standards of early eighties television, but still. To the original point that you seem to disagree with - I think the person making that comparison will agree that the show is built around Guinness in a way the film is not built around Oldman. I don't think that's wrong, and which is "better" must be a point of personal preference. One could not make a show with Alec Guinness any other way, and the result is certainly worthwhile. It really is a great show and of course I'd encourage anyone to watch both. A person reading your comment might end up being a little disappointed, though. The most eminent name on that list, and the one people outside the UK are likely to recognize, does not even have a speaking part.
    - adamsea 6y ago

mcbain 6y ago

For anyone in Australia, BBC's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the follow-up Smiley's People are both available on Amazon Prime Video here - I don't know about elsewhere. I'm gradually watching through TTSS now. So good, although the first episode suffers from the common problem of no subtitles for the Czech scenes in Ep 1.