Brian S
After the first entertaining 10 minutes this degeneratest into a slooowww boring detective mystery. Frankly the only mystery to me is why they made it, obviously they didn't review it afterwards or if they did they also fell asleep watching it ....Quite honestly I just didn't care who did what by half way through and the whole idea that the nazI won the 2nd war seems largely irrelevant.Just a boring un inspired mess. Read the book instead.
peterrichboy
The Germans had won the Battle of Britain invaded and history would have taken a sinister turn for the worse. The truth is we will never know but this series based on Len Deightons book does an admirable job of suggesting what might have been. Sam Reilly plays a Scotland Yard detective now under the rule of the SS who is torn between his new masters and his loyalty to King and country. Whilst not as good as Amazons big budget Man In The High Castle. It still raises many questions of might have been.
Prismark10
From the co-writers of the last six James Bond films. Based on a novel by Len Deighton and set in an alternate Britain where the Nazis occupy Great Britain comes this turd of a five part series. Sam Riley channels John Hurt as Superintendent Archer investigating crimes while dealing with his Nazi bosses and also mixed up with the British resistance.There were a few good money shots like Big Ben draped with the Nazi flag but alas it looked cheap, with too many interior shots with people talking and talking and more talking. It had bleached out colours when it should had been colourful. It should had a stronger plot and more action.The ratings fell of a cliff which just about sums it up.
ttandb
This is a really good drama series. Some say it's not as good as the book, but it's rare that ANY adaptation is. For me, especially given it's a BBC adaptation and only five episodes long, it's pretty good.Sam Riley as Douglas Archer and Lars Eldinger as Dr. Oskar Huth are the two most outstanding actors - and characters. Like Archer's sergeant, Harry Woods (played by the always wonderful James Cosmo), I've always believed that anyone who works with the enemy IS the enemy. However, Archer's stance of just trying to keep the peace and bide his time to make a contribution to the effort to overthrow the Nazis, made me realise that mine and Harry's way of black and white thinking is not so easy once out there in the real world. Yes, wild outbursts of 'f**k you!' violence is a great way to feel better - but as much as it shows the populace are still thumbing their noses at the occupiers, it also makes the occupiers torture and kill your countrymen in retaliation. So, it could be argued, Archer's declaration that any such outright hostile action only gives the Nazis the excuse to round up anyone they consider a threat, and to install Marshal Law, is proved to be true.His assertion that all the resistant fighters are merely doing is playing directly into the Nazis waiting hands, proves to be sadly correct. It would seem his own sly and soft approach saves lives even as it undermines the occupiers aggression, and therefore is the way to go - if you want to defeat them without too much innocent collateral damage.Given the way many British people feel completely 'swamped' by the EU slow undermining of British home rule, and the subsequent vote for Brexit to rid our country of it - it's clear to see that, even now, European control of the UK (under any guise) is very divisive and very likely to provoke a violent reaction. It's also why I think many will watch this drama - some, obviously, for the nightmare scenario of what COULD'VE happened had the war ended differently (just another day of the 'Battle of Britain' could've been enough).But others will watch it for what they will see as what COULD'VE been had we not voted for Brexit - only with the EU flag replacing the Swatika ones. Remember that the EU is moving towards its own armed forces and you can see the parallels that some would draw of a dystopian future under a Federal Europe. However, I'm not going to say which way I voted at Brexit as it's not really relevant.What I would say is this is very much a 'thinkers' drama - it's not full of action, explosions and high octane chases. This, I personally think, is why so many dislike it. We're used to instant gratification and candyfloss engagement with TV and movies; in the moment, with bells and whistles and move on. So anything that is slow and makes us properly think, a lot of people tend to dislike.I've liked this drama so much I've bought the book; not because I think it will be better but, unless they cough up another series (which is possible), the BBC will only skim the story and I want to learn it all. That should tell you this is worth watching - any drama that engages people enough to go back to the source material is always a winner in my book (no pun intended).
