"Smiley's People" (1982) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

25 October 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Called out of retirement to settle the affairs of a friend, Smiley finds his old organization, the Circus...

Plot Keywords:

Insanity | Emigration | Spy | Blackmail | Based On Novel

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	George Smiley (6 episodes, 1982)
Eileen Atkins	...	Madame Ostrakova (4 episodes, 1982)
Bill Paterson	...	Lauder Strickland (4 episodes, 1982)
Vladek Sheybal	...	Otto Leipzig (4 episodes, 1982)
Andy Bradford	...	Ferguson (4 episodes, 1982)
Bernard Hepton	...	Toby Esterhase (3 episodes, 1982)
Michael Byrne	...	Peter Guillam (3 episodes, 1982)
Anthony Bate	...	Oliver Lacon (3 episodes, 1982)
Tusse Silberg	...	Alexandra Ostrakova (3 episodes, 1982)
Germaine Delbat	...	Madame La Pierre (3 episodes, 1982)

Runtime:

UK:360 min (6 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Bern, Kanton Bern, Switzerland

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Although the standard for British TV miniseries in the 1970s and '80s was to videotape interior scenes and film exteriors, all of this miniseries was captured on film.

Quotes:

Peter Guillam: It's bloody typical of London, not telling me you're out here. I mean, that's par for the course, these days. I usually pick it up from the Queen's Messenger six weeks after the event! Not like in your day.
George Smiley: I'm sorry to have to tell you, Peter, I'm working on my own these days.
Peter Guillam: Bloody hell, George! I must say, you do put a strain on friendship, you do! You mean I just called out the entire Emergency Service in Paris to assist you in a piece of private enterprise?
George Smiley: Find a phone box, ring your wife, if there's anybody in the house tell her to get rid of them. I'm sure she's understanding.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Follows The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)

Smiley comes out of retirement… again

"Smiley's People" is the sequel miniseries to "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and is also based on a novel by John le Carré. In this series, George Smiley investigates the murder of a Russian general formerly passing information to the Circus which puts him on the trail of his old rival, Soviet spy master "Karla".

As with "Tinker, Tailor", Alec Guinness is perfect in a subtle performance as George Smiley. The returning performers and new performances are solid as well.

"Smiley's People" is at least up to the high standard of "Tinker, Tailor" and perhaps better. Whereas in "Tinker, Tailor" Smiley investigated within a limited circle of people and limited area, in this series the locations and characters are more varied. In this way the plot of "Smiley's People" requires more focus to understand the connections between characters, which I enjoyed.

As with "Tinker, Tailor", the style consisted mostly of Smiley conversing with people for information, so this series is also not appropriate for those looking for a fast-paced James Bond type spy thriller, but enjoyable for those looking for a deliberately paced spy film. It is worth noting the final scene, which is impressively tense and provides an interesting and appropriate conclusion.