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A Perfect Spy

  • TV Mini Series
  • 19871987
  • 6h 14m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
913
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
13,024
977
A Perfect Spy (1987)
John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 3
Play trailer1:07
10 Videos
10 Photos
Thriller
This is the story of Magnus Pym, from his childhood to the end of his career in middle age. As a young man, there is little doubt that his father Rick was the most influential character in h... Read allThis is the story of Magnus Pym, from his childhood to the end of his career in middle age. As a young man, there is little doubt that his father Rick was the most influential character in his life. Rick was a raconteur, con man, thief, black marketer and all in all, simply large... Read allThis is the story of Magnus Pym, from his childhood to the end of his career in middle age. As a young man, there is little doubt that his father Rick was the most influential character in his life. Rick was a raconteur, con man, thief, black marketer and all in all, simply larger than life. From a young age, Rick included Magnus in his schemes and the young man learn... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
913
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
13,024
977
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Stars
      • Ray McAnally
      • Rüdiger Weigang
      • Alan Howard
    Top credits
    • Stars
      • Ray McAnally
      • Rüdiger Weigang
      • Alan Howard
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 1 win & 6 nominations total

    Episodes7

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season

    Videos10

    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 3
    Trailer 1:07
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 3
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 6
    Trailer 1:04
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 6
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Vol. 3
    Trailer 1:20
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Vol. 3
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 1
    Trailer 1:13
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 1
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 5
    Trailer 1:06
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 5
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 7
    Trailer 1:01
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 7
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 4
    Trailer 1:05
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 4
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 2
    Trailer 1:17
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Episode 2
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Vol. 1
    Trailer 1:05
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy: Vol. 1
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy
    Trailer 1:15
    John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy

    Photos10

    Benedict Taylor in A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    A Perfect Spy (1987)
    Peggy Ashcroft in A Perfect Spy (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ray McAnally
    Ray McAnally
    • Rick Pym
    6 episodes6 eps • 1987
    Rüdiger Weigang
    • Axel
    6 episodes6 eps • 1987
    Alan Howard
    Alan Howard
    • Jack Brotherhood
    6 episodes6 eps • 1987
    Peter Egan
    Peter Egan
    • Magnus Pym
    5 episodes5 eps • 1987
    Jane Booker
    Jane Booker
    • Mary Pym…
    5 episodes5 eps • 1987
    Tim Healy
    Tim Healy
    • Syd Lemon
    5 episodes5 eps • 1987
    Peggy Ashcroft
    Peggy Ashcroft
    • Miss Dubber
    3 episodes3 eps • 1987
    Andy de la Tour
    Andy de la Tour
    • Muspole
    3 episodes3 eps • 1987
    Jack Ellis
    Jack Ellis
    • Perce Loft
    3 episodes3 eps • 1987
    Benedict Taylor
    Benedict Taylor
    • Magnus Pym
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Leonard Preston
    • Fergus
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Sarah Bullen
    • Kate
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Paul Daneman
    Paul Daneman
    • Bo Brammell
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Madeline Church
    • Georgie
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Peter Sands
    Peter Sands
    • Nigel
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Lesley Nightingale
    • Sabina
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Ian Thompson
    Ian Thompson
    • Police Superintendent
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    Alan Cohen
    • Dance Band Leader
    2 episodes2 eps • 1987
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to source novelist John le Carré, the character of Rick Pym (Ray McAnally) is heavily based upon his own father.
    • Connections
      Featured in Wogan: Episode #9.10 (1989)

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A Trip Down The Secret Path
    As a fan of author John le Carre I've slowly been working my way through both his books and the adaptations of them. I found this 1987 adaptation of le Carre's masterwork at my local library and sat down to watch it thinking I would know what to expect. I was surprised to discover that my expectations were exceeded in this miniseries, a fine cross between a spy thriller and a human drama.

    Peter Egan gives a great performance as Magnus Pym, the perfect spy of the title. Carrying on in the long tradition of le Carre's strong main characters, Pym is also quite possibly the best. Egan plays Pym (who in fact contains many shades of author le Carre) as a man forced to spend his entire life lying and betraying sometimes out of circumstance and other times just to survive with the consequence of him becoming "a perfect spy". Egan plays Pym to perfection as a man always on the run, if not from others then from himself. Egan alone makes the six or so hours of this miniseries worth seeing from his performance alone.

    Surronding Egan is a fantastic supporting cast. Ray McAnally gives one of his finest performances as Pym's con man father Rick who (as le Carre has said) is based strongly on the author's own father. McAnally plays a man who comes in and out of Pym's life and is one of the those responsible for Pym becoming "a perfect spy". In fact if it wasn't for McAnally's performance a year after this in A Very British Coup this would the finest performance of his sadly too short career.

    The rest of the supporting is excellent as well. From Caroline John as Pym's mother to Alan Howard as his spy mentor to Rüdiger Weigang as the young Pym's friend turned controller to Jane Booker as Pym's wife the supporting cast is fantastic. Special mention should be made of the three young actors who played the younger Pym (Jonathan Haley, Nicholas Haley and Benedict Taylor) who establish the young man who would become the man played so well By Peter Egan.

    The production values of the miniseries are strong as well. As the miniseries adaptations of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People proved these stories can only be told in miniseries format. The locations are excellent from the English locations to the those scattered across Eastern Europe and the USA as are the sets by Chris Edwards. The cinematography of Elmer Cossey adds an extra layer of realism to the world of the miniseries. Yet the highlight of the miniseries is really the script.

    Screenwrtier Arthur Hopcraft tackled the job of adapting the six hundred or so page novel excellently. The novel was largely (at least in its early parts) autobiographical in that Pym's early life echoed much of John le Carre's life. The script for this miniseries is no exception as it traces the development of Magnus Pym from young boy to "a perfect spy". Never once does the miniseries deviate from its purpose of telling a fine human drama in the context of the world of espionage. If one ever wants proof that a spy thriller can be tense and fascinating without ever having one gun fight, fist fight, or James Bond style car chase this would be the proof. While the miniseries is six plus hours long it never wastes a moment and it all the better for it.

    Though it might be overlong for some for those who don't have very short attention spans here is a must see. From the performances of Peter Egan and Ray McAnally to fine production values and a fine literary script A Perfect Spy is one of the finest miniseries who can expect to see. It is a fascinating trip down the history of the Cold War yet it is more then that. It is also a trip down what John le Carre has called "the secret path": the path of the spy the man who must lie and betray to survive. As much a human drama as a spy thriller A Perfect Spy isn't to be missed.
    helpful•28
    3
    • timdalton007
    • Mar 31, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 22, 2022 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • John le Carré's A Perfect Spy
    • Production companies
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      6 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo

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