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IMDbPro

A Very British Coup

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1988
  • Not Rated
  • 2h 28m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Ray McAnally in A Very British Coup (1988)
A Very British Coup
Play trailer0:45
4 Videos
4 Photos
Drama

Disaster befalls the UK under a seemingly corrupt Conservative government. The Labour Party is elected - but committed to radical change, under a firmly left-wing leader. That's not supposed... Read allDisaster befalls the UK under a seemingly corrupt Conservative government. The Labour Party is elected - but committed to radical change, under a firmly left-wing leader. That's not supposed to happen. Who will save the traditional rulers?Disaster befalls the UK under a seemingly corrupt Conservative government. The Labour Party is elected - but committed to radical change, under a firmly left-wing leader. That's not supposed to happen. Who will save the traditional rulers?

  • Stars
    • Ray McAnally
    • Marjorie Yates
    • Geoffrey Beevers
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.2/10
    1.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Ray McAnally
      • Marjorie Yates
      • Geoffrey Beevers
    • 24User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 4 BAFTA Awards
      • 6 wins & 4 nominations total

    Episodes3

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-ratedSeason1988

    Videos4

    A Very British Coup
    Trailer 0:45
    A Very British Coup
    A Very British Coup: Episode 1
    Trailer 1:49
    A Very British Coup: Episode 1
    A Very British Coup: Episode 1
    Trailer 1:49
    A Very British Coup: Episode 1
    A Very British Coup: Episode 3
    Trailer 2:00
    A Very British Coup: Episode 3
    A Very British Coup: Episode 2
    Trailer 2:00
    A Very British Coup: Episode 2

    Photos3

    View Poster
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    Top cast38

    Edit
    Ray McAnally
    Ray McAnally
    • The Cabinet - Harry Perkins
    • 1988
    Marjorie Yates
    • The Cabinet - Cook
    • 1988
    Geoffrey Beevers
    Geoffrey Beevers
    • The Cabinet - Wainwright
    • 1988
    Keith Allen
    Keith Allen
    • The Staff - Thompson
    • 1988
    Oliver Ford Davies
    Oliver Ford Davies
    • The Staff - Tweed
    • 1988
    Bernard Kay
    Bernard Kay
    • The Staff - Inspector Page
    • 1988
    Alan MacNaughtan
    Alan MacNaughtan
    • The Public Servants - Browne
    • 1988
    Tim McInnerny
    Tim McInnerny
    • The Public Servants - Fiennes
    • 1988
    Christine Kavanagh
    • The Public Servants - Liz
    • 1988
    David McKail
    • The Public Servants - Robertson
    • 1988
    Shane Rimmer
    Shane Rimmer
    • The Americans - Secretary of State
    • 1988
    Philip O'Brien
    Philip O'Brien
    • The Americans - President
    • 1988
    Clive Merrison
    Clive Merrison
    • The Media - TV Interviewer
    • 1988
    Philip Madoc
    Philip Madoc
    • The Media - Fison
    • 1988
    Jeremy Young
    Jeremy Young
    • The Media - Alford
    • 1988
    Harmage Singh Kalirai
    Harmage Singh Kalirai
    • The People - Patel
    • 1988
    Hugh Martin
    Hugh Martin
    • The Cabinet - Sampson
    • 1988
    Stephanie Fayerman
    Stephanie Fayerman
    • The Media - Editor
    • 1988
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews24

    8.21K
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    Featured reviews

    10ed-627

    Excellence in Drama

    Harry the Steelworker... it could have happened... discontent was growing with Maggie and her ilk. Where would be now? I for one would have voted for Harry.. totally believable in almost every respect, including the scenes with our American "friends". Harry could be as hard as steel (excuse the pun) but his heart was totally in the right place. Ray McAnnaly was born to play this role. And the musical score... what more could be said... I believe it won a major (well deserved) reward.. and quite rightly so...

    This must rank as one of the best Dramas in British Television History. I have no hesitation in calling this a classic. Totally deserved.
    10peterrichboy

    Compelling political drama

    Imagine a working class steelworker from a council flat in Sheffield,winning a landslide election victory. On a policy of telling the truth removing all nuclear deterrence and using the money to create jobs improve the NHS and schools. How that would throw the establishment. And here we have the premise for a Very British Coup. This may hay have been made 30 years ago but it is as relevant today as it was then. The late Ray Mcaulley is fantastic in the lead role and the support cast including a young Kieth Allen are all superb. A timeless classic.
    10timdalton007

    A First Rate Poltical Thriller

    A left wing candidate is elected after a hard fought campaign by his right wing rivals. No I am not talking about the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. That is the in fact the beginning of A Very British Coup, an excellent and all too plausible miniseries about a left wing British Prime Minister who radical policies lead to members of the right wing establishment trying to bring him down. In fact it for interesting viewing especially in today's world.

    Any good production needs a good cast and A Very British Coup has an excellent cast. Ray McAnally gives the greatest performance of his all too short career as Prime Minister Harry Perkins. McAnally captures perfectly the plain-spoken, charismatic leader in both good times and bad. As Perkins, McAnally makes you want to stand up and cheer for him especially with his final speech. McAnally of course is just the tip of the cast. As Perkins biggest enemy is Alan MacNaughtan as Sir Percy Browne, the almost and quietly threatening head of MI5 who sits at the center of the web of conspiracy to bring down Perkins. The supporting cast is made up of some Britain's finest actors from Keith Allen to Tim McInnery, Philip Madoc, Marjorie Yates, Geofrey Beevers, Jim Carter and Oscar Quitak amongst others. Even in small parts like Inspector Page (Bernard Kay) and Annette Newsome (Caroline John) are filled with terrific actors.

    The real star of A Very British Coup is its script. Alan Plater takes Chris Mullin's novel and crafts it into a fascinating study of a government under siege from within. Often in political films or series the plot takes head over the dialogue which leads to stifled dialogue. Plater doesn't let that happen and the dialogue never seems stifled but real and urgent. In fact the whole script seems real and urgent despite some of the issues being dated (such as nuclear disarmament). The fascinating thing about watching this is that change an issue or two and this could be today. The result is a story that has the ability to fascinate some twenty years later.

    Another important aspect of the productions is its visuals. Director Mick Jackson and cinematographer Ernie Vincze use the camera and screen time wisely. The result is that A Very British Coup is as much a visual feast as anything else with moments in parts two and three that stand out even today. The miniseries is, as a result, a dark and grainy world full of enemies and thinly veiled threats. This even truer when combined with the music of John Keane and the performances of the cast.

    The result of all this from the exceptional performance of Ray McAnally, the performances of the cast, an excellent script that's all too plausible and a visual feast makes A Very British Coup a first rate political thriller. It may be twenty years old and somewhat dated at times but it makes a fascinating viewing that still carries weight today. For at its heart A Very British Coup carries an important and time less message: the greatest enemy of a democracy is not from without but from within. It's a message we shouldn't ignore.
    8Caps Fan

    Well Made and Absorbing

    I'd like to think that this isn't particularly credible, but, allowing for that, this is a well made and gratifying piece of television drama.

    It's all built around a towering performance from Ray McAnally, who simply doesn't put a foot wrong. The blend of kindness and steel we see in his portrayal of Harry Perkins is perfect. He is ably supported by a cast of British stalwarts, of whom Keith Allen and Marjorie Yates deserve special mention.

    Whatever your politics, it's impossible not to be swept along in the sheer exhilaration of the opening twenty minutes or so as Perkins wins a landslide victory in a General Election and becomes Prime Minister at the head of a radical Labour government. After that, the pleasure comes mainly in some clever scripting and interesting use of Mozart's music.

    The conclusion is pleasingly ambiguous. Too many dramas these days wrap up everything neatly, giving us nothing to think about. That's not the case here.

    Excellent effort all round then. Rating: 8/10.
    10shell-26

    Alternative History

    "A Very British Coup" was a turning point in my life. Aged about 18 and having spent much of that time in Mrs Thatcher's Britain, this mini-series illustrated what might have happened had a Michael Foot, Tony Benn or a Ken Livingstone been elected Prime Minister.

    Ken Livingstone wrote a book called "If Voting Changed Anything They'd Abolish It". Harry Perkins the new socialist British Prime Minister, like all the best idealists fighting a hopeless cause, simply doesn't know when he is beaten, or rather he chooses to carry on regardless of the storm clouds looming.

    Shortly after his election he receives the traditional congratulatory phone call from the US president. A formal script is placed in his hands which he refuses to follow much to everyone's consternation and the scene is set.

    The Americans cannot risk losing control of their huge static aircraft carrier off the coast of France (it used to be called the UK). Big Business tries to starve the Perkins government of funds. Harry responds brilliantly surviving on low cunning and simple honesty in this capitalistic, high-brow, dishonest world.

    There is no way his government can survive, it will not be allowed. There are dark forces gathering......

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      All the cars have 'J' registration plates. The series was made in 1988 when the current registration letter was 'E'; the producers obtained permission to use fake car registration plates to establish that the action was set in the future.
    • Connections
      Edited into Masterpiece: A Very British Coup (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Great Mass in C Minor
      Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as Mozart)

      Performed by London Symphony Orchestra & London Symphony Chorus

      Conducted by Colin Davis

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 19, 1988 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Очень британский переворот
    • Filming locations
      • UK
    • Production company
      • Skreba Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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