The Game 

A Cold War spy thriller that tells the story of invisible wars fought by MI5.

Creator:

Toby Whithouse

Stars:

Tom Hughes, Jonathan Aris, Victoria Hamilton

1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Tom Hughes	...	Joe Lambe 6 episodes, 2014
Jonathan Aris	...	Alan Montag 6 episodes, 2014
Victoria Hamilton	...	Sarah Montag 6 episodes, 2014
Shaun Dooley	...	DC Jim Fenchurch 6 episodes, 2014
Brian Cox	...	Daddy 6 episodes, 2014
Paul Ritter	...	Bobby Waterhouse 6 episodes, 2014
Chloe Pirrie	...	Wendy Straw 6 episodes, 2014
Zana Marjanovic	...	Yulia 6 episodes, 2014
Yevgeni Sitokhin	...	Odin 5 episodes, 2014
Judy Parfitt	...	Hester Waterhouse 5 episodes, 2014
Marcel Iures	...	Arkady 4 episodes, 2014
Stuart Whittaker	...	MI5 Agent 3 episodes, 2014
Gemma Chan	...	Chen Mei 2 episodes, 2014
Rachael Stirling	...	Kate / ... 2 episodes, 2014
Tim Bentinck	...	Home Secretary 2 episodes, 2014
Jay Simpson	...	Colin Blakefield 2 episodes, 2014
Velibor Topic	...	KGB Hood 2 episodes, 2014
Taber Allen	...	Barista 2 episodes, 2014
Bartley Burke	...	Ivan 2 episodes, 2014

Storyline

Starring Brian Cox, "The Game" is a 1970s Cold War spy thriller set in the world of espionage. It tells the story of the invisible war fought by MI5 as it battles to protect the nation from the threats of the Cold War.

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Plot Keywords:

tv mini series | 1970s | mi5 | cold war | spy | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Game

Filming Locations:

Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Drama Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min (6 parts)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although set in 1970s London, the show was almost entirely shot in Birmingham. The MI5 headquarters building (both interiors and exteriors). was the recently closed Birmingham Central Library, a much criticised and largely unloved example of 1970s 'brutalist' architecture, which has now (as of 2016), been completely demolished as part of a major city redevelopment scheme.

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Connections

References Gorky Park (1983)

User Reviews

Slow burn but definitely worth the watch

Watched this as a way to relax before going to sleep. Boy, was that a mistake.

First thing's first. This show is intense. There were several times where I had to pause the episode, take a breather (knowing that crap was about to hit the proverbial fan), and then play the remaining scene. The music and camera work seamlessly complemented each other providing tension at every turn. There are strange, asymmetric camera angles that were meant to distort your view so that you, the viewer, couldn't get a good look at what was going on.

Secondly, this show is more than just about the Cold War "game" between UK vs USSR. It shows the games we play in our social, professional, and public lives and how people cope. It's about intrigue and personal aspirations. Everyone is playing a game with each other.

Thirdly, the actors are top notch. So fantastic to see these characters fleshed out and actually have personality.

A thing to note: the show is definitely a slow burn. Things don't really "happen" per se as expected until episode 5. Every episode is DEFINITELY intense but when you stop and think about what actually happened during the course of 59 minutes, very little occurs. Each episode seems to focus on a particular aspect for the entire episode. Of course, in the end, everything comes together like a puzzle.

So I guess an earlier reviewer was correct in saying that the real game is to make us watch. Because it does. It makes you wonder about what's going to happen next, forces you to think back to earlier episodes for little details and hints about upcoming events, and finally reach the conclusion with the characters at the end of episode 6.

Really great watch.