Stephen Poliakoff returns with his newest project as writer and director and after episode one, I am wondering as to how this will last the course of seven episodes.
Set in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the allies are carving up all the useful Germans, scientists who could prove to be useful.
Dieter Koehler (August Diehl) is a German scientist kidnapped from his bed by the British Army along with his daughter Lotte. He might be a war criminal or have knowledge of jet engines that could elevate Britain to the forefront of the jet age.
Captain Callum Ferguson (Jim Sturgess) who is just about to be demobbed has been given the task to win them both over in six days so they come and bat for Britain. In order to this they have been put up in hotel just outside London, The Connington Hotel, a grand hotel which is a little bit faded, the streets outside has been bombed but luckily the hotel seems to have survived the damage.
The hotel has a floor hidden which the intelligence service uses to eavesdrop on the hotel's guests as rooms have been bugged. Ringwood (Alfie Allen) has been assigned to help Ferguson, making sure the Koehler's get everything they want as well making a note of their every move and sound. It has a large boardroom which plays gigs by big band singer Eva (Angela Bassett.) There are glamorous women hanging about as well as a few more intriguing people like Lindsay- Jones (Alfred Molina.)
Ferguson is under pressure from the off, various other military agencies are hanging about, the war crimes unit also wants to get hold of Koehler to question about his activities with the Nazis.
Callum also needs to see his brother Victor (Freddie Highmore) who complicates matters. We kind of get the feeling he is a little manic, a loose cannon, visiting the black markets and fighting with the Blackshirts who still had the nerve to hang around and show the colours of their shirt when their beloved leader, Oswald Mosley was interned in the Isle of Man.
Poliakoff has layered the drama with interesting side characters where you know there will be hidden mysteries that will be unveiled. I cannot see how else this series can sustain itself for seven episodes.
At the moment Callum is not doing too well, Lotte misses Germany and just screams, not to good for those women listening to their bugged room. Even the food is awful or not to their taste even though they are having good food whereas others have to do with rationing.
Poliakoff as with his last series, Dancing on the Edge takes his time in revealing his story, let it breath with the risk that it is full of enough hot air already. There are also music numbers from Eva, an American black big band chanteuse seems rather incongruous in the Connington.
Sturgess plays Callum as a man looking forward to the bright new world away from the army with some slight trepidation, maybe that is why he has taken on this role when he had no need to. He is suave, he might be decent or just sly, at the moment we seem him being charming to the Koehler's and he also seems to be a babe magnet.
