Some thoughts on the first episode of BBC One's lavish new adaptation of John le Carré's The Night Manager.
Ha.
Bwahahahaha!!
Haaahaaaahaaaaa!!!
Haaaaahaaaaahaaaaahaaaaaa!!!!
Aha!!!
Aha!!
Ha!
Mmmm....
[He coughs.] Sorry, I'll start again.
I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll simply describe the category of drama this ...erm... production falls under.
This is the sort of TV where people tell each other things they already know; where you get a shot of pyramids and a helpful caption informs us we're in 'Cairo, Egypt'; where attractive people have an instant sexual chemistry and get it on because that's how popular drama works; where woodwind instruments bellow ominously on the soundtrack so we know bad shit's about to go down; where dramatic scenes close with characters staring at mobile phones, running hands through their hair or holding them up to their mouths to emphasise just how complex their emotions are; where the camera cuts to close-ups of people's eyes widening or fists clenching so we can get an indication just how bloody tense everything is; where characters can be sorted into thumbnail categories (the bland and uninspiring hero, the grounded and homely voice of wisdom, the suave and witty villain, the slimy red herring, the racial stereotype, etc.); where the camera never misses an exciting wide-shot, dolly or pan to make everything appear bigger and more cinematic because the producers have spent a shedload of money to make it all seem international; and, finally, where theatrical 'big game' are relied upon to make piss-poor dialogue sound natural... Oh, and to sell it to the Americans who co-financed it.
Taken on its own merits, this is pretty insulting: it assumes a complete lack of intelligence on the part of the audience. There are, however, intriguing narrative threads that make me want to persevere with it beyond at least the second episode... A full run-down of this serial will appear in due course. For now, all I can say is treat yourself to a DVD copy of Deutschland '83 and bask in the glow of a creative team who know what real drama is.
Onwards, folks.
