Stephen Kershaw

There should be a super-rating for TV productions which are works of art in their own right. 'The Wire' is one of them, but even then, Tinker, Tailor stands in a class of its own. This is the great achievement of TV drama before the expansion of TV to admit C4, and then the extra-terrestrials. The casting is exemplary, the script totally, totally superb as an adaptation from the novel for the TV screen (the change of location for Tarr's encounter with the Russian spy was just totally inspired, and a definite improvement on Hong Kong), the acting utterly unparalled in any filmed drama before or since, the authenticity of the sets excellent, just so excellent. Everything about this drama is totally believable and plausible and consequently, totally engrossing. Only one other TV serial equalled this, and that was Brideshead, with Jewel in the Crown following close behind. There will never be an opportunity to create a drama of this calibre again.