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Mr Palfrey is a mild, unassuming middle-aged man the quintessential middle-rank British civil servant, who enjoys a spot of fishing in his spare time. Mr Palfrey is also a spook... As a senior investigator for the Special Intelligence Service, Palfrey s office is based close to the Houses of Parliament. His work is assigned by his female boss, known only as 'the Co-ordinator', and assisting him is Blair, a younger man adept at dealing with the nastier aspects of counter-intelligence. Beginning life as a pilot in Thames' Storyboard anthology and notable for its intelligent, highly credible depiction of Cold War-era counter-espionage, Mr Palfrey of Westminster stars Alec McCowen (Travels with My Aunt) as the meticulous master spycatcher; John Shrapnel, Leslie Phillips, Ronald Hines and Martin Jarvis are among several high-profile actors making guest appearances, and writers include George Markstein (The Prisoner) and Philip Broadley (Public Eye, Department S). This first-time release on DVD comprises both series, originally screened in 1984 and 1985, the Storyboard pilot of 1983, and the 'postscript' play transmitted in 1989 and featuring Clive Wood as Blair.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
'Pace' is a taken for granted quality in TV drama, invisible, unseen, rarely commented on, but it wasn't until I watched 'Mr Palfrey of Westminster' that I realised how formulaic modern TV drama had become. You know what I'm referring to of course; robbery/incident, opening credits/catchy theme, slow diagnostic twists and turns before final chase/arrest scene.'Palfrey' however, belonged to a time when dramas simply unfolded through dialogue. I remember watching it in the eighties and I'll admit there are one or two anachronisms synonymous with that era. Yet because Palfrey was filmed on crisp, sharp video it has aged remarkably better than contemporary productions like Bergerac or Miss Marple. Every word Alec McCowen utters sounds like it was precision engineered at Oxford, meanwhile his linguistic dexterity is neatly matched by the chess-game plots of secret service traitors and underhand cold war intrigue. The most annoying aspect is that there are only 11 episodes (if you include the 2 supplementary tele-plays). 'Palfrey' has the feel of a good audio book rather than a TV drama but if you liked Smiley you'll love this. Clive Wood makes a superb sidekick and McCowen is first class throughout. A really interesting and careful study which at times is 'quietly brilliant'. There ought to have been many more-shame on Thames Television!
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Really wonderfull series spoilt by some poor/grainy episodes and worst of all the audio in some episodes is extremely poor.It is evident that with a bit of effort the audio could of been improved.I have run my set through a really cheap equalizer and improved the sound quality, something their technician did not do.
This was evidently a rush job,not up to their normal high standards.
Worth buying and watching,pity about the quality.
This was evidently a rush job,not up to their normal high standards.
Worth buying and watching,pity about the quality.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Having never watched this programme before I took a chance in buying this DVD. I'm very glad that I did, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes vintage TV drama. The central performance of Alec McCowen in the lead role of Mr Palfrey is a delight to watch, and he is ably helped by a fine supporting cast and guest stars. By modern TV standards the pace of the drama is undeniably slow - it is much closer to Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People than the frenetic world of Spooks. For me, however, the gentle pace is part of the show's appeal. I only wish more episodes had been made!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Improves as it develops, but...
Don't expect anything of the quality of Sir Alec Guinness's Smiley, either in the acting (which is pretty good but not outstanding) or in the writing and directing (which are very... Read more
Published 7 days ago by DV Barrett
Great choice.
This is a fascinating view of the public service via spies, sort of. Mr. Palfrey is what you would want for a civil servant. Simple, competent and very capable. Read more
Published 3 months ago by S. D. Robinson
Great series
So I am surprised there weren`t more made of this. Alec McCowan and Clive Wood are brilliant in this and work well together. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Agnetha
no subtitles!
No subtitles + poor sound = Waste of money
Unless English is your native language and your hearing is perfect, forget it...
Unless English is your native language and your hearing is perfect, forget it...
Published 5 months ago by PENELOPE
A LITTLE GEM
I remembered this from the 80's and unlike some other series that would have been better remembered and not seen again, this was a joy. Read more
Published 6 months ago by L. Wilson
Mr Palfrey
I like this series, Mr Palfrey is a quiet man, he does have his 'hardman' assistant but there is no real violence. Read more
Published 7 months ago by RosieInLondon
I can't believe it didn't last longer
When you first watch Mr Palfrey it takes a little time to warm to the cast, but they quickly form into a strong cast with some really entertaining and sharpe story lines. Read more
Published 15 months ago by writingbluebear
A Bureaucrat in the Cold War
There are times when watching this series seems like viewing ancient history, so much has the world moved on from the Cold War struggles of East vs. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Peggy Stone
Thumbs up for this one!
The five stars for the series itself, audio is what it is.What an example this series is how it works like magic when you choose the right actor to play the leading role! Read more
Published 20 months ago by Barley Chown
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