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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A 1970s gem of a series,
By
This review is from: The Sandbaggers - Series 1 [1978] [DVD] (DVD)
I don't know what the hard-edged, life-or-death sections of Britain's secret services are actually like. But if I had to pick any piece of televisual fiction that "feels" the most realistic, then Sandbaggers would be it. An apparently conscious expose of the total nonsense of the world of James Bond, Sandbaggers follows Neil Burnside's (Roy Marsden's) small and underfunded team thorugh a web of political machinations, double dealing, smoke screens and dubious objectives.
Crucially, much of the "action" is office based. Marsden's character has been retired from the field. This series is as much about politics as it is about espionage. Its real success is imbuing every major character with moral ambiguity. It is the polar opposite of the heroes and villains approach that infects so much of this genre. You will be able to detect some degree of genuine patriotism in each of the key players - but this is often buried under an avalanche of desire for personal career advancement or simple survival (either literal or professional). Although played out in the Cold War era, the debate and confusion surrounding the Anglo-American relationship - particularly the level of trust or mistrust in the CIA is probably even more pertinent in the 21t century than it was in the 1970s. Neil Burnside's (Roy Marsden's) rampant pro-Atlanticism is a disturbing mixture of hard-headed pragmatim and deep-rooted, but rarely expressed, ideological conviction. The plots range from enjoyable to sensational, but are never farcical. You'll need to pay close attention to each episode to get the most out of it (this isn't a series to watch whilst doing the ironing or after coming home from the pub). But an attentive viewer will not get lost in the way they might do in a fiendish Le Carre plot. To counter a previous review (below), the "break bumpers" (but obviously not the commercials themselves) are retained on this DVD release, but this is a positive benefit. Firstly, they provide useful pause points for taking a two minute comfort break or topping up the coffee and secondly, they are necessary to disguise numerous camera angle cuts which would look decidedly odd if the viewer was not aware that a commercial break had been straddled. This series comes very highly recommended to anyone with even a fleeting interest in the spy/espionage genre. It only fails to get five star rating because of its ever-so-slightly dated feel (including some rather cardboard sets), but if - like me - you find this endearing and nostalgic, then this will rate as one of the very best purchases of classic British television you will ever make.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoroughly recommended: the 'Spooks' of its time,
By
This review is from: The Sandbaggers - Series 1 [1978] [DVD] (DVD)
What is Sandbaggers? It's a 1970's version of Spooks; a behind-the-scenes drama based in Secret Intelligence. The Sandbaggers themselves are Special Ops, the 007s of the service. They go in to a situation when it has escalated beyond what the local station chiefs can handle. And yes -- they are licenced to kill!
I was a teenie when Sandbaggers was first screened, and remember being largely baffled by what was going on. Over the years I've kept an eye open for it and was delighted to see it released on DVD. We've watched the first disc, and can report that it's compulsive viewing. It's not as glam as Spooks or The Sweeney; more like an hour long Le Carre episode. The characters are well-drawn and the interplay between them is fascinating. You coud easily transpose the plots to the modern political situation, and they'd remain credible and entertaining. Of course, the series is hampered by what you could do in the 1970s with TV budgets. Some of the sets visibly wobble and some scenes are definitely no-expense-spent! But there's just enough external action to keep you gripped, wondering whether Sandbagger One is going to come back in one piece... I suspect that Sandbaggers was just too cerebral for its time, and I don't know if they'll be able to sustain this level of plot and script through all the seasons. I'd rate it alongside The Prisoner and The Sweeney, significantly higher than The Professionals. Definitely one to rent, and quite possibly one to buy for the collectors.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic spy series,
By Paul Ramon (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Sandbaggers - Series 1 [1978] [DVD] (DVD)
Whilst it won't be to everybodys tastes - those brought up on modern television will probably find the pace far too slow and the attempts to create various other countries in England obviously false, anybody who favours content over gloss will find much to appreciate.
The most noticeable thing about the series it that it concentrates on the London office in general and Neil Burnside (Roy Marsden) in particular. Certain operations take place off screen and others are only seen briefly. For example in the final episode "Special Relationship", Laura Dickens is captured, but we see nothing of her interrogation or captivity - it's all about how Burnside reacts and the decisions he makes. A fine cast headed by Marsden, with support from Ray Lonnen and Richard Vernon amongst others and good scripts all from Ian Mackintosh make this a slice of British television well worth picking up.
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