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Secret State [DVD]

Gabriel Byrne , Douglas Hodge    To Be Announced   DVD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
Price: £12.54 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Secret State [DVD] + The Hour - Complete Series 1 & 2 Box Set [DVD]
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Product details

  • Actors: Gabriel Byrne, Douglas Hodge, Gina McKee, Charles Dance, Rupert Graves
  • Format: PAL
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: To be announced
  • Studio: Channel 4 DVD
  • DVD Release Date: 3 Dec 2012
  • Run Time: 164.00 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B008YGNGAI
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,813 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)

Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk

While competing with real-life political scandals is increasingly tricky for television fiction, The Secret State is a twisty, intriguing thriller that does its best to measure up to the real thing. The programme’s trump card is some of its delicious casting. Gabriel Byrne takes the lead role as Tom Dawson, the Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain caught in the middle of a growing political hurricane. It involves a chemical plant disaster, lots of plotting by shady characters, and an impending national crisis. Joining Byrne is Charles Dance, in a quality supporting role.

The Secret State deals with big themes, and it’s put together in quite a gritty, dark way. It’s consistently entertaining, too, even if the narrative itself doesn’t bear too much close scrutiny. Certainly there are one or two moments where you need to take a leap of faith to stay on board with the programme, but there’s usually something interesting just around the proverbial corner.

The disc release takes a behind the scenes look at the show, although it doesn’t delve too deeply. But it’s still a good package you’re getting for your money here, and The Secret State is worth it for Gabriel Byrne’s work alone. --Jon Foster

Product Description

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Behind the scenes, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Secret State is a four-part political thriller inspired by Chris Mullin's novel A Very British Coup, delving into the relationship between a democratically elected government, the military and the markets. In the run up to a general election, an accident on Teesside raises awkward questions about the safety procedures of a US petrochemical company, PetroFex. The Prime Minister claims to have secured a compensation package from them, but on his return from PetroFex HQ, his plane crashes in the Atlantic under mysterious circumstances. Deputy Prime Minister Tom Dawkins (Gabriel Byrne) takes the reins and during his quest to find justice and the truth for the victims on Teesside, he uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of the political system. How will he deal with the powers at play? And can he remain that rare thing: a decent, honest man in politics? ...Secret State ( Coup )

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Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant conspiracy mini-series 29 Nov 2012
By ekb
Format:DVD
The brilliant four part Channel 4 mini-series Secret State is well worth a look. A remake of a 1988 TV mini series A Very British Coup Secret State manages to do what conspiracy thrillers should do i.e. thrill and keep you gripped.

To be honest I have done a little research about the reactions of others on the internet of all places to see what other people think of the show. I decided to check the legitimate reviewers opinions out of curiosity and aparently they are none too thrilled at this conspiracy thriller citing a lack of 'realism' and aparently the premise is 'ludicrous' and the 'show is out of touch with what is important currently'. Really? Really? With all due respect to these comments what ever happened to a little escapism, you know a show with a nice twisty plot with a conspiracy between a few supervillians. But the critics complain that it is not as good as Homeland; well of course it is not but it is one great enjoyable piece of television none the less.

Gabriel Byrne might play one of the most ludicrous unrealistic characters of all time; a noble politician who manages to become PM but man did I root for him.

Like all good conspiracy thrillers you are gripped and genuinely interested in how it will all end.

Oh and just one more thing that makes this show great; have you checked the cast. Just plain awesome.

You might have noticed that this so called review doesn't mention one single plot detail, well I noticed that after one episode that they had a next time on feature. Watched it and lets say they gave away too much. Really to enjoy twisty little thrillers like this it is best to know as little as possible about the plot so you can concentrate on figureing the plot out and get it wrong along the way.

Yes, the show might be a little unrealistic but why should this matter when the plot keeps you gripped and the cast is this good. Plus I really would like to see more programmes like this on TV considering the last programme I seen that was this good was The State Within (come to think of it the plots are really really similar). If you liked The State Within then you should like this and vice versa. Brilliantly gripping television.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Defence of the Realm 14 Dec 2012
By Mr. 880
Format:DVD
In Ed Fraiman's latest adaptation of former MP Chris Mullin's political novel, A Very British Coup, conspiracy certainly isn't what it used to be. Back in the 1980s, under its original title, the brilliant Ray McAnally played Harry Perkins in Alan Plater's excellent version, parading a cautionary tale about radical values and what happens to them once you're in power and the men from the ministry get a hold of you. Plater's version had an international context involving the concerns of the day, not least American nuclear missiles on British soil, and this newly rebooted 21st Century story carries that a step further by putting the villainous cast of the 'war on terror' age - multinationals, rogue Middle-Eastern regimes, military chiefs of staff - firmly in the spotlight. But back in the day, the original drama sat side-by-side with other mini-series like Edge of Darkness, Harry's Game and House of Cards while films like Defence of the Realm - which Byrne starred in during the 1980s - The Whistle Blower and then later Hidden Agenda, not only gripped but opened up possibilities about the British state apparatus that wider society, let alone TV/film culture, hadn't dared contemplate before.

This new take on the dark corridors of Westminster is fine, mind you. Gabriel Byrne plays loyal party apparatchik Tom Dawson with a steely-eyed determination, Douglas Hodge is terrific as a drunk and gone-off-the-rails computer hacker and fixer, while Charles Dance could win BAFTAs simply for the way he unbuttons his suit jacket and gives that look of his. But it's an odd 24hr news cycle world that hasn't spotted the PM turning up rather too frequently at the local Drum and Monkey boozer to have a pint with former colleague Fossett, as Dawson seems to do endlessly here, while there doesn't appear to be a single person in London who hasn't got his mobile phone number! Gina McKee's determined reporter Ellis Kane seems to have a front door key to No.10 she's there so often, and Rupert Graves - who's a terrific actor - is handed a role here that gives off all the gravitas of a man who thinks he should be head of the local comprehensive's Sixth Form, but appears to have stumbled into the job of Chancellor of the Exchequer! It adds up to a lot of fun; Manchester Town Hall shows up as the inside of Westminster brilliantly, Ruth Negga is genuinely great as out-of-her-depth GCHQist Agnes Evans, and Mullins himself even appears as a vicar to top it all off.

But the world has moved on from the 1980s and so have we probably as a watching public. Secret State pushes all the familiar buttons of 21st Century secrecy and cover-up, and does it very nicely. But it's so familiar to us now, the power of this kind of TV has lost a little of its bite in a political culture where Fahrenheit 9/11, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Inside Job are documentaries, but ones offering up all the drama of real events in an elite, establishment world that long ago lost much of its grip on reality.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding 29 Nov 2012
Format:DVD
This is the best thing I've seen on television for ages. Kept me gripped and desperate for the next episode...my only criticism was that the ending was a trifle sudden and left me wanting more. For anybody who missed it or who would like to watch again, well worth buying.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
This was everything I had hoped for in a thriller based on A Very British Coup. Wonderful cast, good use of current sociopolitical economic issues. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Symonne
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
I confess. I purchased this only because of Gabriel Byrne. I have all his movies and TV shows on DVD. (All that have been released.) This series is excellent. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Prospero's Daughter
5.0 out of 5 stars BOUGHT AS A PRESENT.
this DVD was bought as a present so I hope they love it, it was on their wish list. good delivery as usual from Amazon and a good price.
Published 2 months ago by Sheila Townson
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good thriller and well acted
I saw the first two episodes on TV then missed the rest, but now I can see it all. Cannot wait
Published 2 months ago by Mr John Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant DVD Series
This was a good complex thriller. Well acted kept the attention. Easy to want to watch it more than once
Published 2 months ago by Magpie
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and interesting show
The impact of the dialogue would be so much better if the more of the power of the English language had been used instead of the overly frequent use of expletives. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Newton
4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling show diminished by an apparent rush to the denouement
I really liked the first film/TV adaptation of Chris Mullin's book, A Very British Coup. This TV play, the second adaptation of Mullin's book is also very good viewing, with some... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rick Godwit
4.0 out of 5 stars VERY INTERESTING THRILLER
This makes a refreshing change - an adult and gripping thriller which takes its time and treats the audience intelligently. Read more
Published 3 months ago by dandelion
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant drama
I watched this drama on tv and found it gripping, keeping you guessing until the end. I purchased the DVD as a gift for a relative who lives in the US and misses UK shows.
Published 3 months ago by L. Griffiths
5.0 out of 5 stars Secret State
Gabriel Byrne completely lived up to my expectations and was brilliant. I thought the series was very well adapted from the book especially because it updated the circumstances to... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Leslie
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