The Grid [DVD]

Recently, I watched it again, this time in a totally different light - given what has happened recently in London. Now, every single element of what happens in 'The Grid' seems plausible and all to realistic, from the release of sarin in a London hotel, to al-Qa'ida's plan to attack the London and New York underground systems. The procedure and course of the investigation seems authentic, encompassing among others a Muslim CIA officer who struggles to strike a balance between his faith and his country, an MI5 officer who at one point admits he "hasn't a clue" as to how to proceed, and - towards the beginning - a suspected terrorist whom armed police shoot with a taser stun gun as they try to arrest him in London. It makes use of extensive research, and is not afraid to depict the squabbles and disagreements between the different agencies - which sometimes lead to tragic failures in intelligence (in this instance, the boming of an oil conference in Lagos).

'The Grid' deals intelligently and authentically with the war on terror and the threat we now face, and does not shy away from making the connection between this threat and the actions of Western governments in the past. The debate about Islamist extremism is dealt with subtly, but impressively, and this programme serves not so much as a drama, but as a warning of what could happen. The ending may not be quite as strong as the rest, but the notion that the threat will never go away is all too apparent. I learnt a lot from this drama, and in light of the London attacks, realised just how chillingly authentic 'The Grid' actually is. I recommend it, but with a coda: this is real-life stuff, and was made prior to the recent attacks. As such, it doesn't deal sensitively with attacks in London or suicide bombings, but instead focuses on the intelligence services work and dedication to preempt and investigate the terrorist threat, as it spreads from London to New York to Cairo to Judan to Swizterland, and across the globe. What is doubly good is that 'The Grid' also examines the actions and motivations of the terrorists, including British-born suicide bombers and an Egyptian doctor who is slowly turned to extremism.

For an intriguing and terrifying look at the background to this war, and how our intelligence services are on the front line, this is a must-see. Forgive the US sentimentality, and you are left with a stunning portrayal of a very modern war.

As a drama mini-series there is much to commend it, a reasonable plot, some inter-agency skullduggery and backstabbing, an international cast, some great locations and reasonable dialogue as well as a realistic basis for a story. For the enthusiast this moves along at a good pace, there is action and intigue aplenty and just about everyone can relate to it.

Alas, I do not feel that it is overall a satisfactory mix. It is certainly a good thing to have an element of grittiness about the show. I think that it is admirable that the British are portrayed as the patsies of America and a people who, for being America's closest allies are somewhat cynical about American intentions. It is a good thing too that bureaucracy is seen as stiffling of initiatives and is often caught wrong-footed but overall there is a pevasive nagging of something more.

I am not sure if the issue is really one of just not wringing true. I also feel that there is too much politically correct angles when dealing with what is clearly a complex subject with many levels of meaning and where much is open to debate. The fact that the main villain of the piece is not seen as some sort of idealistic fundamentalist demagogue but as someone who has his own, well-financed agenda, may correspond with modern analysis of terrorists but when we are assailed every day on our teelevision screens with tales of insurrgent attacks, it almost appears that the thorny subject of fundamentalist terrorists does not want to be directly addressed.

I also take issue with the timescales involved. Each terrorist atrocity in real life requires months of patient investigation through dead ends and leads that go nowhere. The most sophisticated spying equipment in history still cannot lead us to Osama bin laden and yet we can track down these people within hours. I am not attacking the lack of realism for realism's sake...I am more concerned that we do not inculcate in the general population's mind that these complex problems are quickly solved when this is far from the case.

The best aspect of this mini-series is the establishment of credible characters with their complex lives and attachments and the constantly changing aspects of personalities. Much more human and much more able to be understood as three dimensional characters rather than stereoptypical beings where we do not need to understand what is going on.

Perhaps the three stars is a little harsh but I think a little more thought going into this show could have brought it into the great category, but nevertheless a good piece of entertainment.