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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy : Complete BBC Series [1979] [DVD]
 
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy : Complete BBC Series [1979] [DVD]

DVD ~ Nigel Stock
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
RRP: £15.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy : Complete BBC Series [1979] [DVD] + Smiley's People : Complete BBC Series [1982] [DVD] + State Of Play : Complete BBC Series 1 [2003] [DVD]
Total RRP: £51.97
Price For All Three: £15.94

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy : Complete BBC Series [1979] [DVD]
87% buy the item featured on this page:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy : Complete BBC Series [1979] [DVD] 5.0 out of 5 stars (53)
£5.98
State Of Play : Complete BBC Series 1 [2003] [DVD]
8% buy
State Of Play : Complete BBC Series 1 [2003] [DVD] 4.8 out of 5 stars (57)
£3.98
Smiley's People : Complete BBC Series [1982] [DVD]
2% buy
Smiley's People : Complete BBC Series [1982] [DVD] 4.9 out of 5 stars (23)
£5.98
The State Within : Complete BBC Series [2006] [DVD]
1% buy
The State Within : Complete BBC Series [2006] [DVD] 4.5 out of 5 stars (12)
£8.98
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Product details

  • Actors: Nigel Stock, Milos Kirek, Alec Guinness, Brian Hawksley, Thorley Walters
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: 2 Entertain Video
  • DVD Release Date: 26 May 2003
  • Run Time: 350 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000092WCG
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 73 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in these categories:

    #7 in  DVD > DVD Bargains > All DVD Special Offers
    #14 in  DVD > Television > Drama
    #17 in  DVD > DVD Bargains > Hottest Summer Offers - Up to 70% Off

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley, John Le Carré's familiar, ageing British Intelligence agent, called out of retirement to discover the identity of the high-ranking Russian mole who has burrowed deep into "The Circus"--codename for the British secret service. This slow-burning, complicated and ultimately rewarding BBC adaptation, dramatised by Arthur Hopcroft and directed by John Irvin, perfectly captures Le Carré's own insight into the shady underworld of spies and the political climate during the Cold War.

Le Carré's style is the antithesis of his contemporary Ian Fleming's--far from the glamorous lifestyle of Bond, with his fast cars and faster women, these agents ride around in Skodas, and Beryl Reid is the closest thing to a femme fatale, save for Smiley's elusive wife, Anne. An extraordinary cast (including Ian Bannen, Hywel Bennett and Ian Richardson), gritty realism and close attention to detail make Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy an outstanding piece of television drama. --Nicola Perry

DVD Description
The bespectacled spymaster is once again called from retirement to come to the aid of the ‘circus’ - and he returns with a vengeance. The murder of an emigre Soviet general who was also a British agent, sends him digging into the past on a twisted trail across Europe that moves, inexorably, towards a final showdown with his old adversary, Karla of Moscow centre.

Running Time: 350 minutes approx.

See all Reviews

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Customer Reviews

53 Reviews
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 (51)
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 (2)
3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (53 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely superb, 8 Sep 2005
By zztopbanana (Lancashire, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
I watched this series first time around many, many years ago as it was serialised on the BBC and to say it was riveting does it no justice at all.

James Bond, eat your heart out - welcome to the real world. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy truly shows the BBC at it's best. I would suggest this drama is nigh impossible to surpass and even the acclaimed sequel, Smiley's People, could not better that. On a par, yes, and equally gripping, but no better.

For those who have never seen the late, great Sir Alec Guiness except in Star Wars, then, this is as good an opportunity there is to see a master at work - the role of George Smiley was surely custom made for him.

Read the synopsis, believe it, then buy it - you will not regret watching this, that's for sure.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Desert Island Top Pick, 17 Aug 2003
By M. R. Hudson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Another review is almost superfluous - existing comments appear to confirm without exception that many people agree with me: this is probably the finest piece of television ever made, and possibly the finest adaption on screen of a book, ever. I would simply like to pick out the sound recording for praise (has the part that street noise plays in real life atmosphere ever been so perfectly exploited?) and applaud the supporting cast for standing up, every one of them, to Alec Guinness when he was on such millenial form.
The contrast between formidable and vulnerable is the most believable thing I have ever seen an actor achieve. His most astonishing feat is that, in the very last shot of the entire series, his expression sums up the conflicting characteristics of Smiley, the whole complex and subtle delineation of Le Carre's novel, within a few seconds. This is the DVD I will keep, when Sue Lawley forces me to discard the other nine - should Desert Island Disks ever catch up with the digital multimedia age!
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Le Carre fans and BBC nostalgists alike, 11 Mar 2002
This review is from: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy [VHS] [1979] (VHS Tape)
I saw the original on TV as a naive kid, watching with my Dad (a committed Le Carre fan), not understanding the subtleties of the plot or characterisations. I then bought this for nostalgia reasons when the series was repeated in 2001 (I missed this airing). Having read all of my Dad's Le Carre Smiley books in between, I was amazed at just how well the characters in the book came to life. Alec Guiness IS George Smiley, both the brilliant spy and the flawed man. I'm convinced Le Carre could see into the future and was thinking of Alec Guiness as he wrote this book. Cheap at twice the price.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars "There are three of them
...and Alleline"

Absolutely fantastic. The mastery of Le Carre's story, characters and dialogue, beautifully portrayed by an outstanding cast, means I have watched... Read more
Published 1 day ago by D. Haigh

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as the book
Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy. This is one of those rare occasions when the movie is as good as the book. I found this a faithful reproduction of the John LeCarre story. Read more
Published 22 days ago by B. Bryan

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly lackluster and shadowy
This series from the BBC is probably great. Probably because it has everything it needs to be great and yet it sounds in the end a little bit sad, too slow, too obvious to be... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Jacques COULARDEAU

4.0 out of 5 stars Smiley and co
'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' was the first of the BBC's Smiley series', and one I have been wanting to see again since it was first televised. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tedious Little

5.0 out of 5 stars Exellent
Among the best spy stories on DVD and with one of my favourit actors: Alec Guinness.
Published 4 months ago by Henning Bjorn

5.0 out of 5 stars "The name's Smiley ... George Smiley ..."
In an age where most audiences seem to care more about the muscles our super spies can flex in combat, how delightfully refreshing it is to see a more cerebral protagonist in the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. M. M. Waller

5.0 out of 5 stars Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - complete BBC series (1979)
A classic and as good today as it was the first time!
The cast, headed by (Sir) Alec Guinness are superb and enact the drama of John Le Carres' book brilliantly. Read more
Published 5 months ago by AE Wheeler

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!!
Edge of the seat stuff has nothing on this series. We were enthralled all the way through and couldn't wait for the next episode.
Published 5 months ago by TV addict

5.0 out of 5 stars Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
A BBC series that was really well put together in 1979, Alec Guinness makes a really good George Smiley. Read more
Published 5 months ago by John Whitham

5.0 out of 5 stars simply superb
One of the best series I've ever seen, with the brooding presence of Alec Guiness staying in my mind for ever more!
Published 6 months ago by A. Parkinson

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