At £3 million an episode BBC1’s lavish new drama The Night Manager delivers value for money

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At £3 million an episode BBC1’s lavish new drama The Night Manager delivers value for money

February 21, 2016 - 22:12
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I’m so glad my wife watched the first episode of the Beeb’s dazzling new spy thriller The Night Manager. Now at long last she knows I’m not the worst man in the world.

The Night Manager

I’m so glad my wife watched the first episode of the Beeb’s dazzling new spy thriller The Night Manager. Now at long last she knows I’m not the worst man in the world.

That honour goes to ruthless Richard Roper, the charismatic evil arms dealer brilliantly played by Hugh Laurie, who, House fans will be amazed to discover, is English. In other unexpected news, he can walk without a stick. Who knew?

Landing noisily in his helicopter with his ludicrous VIP-style entourage in the small hours, Roper booms: “So pleasing to wake up the f***ing Germans.” Discuss.

Actually, he’s in scenic Zermatt where the local luxury alpine inn’s very British night manager Jonathan Pine has a score to settle.

A former Army officer who served in Iraq, Pine has arrived at a pivotal moment. Does he stand back and let Roper’s form of genocide continue? Or does he do the right thing?

Well, you know the answer. He opts for the latter, thereby providing the compelling theme of one the most promising TV dramas I’ve seen in quite a while.

It’s a terrific tale of international intrigue. From Egypt to London to Switzerland, no expense was spared as an impressive cast delivered a stunning opening salvo as lavish as a James Bond movie.

Great scenes against a filmic snow-covered backdrop, as Pine (Tom Hiddleston) makes contact with no-nonsense MI6 intelligence chief Angela Burr (Olivia Colman).

As my mum used to say: “They’re all in this.” Tom Hollander is a hoot as Roper’s camp sidekick Corcoran. Katherine Kelly off Corrie and Mr Selfridge is a high ranking civil servant. Russell Tovey, Pine’s Cairo embassy chum Simon Ogilvy. Man Behaving Badly Neil Morrissey. The excellent Douglas Hodge. And so many more.

“Why not write your own bloody novel?” snarled author John Le Carre when confronted with the many differences between his 23 year-old book and the updated TV version. Then he fell in love with it. And over the next five weeks, unless I miss my guess, so will you.