Three recs, throwback edition

A midcentury spy-ish drama, a 1970s Le Carré thriller, a British-Japanese crime show

Nov 03, 2023

I’m caught in a rut. As I write that, I realize I am more broadly in a rut – but I was writing it in reference to my TV-watching, so let’s just go with that.

I used to be quite dedicated and generous as a TV watcher, insistent upon sticking with a show as long as possible. Often, long after I realized I should have let it go. I lost that at some point, and now I’m pretty ruthless. I try to give everything I watch a couple episodes before I pass judgement, but even I have been surprised at the number of shows that I’ve recently stopped watching after the requisite two or three episodes.

Surely this has something to do with the change in the way TV is made. Long-running series used to have the time to figure themselves out. As long as the concept was interesting, or there was good chemistry between the actors, or there was some other hook that had gotten it through pilot season, then both viewers and networks were willing to give the show the runway to hit its stride and “get good.” Peak TV and the streaming era changed all that. With more series being made than ever before – and with everyone who could get investor capital trying to get in the game – studios/networks/streamers panicked. They needed hits, and they needed them now. These days, a show has to come out of the gate in its fully realized form, often with less money and time invested in its development than back in the old days.

I’m the first to say we’ve been lucky. There have been some brilliant series that have been brilliant since they came out of the gate. Some have only needed an episode to settle in. Many are good enough for me to be willing to overlook the fact that they’re a bit undercooked.

I’m also incredibly hopeful about the direction TV will take in the wake of the strikes. Audiences only benefit from creators being able to do their jobs well.

But, right now, I can only attribute my TV-watching rut to the dual effects of the end of the peak streaming era and half a year of strikes. (Either that or it’s my own personal rut rearing its head again!) This is forcing me – and some of you, I know – to go back. Back to shows we missed, back to shows we love. Turns out those of you who were bugging me for throwback recs a few weeks ago saw the writing on the wall.

(By the way, feel free to prove me wrong! If you think I’ve missed something new/recent that blew your socks off and got its hooks into you, let me know.)

Rec 1
The Hour (TV)

Do you like smart, quippy dialogue and period dramas that are sharp rather than sappy? Do you enjoy spunky, ambitious female leads and questionable-but-dashing love interests (who include Dominic West and Ben Whishaw)? Do you dig Cold War spy thriller subplots and 1950s sets and costumes?

Then do I have the show for you! Honestly, this 2011 BBC series about a brand-new news show in the early days of Britain’s TV news (also the BBC!) is still one of my all-time faves. It’s kind of a comfort watch for me – it’s smart and fun, it’s tense and thrilling, it’s glamorous and a bit romantic. Sure, it can be a smidge melodramatic and pulpy at times, but sometimes that’s what you want. Even the Emmys agree: The inimitable Abi Morgan, writer/creator, won the miniseries writing award for it.

Plus it’s got an absolutely killer lineup of British cast. On top of the two mentioned above (and anyone who’s ever heard me talk about Ben Whishaw knows how much I love him), it stars Romola Garai, Anna Chancellor, Anton Lesser, Burn Gorman, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Capaldi… Okay, I swear I’m stopping now. But seriously, trust me.

My only warning is that there are only two seasons, clocking in at 12 episodes total. Which is good for those afraid of commitment, but sad for those who (like me) would have loved more.

Where: Amazon & UKTV (UK); Acorn, Tubi, and more (US)

Rec 2
The Little Drummer Girl (TV)

Hello, it’s me, sucker for John Le Carré adaptations. Now make it a female-led John Le Carré adaptation, directed by the great Park Chan-wook, set across Europe in the late 1970s, with Florence Pugh in one of her breakout roles – and also starring Alexander Skarsgard and Michael Shannon.

Most Le Carré is about jaded, unhappy men wrestling with the consequences of their actions and the psychological toll of being a spy. Even as a book, The Little Drummer Girl is different. Apparently the story was at least partly inspired by the author’s sister, rather than himself and the men he worked with. In this case, it’s a story about an idealistic young woman who gets manipulated into the world of spies. As much as I enjoy the spy thrillers about jaded, unhappy men, it’s refreshing to have them be the supporting characters here and instead focus on a young woman fighting for control of her identity and her place in the world.

Fair warning: This 2018 AMC/BBC limited series is a slow-burn psychological thriller underneath the plot of a twisty geopolitical spy thriller. If you’re looking for fast-paced spy fare, go for Slow Horses (which will no doubt be a rec once the new season is out, btw). Little Drummer Girl takes its time, using its gorgeous visuals (no, seriously, it’s stunning) and killer performances (did you see that cast list?) to weave its web and build the tension. It’s one of those series where I found myself torn between my need to know what happens and my desire to revel in the experience.

Where: BBC iPlayer (UK), AMC+ (US)

Rec 3
Giri/Haji (TV)

Kenzo, a haunted Japanese detective, comes to London to find his supposedly dead brother before the Yakuza does. If you’re a crime thriller fan, I imagine you’re already queuing it up based on that pitch alone.

This 2019 BBC crime thriller limited series is dark, twisty, and weird – simultaneously tense and funny. It has more depth and nuance than it needs to – than most crime thrillers ever both with. It also has possibly Justin Long’s greatest performance as a rich kid wannabe gangster. Will Sharpe (now best known for White Lotus s2) has his breakout role as a smartass London sex worker. Kelly Macdonald (also of Boardwalk Empire) is charismatic as ever (if a bit underused) as the London detective that Kenzo is paired with. And the cinematography – in both the UK and Japan – is absolutely beautiful.

When it came out, the show was especially notable for how it was set between Japan and the UK, and in both languages. The BBC isn’t usually known for splashing out on that kind of a production budget. They also aren’t known for getting quite as weird as the show gets. I’m glad they did, though, because it paid off. I actually don’t think everything about Giri/Haji works. But it’s such a big swing that even the stuff that doesn’t work is so much more interesting and exciting than most of what’s out there. And that, to me, makes it worth it.

Where: Netflix

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