''Game, Set and Match'' is a 1988

television serial In television and radio programming, a serial is a show that has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the complete run of ...

directed by

Ken Grieve Kenneth Alan Grieve (17 March 1942 – 15 November 2016) was a Scottish television director. Originally a cameraman, he moved into directing and began his career with '' Coronation Street''. Early life and education Grieve was born and brought ...

and Patrick Lau and written by John Howlett. It is based on the books ''

Berlin Game ''Berlin Game'' is a 1983 spy novel by Len Deighton. It is the first novel in the first of three trilogies about Bernard Samson, a middle-aged and somewhat jaded intelligence officer working for the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). '' ...

'' (1983), '' Mexico Set'' (1984), and ''

London Match ''London Match'' is a 1985 spy novel by Len Deighton, concluding the first of three trilogies about Bernard Samson, a middle-aged and somewhat jaded intelligence officer working for the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ''London Match'' ...

'' (1985) by

Len Deighton Leonard Cyril Deighton (; born 18 February 1929) is a British author. His publications have included cookery books, history and military history, but he is best known for his spy novels. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Fo ...

. The two directors worked separately on different episodes. Filmed on location in Berlin and Mexico, the project included a large international cast with 3,000 extras and a budget of $8 million. While critically acclaimed, the ratings for the series were a disaster.

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, ...

was nominated for a

BAFTA award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

for his portrayal of Bernard Samson. It was aired in 1989 in the United States as part of the PBS show ''

Mystery! ''Mystery!'' (also written ''MYSTERY!'') is a television anthology series produced by WGBH Boston for PBS in the United States. The series was created as a mystery, police and crime drama spin-off of the already established PBS show ''Masterpi ...

Plot synopsis

The series focuses on Bernard Samson (Ian Holm), beginning with his search for the "mole" that threatens the Brahms Network in East Germany. Samson is sent to Berlin to bring out a Brahms agent. He is then sent to Mexico to try to persuade a KGB major (Gottfried John) to defect, using his childhood friend Werner Volkmann's wife Zena as bait. After it appears another traitor is working at London Central, Samson himself becomes one of the prime suspects.

Cast

as Bernard Samson *

Mel Martin Mel Martin (born March 1947) is an English actress. Early life Her father was the artist Frank Vernon Martin, who died in 2005. Career Her breakthrough role was as the star of LWT's ''Love For Lydia'' (1977), adapted from the novel by H E B ...

as Fiona Samson *

Michael Culver Michael Culver (born 16 June 1938) is an English actor. He was born in Hampstead, London, the son of actor Roland Culver and casting director Daphne Rye. He was educated at Gresham's School. Actor Culver's aunt, father, mother and brother a ...

as Dicky Cruyer *

Michael Degen Michael Degen (31 January 1928 – 9 April 2022) was a German-Israeli actor, in film and theatre, as well as a theatre director and writer. Early life Born in Chemnitz as the younger son of Jewish parents, Degen survived the Holocaust in Berli ...

as Werner Volkmann *

Gottfried John Gottfried John (; 29 August 1942 – 1 September 2014) was a German stage, screen, and voice actor. A long-time collaborator of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, John appeared in nine of the filmmaker's projects between 1975 and 1981, the year befor ...

as Eric Stinnes *

Anthony Bate Anthony Bate (31 August 1927 – 19 June 2012) was an English actor. He is possibly best known for his role as Oliver Lacon in the BBC television adaptations of the John le Carré novels ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and ''Smiley's People'' and ...

as Bret Renssalaer * Frederick Treves as Frank Harrington *

Amanda Donohoe Amanda Donohoe (born 29 June 1962) is an English actress. She first came to attention as a 16-year-old living with pop singer Adam Ant, appearing in the music videos for the Adam and the Ants singles "Antmusic" (1980) and "Stand and Deliver" ( ...

as Gloria Kent * Hugh Fraser as Giles Trent *Gail Harrison as Tessa Kozinski *

Gary Whelan Gary Whelan (born 1953) is an Irish actor, known for his work on British television. Early life Whelan was born in Ireland but he relocated to London when he was ten years old. He then attended Holloway School.Alan MacNaughtan Alan MacNaughtan (4 March 1920 – 29 August 2002) was a Scottish actor, born in Bearsden, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. He was educated at the Glasgow Academy, trained at RADA, and graduated in 1940 with the Bancroft Gold Medal. An experienc ...

as Sir Henry Clevemore DG *

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

as Silas Gaunt *

Peter Vaughan Peter Vaughan (born Peter Ewart Ohm; 4 April 1923 – 6 December 2016) was an English character actor known for many supporting roles in British film and television productions. He also acted extensively on the stage. He is perhaps best known ...

as David Kimber-Hutchinson *Eva Ebner as Frau Lisl Hennig *

Jeremy Child Sir Coles John Jeremy Child, 3rd Baronet (20 September 1944 – 7 March 2022) was a British actor. Early life Coles John Jeremy Child was born on 20 September 1944 in Woking, Surrey, son of Foreign Office diplomat Sir Coles John Child, 2nd B ...

as Henry Tiptree

Episodes

Reception

Clifford Terry, writing for the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'', called the series "a crackling cloak-and-dagger thriller". He noted that "the sharp direction by Kenneth Grieve and Patrick Lau and the provocative script by Howlett... comes up a winner through an assemblage of superb performances." In ''TV Week'', a supplement to ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'', Lee Winfrey praised the production, calling it a "mind-bender", and singling out

as a "mesmerizing menace", and cited Holm as "

olding The third season of ''The Crown'' follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It consists of ten episodes and was released by Netflix on 17 November 2019. Olivia Colman stars as Elizabeth, along with main cast members Tobias Menzies, He ...

things together." Conversely, in his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', John O'Connor wrote "Costly and ambitious, the 13-hour production of ''Game, Set and Match''... is a mess." He cited Ian Holm as being miscast.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack by

Richard Harvey Richard Allen Harvey (born 25 September 1953) is an English composer and musician. Originally of the mediaevalist progressive rock group Gryphon, he is best known now for his film and television soundtracks. He is also known for his guitar co ...

for ''Game, Set and Match'' was released on LP in 1988. Some of the music ("Game, Set and Match", "Goodbye Codes" and "The Cloisters of San Jacinto") was reissued in 2016 on ''Shroud for a Nightingale: The Television Drama Music of Richard Harvey''. "The Bridge" and "The End Game" are available on ''Shroud for a Nightingale: The Screen Music of Richard Harvey''.

Track list

All songs by Richard Harvey. #"Game, Set and Match" #"Wrong Side of Charlie" #"Tante Lisl - The Wings of Remembrance" #"Unter Den Linden" #"Goodbye Codes" #"Coming Home" #"The Bridge" #"Tianguis" #"Domingo's Path" #"Snakes & Ladders" #"The Cloisters of San Jacinto" #"The Hurricane Season" #"A Christmas Spy" #"A Rough Crossing" #"The Oxford Joker" #" Pulling Strings" #"The End Game"

References

External links

*
Pictures from the Granada TV production of Game Set & Match
{{Len Deighton 1988 British television series debuts 1988 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series ITV television dramas Espionage television series Television series about the Cold War Television shows based on British novels Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Granada Television English-language television shows Secret Intelligence Service in fiction