It's hard to get much better than Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The classic 1979 British spy drama, which came to DVD October 25, is one of the best of the genre ever put to film. As such, a lot of burden rests on its sequel, Smiley's People, to live up to its predecessor.
It's an impossible undertaking, and understandably, Smiley's People is nowhere as riveting as its predecessor. Most of the great cast of characters from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are no longer present, and the story is much less rivetingly simple. However, Smiley's People proves itself to be quite intriguing by the end of its first episode, though the mystery is approached in a different way. While the goal of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- to find the mole in British Intelligence -- was established early on in the miniseries, it takes quite a while for us to really discover what Smiley is supposed to be looking for in Smiley's People. Once we do, though, the story gains momentum rather quickly. I'd compare Smiley's People to AMC's short-lived espionage thriller Rubicon.
Alec Guinness (Star Wars) reprises his role as Smiley in this six-episode miniseries as well, and is naturally a joy to watch as the quietly stern retired spy. Patrick Stewart also appears in the series, reprising the role of Karla, which he had also played in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Believe it or not, Stewart's silent portrayal of the character is so believable (or I'm so unobservant) that I didn't recognize Stewart at all when watching TTSS, and only recognized him in Smiley's People because his name was on the box.
The set, on DVD from Acorn Media October 25, contains all six episodes of the miniseries on three discs. Special features are spare save for a twenty-minute interview with author John le Carre, who penned the book the series was adapted from. An insert in the DVD case features a glossary of terms and characters from the series as well.
If you liked Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, then Smiley's People is certainly the miniseries for you. It's inferior to its predecessor, though it would have been difficult not to be. While it doesn't have the recognizable name like TTSS, Smiley's People is still a great work of British drama.
