The Undeclared War

Mark Rylance is exemplary in this, as always.

I can't help but feel as though it was a little unfinished... Perhaps it's me, I thought the ending needed to be more clear cut.

On the day that work experience student, Saara, joins GCHQ, The Russians launch a cyber attack on The UK.

Every so often Channel 4 releases a drama that makes you pause and think, a few years ago that happened with Blackout, the same happened here, a what if scenario that leaves you feeling a little unnerved, the idea that events could actually happen.

Well produced, well acted, it moves along nicely, it's a deep story with several stands, all of which tied together neatly. The variety is great too, episode three in particular is so unique.

I thought the acting in general was excellent, the standout for me had to be Mark Rylance, he wasn't in it a great deal, but he was outstanding. Nice to see Simon Pegg in a serious role, he did a good job. Adrian Lester felt underused.

There are a few flaws, Saara's on work experience, she has a very political boyfriend, and yet roams freely around GCHQ, as if she has top level clearance, that did feel a little too far fetched.

Overall, a truly interesting and thought provoking watch, bravo Channel 4, 8/10.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series, 8/10.

First of all, this series did not strike me as being particularly 'woke', nor did I witness any aspect of the series that remotely resembled 'leftist propaganda'. This is a show that depicts politicians and GCHQ staff who don't all happen to be male and white. Some are, some aren't. That's all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the writers seem to have made a genuine effort to avoid political or ideological bias altogether. At its heart, it is very much a character-driven story that doesn't concern itself with hidden agendas.

Be that as it may, 'The Undeclared War' is a Mini-Series not without it's flaws. A few instances of below par acting and the occasional minor plot hole prevents it from making its ascension into the very top tier of television, but it ultimately succeeds in achieving what it intends to achieve - telling a story as nuanced as it is engaging, whilst borrowing just enough source material from the political reality we all know well to present itself as a compelling and thought-provoking warning call to us all.

Even in light of its flaws, 'The Undeclared War' most certainly achieves what it intends to achieve. It doesn't quite achieve what it promised to achieve, however. It doesn't work quite as hard as say, the BBC's 'Years & Years' did, to hook its audience with the type of emotional depth and innovative dynamism that leaves their tears destined to fall and their jaws destined to drop. Nevertheless, its carefully developed storyline, sharp dialogue, and explosive plot twists ensure that it still achieves just enough to merit a solid 7/10 rating.

This series divides opinion, but is well worth trying. The stop-start pacing with regular diversions to fill in blocks of background is a common gripe. In that sense if you liked Ozarks (we did) perhaps you will like the pacing, However, it all moves along quite nicely regardless.

Our main criticism would be a British Prime Minster who is completely unbelievable and GCHQ itself, which I imagine will have actual staff hopping about in frustration at the unflattering portrayal.

Not a classic, a bit wokey, but pretty good and very watchable if you find it works for you. Suggest ignore the somewhat dire comments of some and judge for yourself. You only need to watch one episode to weigh it up, which is pretty handy.

Let me start by saying that I admire Peter Kosminsky's work. Wolf Hall garnered much praise and I thought that The Promise was one of the best things I have ever seen on television. So I had very high expectations of this series.

By that benchmark this was a disappointment. Yet the storyline is ingenious, depicting terrifying events that might just be plausible and certainly act as a timely warning in this world of fake news and cyber warfare. So why the disappointment? I have a few quibbles, such as the sudden ending and the self-blame by the main character ringing false. But in reality it is because I wanted to watch a series that merited a score of 10, not a 7!

I will hope for something truely outstanding from Mr Kosminsky with his next venture ....