The Sandbaggers

I can't remember how I managed to stumble across this series a good many years ago now, but somehow - and I still haven't been able to work out just how - it managed to hook me almost instantly. There is so much subterfuge, nasty, backroom dealings and internal politics going on and plain intrigue that it hardly matters that there's almost no real action in this series. Virtually everything goes on in the offices of the Sandbagger unit and there's not even very much outdoor camera work, so I suspect this series was made on an incredibly cheap budget, but the scripts are good, the plots are believable, the acting is excellent when you consider that these guys are spies who are not meant to betray too much emotion, and the tension is constant. Good British psychological drama.

If you love this show, and there's no reason why you shouldn't, don't despair that only three seasons (about 18 episodes) were made. The Sandbaggers continues in more modern-day missions in the comic book "Queen and Country," by Greg Rucka. Now there's no Burnside or Willie, but it's pure Sandbaggers. Apparently Rucka was a huge fan of the show and wanted to continue the idea of a realistic special operations unit, where paper-pushing is more prevelant than gun fights and no one -- NO ONE -- is safe. I'm pretty sure you can find the books on Amazon.

This is probably the best TV series I have ever seen.

I also accidently stumbled upon the series while watching PBS. It caught my attention and I could not quit watching. My favorite episodes are "Decision by Committee" and "Who Needs Enemies". I particularly liked Burnside's dedication to his principles and also, the dedication of his fellow Sandbaggers to him. Anyone who admires the theme of "competence versus political influence" will enjoy this series. Glad to see that all of the series is now available on DVD.

This show is incredible. The first episodes were slo0w and I thought that there was a paucity of skilled writing re: some imaginative thinking but OH HOW WRONG I WAS. The writing is SPOT-ON and the plot moves on at a parlimentary pace....each carefully-made move thought and re-thought and analyzed until it had a soul of it's own and finally...the pieces begin to fall into place....like a well made jigsaw and reveal the underlying plots and sub-plots that make up a good.....no...GREAT...political spy thriller. I would say this is BY FAR....the finest and best written series of it's kind that I have EVER seen.....bar none! Don't miss this if you have a chance to see it and don't be put off by the first few episodes....it'll soon have you wrapped up in intrigue like no other show you've ever viewed.

Brilliant series : well-written and well-performed. Sophisticated plots that didn't strain credulity and rarely ended up neatly resolved. The best spy/international intrigue series ever produced, in my book.