Game, Set and Match
| Game, Set and Match | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on |
Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match by Len Deighton |
| Written by | John Howlett |
| Directed by | Ken Grieve, Patrick Lau |
| Starring |
Ian Holm Michael Culver Michael Degen Mel Martin Gottfried John Anthony Bate |
| Theme music composer | Richard Harvey |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English, German |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Armstrong |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Granada Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 3 October – 19 December 1988 |
| Game, Set and Match | |
|---|---|
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| Soundtrack album by Richard Harvey | |
| Released | 1988 |
| Genre | Television score |
| Label | Chrysalis |
| Producer | Richard Harvey |
Game, Set and Match is a 1988 television serial directed by Ken Grieve and Patrick Lau and written by John Howlett. It is based on the books Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match by Len Deighton. 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 was nominated for a BAFTA award for his portrayal of Bernard Samson.
It was aired in 1989 in the United States as part of the PBS show Mystery!.
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 Verner Volkmann's wife Zena as bait. After it appears another traitor is working at London Central, Samson himself becomes one of the prime suspects.
Clifford Terry, writing for the Chicago Tribune, 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 his review for The New York Times, 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.
The soundtrack by Richard Harvey 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.
All songs by Richard Harvey.
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Wikipedia