My wife recently downloaded this as a box set and watching it again reconfirms my belief that this is the most important television drama of the decade.Inevitably given its subject, there are bound to be those who do not agree with or accept its premise, the plot, the direction, the acting etc etc.They are simply wrong and angry that it does not confirm their own preconceptions rather than judging it on its merits.It is an interpretation of events from one point of view and there could and should be others. It is nonetheless gut wrenchingly effective, emotionally compelling, well scripted, brilliantly acted and directed.So much TV drama in recent years is anodyne, politically neutered, action packed hokum or crime led escapism. This is the antidote, challenging and compelling.The Promise is a remarkable and memorable work of art that happens to be television drama. Nothing is ever perfect and there is a clear directorial stance (or bias, if you prefer) but it has huge ambition and succeeds triumphantly on its own terms while carrying a mighty punch.Find it, watch it and decide for yourself.

It was an amazing series with an emotional ending.The Series was talking about the British Mandate, and how the Zionist enter to Palestine (Arabian Land) and how they robbed the land by force and arms.The strength point which we have seen in this series that the Palestinian territories are stolen every day and Zionist territory is expanding from generation to another.I was enjoying watching the movie and it reflects the true picture of the situation in Palestine.I recommend this movie to all who wants to see the truth.

This mini series has a great plot. The parallel stories of Erin and Len Matthews are told in a really convincing way, with enlightening comparisons between the situation of Israel in 1946-1948 and today. I personally did not know much about the role of the British army in the couple of years prior to the creation of the State of Israel, and so I found Len's journey particularly interesting. The film is very didactic and is thus accessible to people who are not too familiar with the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict. My only disappointment was the way Erin's character turns into a caricature in episodes 3 to 4. Her stubbornness and lack of respect for the lives of others make her really irritating. She puts other peoples' lives at risk multiple times and her behaviour is so reckless, despite her rather hazy motives, that it becomes unbelievable at times. Other than that, a very enjoyable series.

Most Americans are most likely unfamiliar with the creation of Israel after WW II. This series offers some historical perspective to what is usually seen as a single point of view: Jewish refugees trying to establish a homeland after surviving the Nazi death camps (the good); the Arabs (Palestinians) trying to keep them out (the bad); and the British troops trying to maintain a tenuous peace (the ugly). As usual, the real story is various shades of grey. This series is presented somewhat through the eyes of Erin Matthews, a twenty year old who is spending part of her gap year--year between finishing what we think of as high school and starting college--with her friend Eliza who is a British Jew who returns to Israel to begin her national service. Erin discovers before leaving England her grandfather's diary which tells his story as a sergeant in the British army serving in Palestine during the 1940's. The story moves back and forth between the story of her grandfather, Len Matthews, and her experiences in Israel as she reads and tries to follow through on his story as related in the diary. In this telling it is made clear that the Jewish refugees are intent on creating a homeland regardless of the cost in life to the Palestinians or British troops. As a result, Len Matthews who began his service in sympathy with the Jews finds his feelings change as a result of his experiences. And Erin also finds that in the present day the assumptions she has been brought up with are now being challenged by experience. I personally found Len's story quite compelling and in part due to the fine acting of Christian Cooke as Len; and while Erin's story is also arresting, Claire Foy's Erin is a somewhat irritating and an unsympathetic character. Almost obnoxious. However, the large cast does an excellent job and there is no way you can watch one segment of the series and not feel compelled to watch the subsequent episodes. While I find the story well balanced in trying to show the larger picture, I am sure some will be upset to find that the Israelis are not depicted as the completely good guy underdogs of history. But if you want a better understanding of the current unrest in the Middle East then this is both an entreating and illuminating series.