By coincidence, I read Len Deighton's novel only a few weeks before discovering that it had been dramatised by the BBC, so the plot and characters were fresh as I watched SS-GB. Overall, I think it is an effective drama (I'm not concerned with the 'Mumblegate' that has surrounded the series) with a number of strong performances, especially those of Lars Eidinger as Oskar Huth and Maeve Dermody as Sylvia (whose role is nicely expanded upon in comparison to the novel). Yes, Sam Riley is a little on the young side to fully convince as 'Archer of the Yard', but he does provide a stylish presence, and it would be good to see more of the character. Fundamentally, the concept is an imaginative one, however the reality of a Nazi-occupied Britain does not quite come off due to obvious budget restrictions, as such, the scale and social impact of the German military presence is never really fully established or effectively visualised. Furthermore, the series really needed an extra episode as the plot strands (the atomic research base attack and the freeing of the King) rather abruptly come to a crux. However, by adding some revisions to Deighton's plot, the series does leave the way open for further Archer adventures, which hopefully will appear in the near-future

A serial very well done. Plays faithful era atmosphere, the characters are strong and convincing. Action is conducted clever and plausible and the suspense is a good quality. It is a serious competitor for The Man in the High Castle. It is, in my opinion, obvious proof that to make a good movie, it takes much more than stars, endless battles and special effects. It takes intelligence and passion.

It is 1941 but not the 1941 that our history records; in this 1941 London is occupied by German forces as in this alternate history they were victorious in the Battle of Britain. Churchill is dead, the King is incarcerated in the Tower of London, there is a resistance but most Londoners appear to be just struggling to get on with their lives.One such person is Police Inspector Douglas Archer; he works alongside the Germans investigating the ordinary crimes that inevitably continue to happen. When a man is found murdered he soon finds himself in a dangerous situation; the Germans are very keen to have the case solved as soon as possible. Archer is soon caught up in a power struggle between his boss Gruppenführer Fritz Kellerman and SS Standartenführer, Oskar Huth who comes from Berlin to take over the investigation… clearly this is no ordinary case. Before it is over Archer will uncover a plan that could ultimately help bring the Americans into the war and liberate Britain… will his loyalty be to his country or to his German masters?When I saw this advertised I was a little unsure about the whole 'alternate history' idea but once I started watching I was soon gripped and thought the premise actually worked very well. There was a nice ambiguity about many characters; most notably Archer himself. At first it appears that he is just a collaborator working for the Germans but then it seems more likely that he is just investigating ordinary crimes that would need solving whoever was running the country… inevitably he is eventually shown to be a 'good guy' as he gets involved in a plot to get the King out of the country. The series features a decent number of twists as some real surprises. There is a decent amount of action but not too much… this is essentially a character led drama. Sam Riley Impresses as Archer and is ably supported by a cast that includes Rainer Bock as Kellerman; Lars Eidinger as Huth; James Cosmo, as Archer's sergeant Harry Woods and Kate Bosworth, who plays American reporter Barbara Barga. The series has a good 'wartime look' with the sight of damaged buildings, including Buckingham Palace and a general drabness. The series ended with plenty of issues unresolved so hopefully there will be another series telling us what happens next.

What to make of SS GB? There's are a lot that's familiar here and a little that's more exotic. First off the familiar. This series shares a lot in common with films like Casablanca. A sleuth, a mysterious woman and a conspiracy of sorts, set against the backdrop of Nazi occupation.The feel of the series, I believe, quite intentionally tries to capture the atmosphere of this era of film. The detective is a sophisticated type, well educated and debonair in a very 40's kind of way. The blonde love interest, mysterious and stylish. Its all quite calculated and in a superficial way, it works. The exotic comes in the form of an alternate history, where the Germans win the Battle of Britain and occupy the country. Its a novel idea but not that novel. After all, The Man in the High Castle, takes a similar premise. The real question is does all of this amount to much? I'd say this series is partially successful. The relationship between the SS and the UK police detective, is a little predictable and the overriding conspiracies need something more. Tying to snatch the King out of the clutches of the SS and spirit him away to safety is not really all that interesting. There's a degree of tiresome elitism about the premise, that's not terribly appealing. There's a nuclear conspiracy thing going on too, that is a little more promising. As it stands an interesting watch. Lets see where it goes. Seven out of ten from me.