Mr. Palfrey of Westminster: Complete Collection

John le Carré's coolly dispassionate George Smiley, rather than Ian Fleming's flamboyant James Bond, would seem to have been the model for the title figure in this Thames Television series, in which Alec McCowen plays the titular British intelligence service's chief counter-espionage expert, a man whose pleasantly ordinary demeanor conceals an exceptionally penetrating mind. In the 10 episodes that comprised the series run from 1984–85, Palfrey must deal with cases in which either his own colleagues are suspected of being double agents for the Soviets, or he must test the reliability of Russian defectors. In one instance, Palfrey is even called upon to defuse a potential scandal when a British operative who previously fled to Moscow reappears in London—threatening to reveal secrets that would embarrass both sides—while another storyline finds him ordered to suppress the publication of material that could cause political problems. McCowen makes the cerebral Palfrey a likable eccentric, especially in regards to his relationship with his new boss (Caroline Blakiston), a prim and rigorous woman clearly meant to remind viewers of Margaret Thatcher. Clive Wood offers solid support as the more practical assistant forced upon Palfrey. The cleverly convoluted Mr. Palfrey of Westminster makes one nostalgic for Cold War skullduggery—at least in its fictional form. Recommended. (F. Swietek)