The Undeclared War

On the day that work experience student, Saara, joins GCHQ, The Russians launch a cyber attack on The UK.

Every so often Channel 4 releases a drama that makes you pause and think, a few years ago that happened with Blackout, the same happened here, a what if scenario that leaves you feeling a little unnerved, the idea that events could actually happen.

Well produced, well acted, it moves along nicely, it's a deep story with several stands, all of which tied together neatly. The variety is great too, episode three in particular is so unique.

I thought the acting in general was excellent, the standout for me had to be Mark Rylance, he wasn't in it a great deal, but he was outstanding. Nice to see Simon Pegg in a serious role, he did a good job. Adrian Lester felt underused.

There are a few flaws, Saara's on work experience, she has a very political boyfriend, and yet roams freely around GCHQ, as if she has top level clearance, that did feel a little too far fetched.

Overall, a truly interesting and thought provoking watch, bravo Channel 4, 8/10.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series, 8/10.

One of the best series I've seen! Great storyline about worldwide, government hacking and how easy it is for terrorists to infiltrate government systems. The characters are believable, the plot is fascinating and quite suspenseful. The end of episode six came far too soon and ended with a cliffhanger I sure hope Peacock continues the series with a second season.

The elephant in the room is that the subject matter of this series is very relevant and real. For those people who don't understand how the world works, this has probably flown over their collective heads. Yes, it's a drama series, but it's done very well. This is tight, clever, thought provoking writing. In today's ever changing world, it's refreshing to see something that takes chances and delivers. This definitely deserves your attention. Highly recommended.

Mark Rylance is exemplary in this, as always.

I can't help but feel as though it was a little unfinished... Perhaps it's me, I thought the ending needed to be more clear cut.

This series divides opinion, but is well worth trying. The stop-start pacing with regular diversions to fill in blocks of background is a common gripe. In that sense if you liked Ozarks (we did) perhaps you will like the pacing, However, it all moves along quite nicely regardless.

Our main criticism would be a British Prime Minster who is completely unbelievable and GCHQ itself, which I imagine will have actual staff hopping about in frustration at the unflattering portrayal.

Not a classic, a bit wokey, but pretty good and very watchable if you find it works for you. Suggest ignore the somewhat dire comments of some and judge for yourself. You only need to watch one episode to weigh it up, which is pretty handy.