Im Schatten der Götter

This is one of the best adaptation of Sidney Sheldon's books. It's fast, exciting, great locales, appealing characters and enjoyable from start to finish.

This is Smith's first foray in this genre. Her on-screen chemistry with "Mr.Cool" himself, Robert Wagner is one of the reasons why this miniseries works.

An all star cast miniseries.

Jaclyn Smith plays a professor tapped to be the next United States Ambassador to Roumania. But who is behind it? The stiff new president or a secret international cabal out to destroy detente?

After a personal tragedy she accepts the post and has several problems, including her shady, uncouth chief of staff, Slade (Robert Wagner). Which side of the street does he play?

The miniseries is slow to get rolling (I've never read a Sheldon novel, so I don't know how he paces his books).

The worst thing about the miniseries is its dated quality. Many TV shows and movies about American-Soviet relations through the 1980s try to emphasize equality between them for better relations, all the while the USSR was crumbling under the weight of its vicious autocracy. Knowing all we know now about the USSR it looks like wanting better relations with the Nazis. Except, the Soviets lacked the panache. And Iron Curtain Roumania was under the Soviet thumb.

Frankly, I tend to agree with swaths of the new Ambassador's philosophies, having long advocated open borders for trade even with antagonistic blocs, both because I'm a thoroughgoing Capitalist and, like Smith's character, know that the partners in free and fair trade don't go to war with one another (Peace Through Capitalism).

But those who disagree with her include extremists on both sides who want a worse understanding between people. So if the secret group is trying to thwart her plans, why do they seem to support her nomination?

Something in all this doesn't smell right, and Smith has to sniff it out. But whom can she trust to help?

This started out life as a two part miniseries. Jaclyn smith is professor mary ashley. She's written books in eastern bloc diplomacy. So the president finally convinces her to be the ambassador to romania. It's novel from sidney sheldon! Mostly pretty low budget. We spend a lot of time on an assassin and his wife, before they have anything to do with our story. In romania, it takes a while to get her office in order. It isn't clear who is on her side, and who is working against her. Her own assistant mister slade seems to have his own secrets. And then the "accidents" start happening. Co-stars robert wagner, ian mckellen its pretty low budget. Too bad they couldn't get helen mirren to play the ambassador. Directed by lee philips.

Ok, I *may* have seen this on tv when it first aired, and if I did I *may* have liked it. I do like many of the actors involved. But watching it now in 2022 it's terrible.

My first impression was about the music. Worst. "Music." Ever. Then I decided to lookup what year it was made - 1988 - as it really feels like it was the late seventies; not in clothing styles nor anything else obviously seventies, but just how it feels.

Again, coming at it from 2022 it's just sooo unbelievably plotted that it's nearly unwatchable. Add to that that it's on streaming platform Freevee with poorly placed commercials every few minutes and it becomes entirely unwatchable.

Avoid this made-for-tv pablum from a bygone era.