The Consultant

After admiring Hywel Bennett in Tinker Tailor miniseries, I really enjoyed seeing him do this very accurate and intriguing movie. Wish the BBC made it available...my videotape only had part of it! The depiction of ignorant bosses trying to secure a system and thereby leaving it open to all sorts of cons and scams is no longer shocking,but as a computer programmer faced daily with ridiculous requests for secured systems, I really appreciated this program. Hywel is very convincing as a consultant, his sweaty face may be just glycerin but he sure is convincing as a techie trying to look suave. It reminds me of early IBMers and those Oracle techies....

I last watched the series over 20 years ago (PBS broadcast), and was intrigued in the plot, which illustrated a technique that was not dissimilar to those used in real life to defraud the banking industry. I had read of many different 'scams' which had occurred in the early days of computing (no security existed, since there were so few computers, and the 'security thru obscurity' method was the only safe-keeper). If you had 'any' knowledge at all about a system, and the process used by a firm (and 'physical' access to boot) the opportunity to manipulate the system for profit was not difficult.

The added 'twist' to this series is what raises it above one which just deals with the identification of the 'scam', and presents the main character as a darker and more cunning person than you'd first realize.

Most will find it 'dated', seeing the 'green-bar' paper and the techniques used (they bring back lots of memories for me, though I don't remember seeing any punch cards in the film).

I'm hoping the series will appear on DVD, but feel that younger viewers may not appreciate the concept of the plot as those who lived during that period, and were involved in the early days of computer technology (and how it was implemented in business).

I'd been recommended this by a friend and had no luck finding it anywhere. It is a bit dated and some of the acting is iffy, but the actual plot is excellent. All four episodes are on YouTube and definitely available outside the UK and probably there too. Enjoy!

I saw this on A&E when they actually broadcast arts and entertainment. I have not seen it since, and almost suspect it may have been squashed by the powers-to-be as it really could inspire others to pull off the same stunts. I would say it is as relevant today as when it was made. The protagonist rivals Jimmy McNulty when it comes to moral ambiguity. ;-) The other part that I liked is that no character is completely clean. Eventually they all reveal a chink in their integrity armor which makes them complicit in the crime. In a way it is similar to The Shield where the writing is so good that it confuses right and wrong and we often find ourselves rooting for the criminals.

I saw this program years ago and greatly enjoyed it. The twists in the plot are definitely twisty. A viewer is never quite sure what will happen next. Of course, this is not Citizen Kane, but it is TV well done, British-style. A viewer has to be willing to let the plot evolve at its own pace; in my mind, this is typical of British dramas and thrillers. The acting is also quite good. Hywell Bennett is excellent to the extent that I almost wanted to root for his, at best, sleazy character. I don't know if anyone will ever have a chance to see this again, but if you find it is showing on some obscure channel, it's worth the investment of time and attention.