A Very British Coup

Harry the Steelworker... it could have happened... discontent was growing with Maggie and her ilk. Where would be now? I for one would have voted for Harry.. totally believable in almost every respect, including the scenes with our American "friends". Harry could be as hard as steel (excuse the pun) but his heart was totally in the right place. Ray McAnnaly was born to play this role. And the musical score... what more could be said... I believe it won a major (well deserved) reward.. and quite rightly so...

This must rank as one of the best Dramas in British Television History. I have no hesitation in calling this a classic. Totally deserved.

Ray McInally stars in a three-part miniseries, "A Very British Coup," from 1988.

The story is set in the 1990s, when the Conservatives are ousted from power by Labour, and the new Prime Minister, Harry Perkins (McInally) is one of the common folk, a steelworker and union organizer. One of the common folk, but no dummy. He plain-speaking, down to earth, and his heartfelt speeches and ambitions for the country are met with a large mandate from the public. The Conservatives, of course, are miserable. Harry for one thing isn't part of the good old boy network, and his socialist policies are viewed as disturbing. The other side, the Establishment, goes to work with the help of MI5, the CIA, and the tabloids, to bring him to his knees.

Excellent three-parter done with a wonderful performance by McInally, who died shortly after this. His character displays both political and street smarts, as well as a sense of humor and a keen understanding of how he is viewed by the Establishment.

Very, very enjoyable, and could easily have been filmed a day ago. That's one thing about films and TV shows about politics going back to the classic film days -- it seems that nothing has changed in the world of political chicanery.

A British Channel 4 mini-series, and one of the finest political thrillers ever made. From the first shot of the opening titles, a molotov cocktail striking the ground in front of Big Ben, this film moves with breathtaking speed and energy, and is guaranteed to push the emotional buttons of any political junkie.

It is sometime in the early 90s, and the Conservatives have been tossed out of power by the Labour Party in a landslide- not led by Tony Blair, but by a charismatic and unapologetically socialist steelworker and union organizer, Harry Perkins. Ray McInally plays the canny, unpretentious Yorkshireman to perfection. The vultures of the upper-class Establishment, the gutter media, the MI5 and the CIA gather to try to undermine Perkins' effective and popular government.

The show is witty, fast-paced, and deliciously paranoid. Acting, dialogue and editing (almost MTV-like compared to the usual sober pace of British TV dramas) come together perfectly. Even if the cold-war setting is a bit outdated and even if you don't share the film's left-wing politics, you will be moved to man the barricades by the time the last chilling image fades.

This film deserves video revival, as a true masterpiece of television craft. Search the web regularly for re-releases- you won't be sorry!

I'd like to think that this isn't particularly credible, but, allowing for that, this is a well made and gratifying piece of television drama.

It's all built around a towering performance from Ray McAnally, who simply doesn't put a foot wrong. The blend of kindness and steel we see in his portrayal of Harry Perkins is perfect. He is ably supported by a cast of British stalwarts, of whom Keith Allen and Marjorie Yates deserve special mention.

Whatever your politics, it's impossible not to be swept along in the sheer exhilaration of the opening twenty minutes or so as Perkins wins a landslide victory in a General Election and becomes Prime Minister at the head of a radical Labour government. After that, the pleasure comes mainly in some clever scripting and interesting use of Mozart's music.

The conclusion is pleasingly ambiguous. Too many dramas these days wrap up everything neatly, giving us nothing to think about. That's not the case here.

Excellent effort all round then. Rating: 8/10.

"A Very British Coup" was a turning point in my life. Aged about 18 and having spent much of that time in Mrs Thatcher's Britain, this mini-series illustrated what might have happened had a Michael Foot, Tony Benn or a Ken Livingstone been elected Prime Minister.

Ken Livingstone wrote a book called "If Voting Changed Anything They'd Abolish It". Harry Perkins the new socialist British Prime Minister, like all the best idealists fighting a hopeless cause, simply doesn't know when he is beaten, or rather he chooses to carry on regardless of the storm clouds looming.

Shortly after his election he receives the traditional congratulatory phone call from the US president. A formal script is placed in his hands which he refuses to follow much to everyone's consternation and the scene is set.

The Americans cannot risk losing control of their huge static aircraft carrier off the coast of France (it used to be called the UK). Big Business tries to starve the Perkins government of funds. Harry responds brilliantly surviving on low cunning and simple honesty in this capitalistic, high-brow, dishonest world.

There is no way his government can survive, it will not be allowed. There are dark forces gathering......