SS-GB

England, 1941. Germany, having successfully invaded in 1940, is now in control of the UK. The SS now run the country but for general law and order they rely on the British Police. One such policeman is Superintendent Douglas Archer (Sam Riley), a famed Scotland Yard detective. Archer walks a thin line, as his job requires him to work closely with the despised SS, the vanguard of Nazi fascism. To some this makes him a traitor. An English resistance movement exists but Archer believes that resistance is futile and will only lead to further bloodshed. Then a murder case draws him into the struggle, and into a plot of international proportions.

A decent whodunnit, alternate history and espionage drama, all rolled into one. Based on a novel by Len Deighton, there is a fair amount of intrigue and the whole "What if?"" scenario of Germany conquering the UK is interesting too.

Not entirely compelling though. Not everything makes sense, some things feel contrived, there are inaccuracies and inconsistencies which make the script and direction feel a bit loose and the ending (of Season 1) is a bit of a let-down.

Overall: intriguing enough, but feels a bit flat in the end. Hopefully there is a second season, as Season 1 feels a bit up-in- the-air. I was under the impression that this is a mini series though, which doesn't bode well for us that want some sort of closure to the story.

SS-GB gives us a new taste for gritty British 1940's drama in this TV-adaptation of the novel by Len Deighton. Featuring impressive acting by the entire cast, especially Lars Eidinger as Standartenführer Huth, the show exemplifies BBC drama at its best. With much of the show left open to interpretation and the show ending on a rather inconclusive note it is no surprise that some critics complain about not being spoon-fed every aspect of the show. However, if this should be taken seriously as a criticism is doubtful. All in all, I can definitely recommend this show to anyone who enjoys a really gritty atmosphere and some goose-stepping.

Side note: It is so rare that TV-shows from outside of Germany employ actual German actors to play German characters. It was very enjoyable to not have to listen to terrible accents and instead actors who can actually speak German well.

Incredible TV show! I watched all the episodes and I really enjoyed them all. Sam Riley is incredible as Douglas Archer. Smart dialogues, the characters are great and is a great drama. So stylish! SS-GB deserves to have more success. And this final?! What happened with Douglas? I hope it will have a second season. Please BBC give us five more episodes!

I have read the book about 10 times,I am a fan of the writer,Len Deighton,he is a World War 2 nut and obsessed by detail,which seems to be unpopular nowadays.

I admit it was a difficult first episode,the plot is not clear at the moment but I hope people will stick with it,I am sure it will grow on us. If people are expecting a fast paced thriller they will be disappointed but I think it will turn out to be a quality production. No plot spoilers but Deighton is a World War 2 expert who has upset some people by pointing out facts from 1939-1941 that some people want to ignore or forget. I did not have any problem with the so called mumbling,I would have liked more pace but I really don't understand why people are being so negative about this production. As for the constant comparisons with The Man In The High Castle,I know that book and it is based on history,unlike SS-GB.

I liked man in the Man in the High Castle, although a lot of the time you are spoon fed the concepts and told what's going on more by pointless dialog and not by a simple matter of deduction. SS-GB is nothing like the Man in The High Castle, as far as I'm concerned, that's Sci-Fi and SS-GB is fiction. And I admit that I was put off thinking its UK version of the above and some pretty bad reviews. I should have ignored them, because after watching the first episode I had to binge on the next 2. SS-GB is dark and gritty, it's what I would expect of a UK based crime thriller. No fast car chases .. well there might be later, no 1000 bullet magazines or bar brawls. I could smell the "Big Smoke's", War Time atmosphere because the sets where so convincing. The pace was fine the tension build up was perfect, the dynamics between the characters great. The story and concept are an excellent piece of "What if", so I'm astounded by so much negativity about this series. What I have found is that all my friends over the age of 30 really enjoyed it and it's become a talking point during socialising. However below that age, it seems to need a lot of explanation, as in "Were the SS the German police?" etc., although Sam Riley's character made a good attempt of trying to explain the differences. And all this "Douglas Archer", mumbled a lot, total tosh! Stop watching it on your phone on the tube and appreciate the surround sound and glorious HD on a decent TV.