Sleepers

The most amusing mini-series about the end of the Cold War to be done in 20 years!

In 1966, an ambitious Soviet agent sends two sleepers (spies who infiltrate a country and do not act until they receive their activation code-word) to England on an undisclosed mission. Unbeknownst to the agents, their controller is imprisoned during an official purge, and they never receive their activation code! Now, 25 years later, the records of the mission have been unearthed but the agents are nowhere to be found--or, at least, that's the way they want it! One is a wealthy stockbroker, the other a married brewery worker with three children!

Perhaps the funniest scene is when the KGB agent-in-residence-in-London, Victor Chekhov (David Calder) is confiding in the situation to his British counterpart (William Chubb). Both men are mooning over how dull the spy world has become, compared to the past. "Yeah," says Chekhov, wistfully, "remember the Good Old Days?"

Bear in mind, this is not a slam-bang action series, but a touching human comedy. The sleeper agents are two men who until now have been happy with their lives. But now, with their buried pasts starting to catch up to them, they have to decide what to do. It's humorous, and at the same time ironic because it's really a story about how change comes to all things.

This has everything: comedy, suspense, brilliant acting, and first-rate direction. Why on earth isn't it on video? It's a ten. Notice especially the casting. Marvelous. Nothing this good has appeared since on the tube!

Loved this mini series and unfortunately do not have a good tape of it. Does anyone know if it is available anywhere on DVD or VHS--it should be! one of the best ever from BBC shown on US PBS. I thought the casting, plot, and mix of humor and serious jabs at the warriors of the cold war was great. With all the crud out on DVD it is hard to believe that this is not available somewhere somehow for purchase. I saw it years ago, has it been re-broadcast more recently on any PBS stations, or does BBC America re-run it ever? Now that WETA Radio in DC has sold out and gone totally "news" and talk there is a desperate need for good entertainment like this mini series. I have searched for years and would greatly appreciate any help in procuring a copy of this somehow.

Some serious Cold War subjects are explored in the context of a comedy of errors. This movie is a delightful blend of clever comedy, slapstick, suspense, romance and a sobering surprise ending. It offers intelligent dialogue, ideal casting, thoroughly engaging characters, and an intriguing plotline that never flags. I highly recommend it. And if it EVER comes out on VHS/DVD, I will snatch it up in a flash for my collection.

More than a decade after its first airing on "Masterpiece Theatre," I still pull out my copy of "Sleepers" to watch once a year or so.

"Sleepers" has it all: wonderfully witty, satiric commentary on post-Cold War politics; superb acting by Nigel Havers & Warren Clarke & Company, in turns farcical, funny, & poignant; a script that pokes fun at the Yanks, the Brits, the Soviets, & all of our cultures simultaneously. It's a travesty that it's never surfaced on video or DVD, & that it got a mere passing mention in the recent "Masterpiece Theatre" anniversary book. "Sleepers" is one of the finest, & unfortunately most overlooked, installments of the "Masterpiece Theatre" series.

Now if you'll excuse me, Episodes 3 & 4 are cued up in the VCR & awaiting my return to the sofa....