The One Game

Back when, I saw this on Channel 21 in New York. I didn't see the whole thing. I've been waiting for it to come out on DVD in the States. Some extremely kind person has posted it on YouTube and I was able to see it again; I loved it! Yes, perhaps technically it might have been better but not without foreknowledge of where computers were going! Yes, maybe there were a few too many beatings and 'here come the thugs again' but still, the concept and the things left to the imagination made for a memorable, nay unforgettable experience. And the music. I was already familiar with Nigel Hess' talent from the music he wrote for the Campion series at about the same time, and there are similarities. Gorgeous music. (Incidentally, Nigel Hess has a website and you can hear snippets from his scores.) This is my favorite of the Patrick Malahide performances I've seen although to tell the truth, those might be just this and Inspector Alleyn.

Finally this has got a DVD release so we can all enjoy it again. Big up to Kult TV.

You must forgive the ponderousness of it and the lack of technology but the DVD itself is presented very well with a short booklet and lovely title screens.

I would love to see this film again. It was fascinating and unique, but the involved story needed more than one viewing. The music, Sayon Dola impressed me and I bought the single. Now it has been recorded by Russell Watson on his CD The Voice.

Of course, there's no proof that the writers of the Michael Douglas film "The Game" ever saw this miniseries, (unlikely, as it was only ever shown once in a small region of the UK) but the two are sufficiently similar you can get a feel for what you're in for when you watch the One Game by comparing. The One Game, of course, came 10 years earlier, on a fraction of the budget, and seemingly disappeared having never been rerun since its original broadcast. As such it's a bit of a "lost gem" of a miniseries.

Like "The Game", it centers around a main character who is trapped in a "reality game", where there are no rules, only seemingly lethal obstacles, and not much of a hint of what the final prize, or the motivation for playing (beyond survival), really is. The two main stars turn in good performances: Stephen Dillane appears in 2004's "Arthur" in the role of Merlin, Patrick Malahide has been in a load of things including "The Long Kiss Goodnight". The twists and turns in the plot keep you guessing till the very last scene; like "The Game" you never really know what side any of the "players" are on, or how the puzzles come together, but unlike "The Game" the payoff actually makes a lot more sense, with a lot fewer plot holes having been reached along the way.

OK, it's not all good: like any cult film, particularly of that era, there's a fair amount of cheese, and some definite B-movie acting from the B-characters, such as Thorne's girlfriend, and his business partner, and an awful comic-book style "recap" before each of the 4 episodes. The sub-plot around Thorne's business doesn't quite work except in the context of exposition, which could have been done better another way. It shows its age with the computer puzzles, but then that's 1988: if you're into cult TV you'd just as easy eat all of that up and enjoy it.

On the whole though it's an enjoyable watch that deserves more attention than it got, and the good news is, it's finally been released on DVD, so maybe a few more people will get to see it now. For those interested, it's released by Contender under their Kult-TV label and can be ordered online

I saw this series when it first came out in 1988. For whatever reason, it seems never to have been repeated. It is highly enjoyable, despite many things happening that are implausible. The story involves a managing director of a successful games company being forced into playing a series of deadly games by someone from his past.'The Game' starring Michael Douglas is clearly copied from The One Game, though the makers of The Game never appear to have admitted it. The story and title are very similar: even the main character's name is similar! The One Game is darker takes itself a little more seriously than The Game. The One Game is very much of its time, and that has added to its attraction over the years, set during a period when computer games are beginning to eclipse traditional games. But as we see in the drama, there is still room for games don't play on a computer screen...