TV Review: To Play the King (1993)

To Play the King (1993) written by Andrew Davies from the novel by Michael Dobbs and directed by Paul Seed

Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) has had less joy lately as Prime Minister of England (see him scheming his way into office in the first series). He has no worthy political rivals and he is haunted by the death of Mattie Storin (Susannah Haker). A new king (Michael Kitchen) comes to the throne. He wants to help the homeless and fix problems with the environment. The king does not want to be just a mouthpiece; he wants to see real action on the issues. Urquhart does not want to work on those issues. They come into conflict with the king proving to be the worthy rival Urquhart wants. Urquhart thinks he can handle the situation (i.e. put the king in his place) but the king is quite forceful and insistent while not stepping over the line of royal authority in a constitutional monarchy. The king is the rival that Urquhart deserves. Urquhart hatches various schemes, including the announcement of a General Election, while the king uses his position as a bully pulpit to appeal to the more compassionate nature of the general population. 

The plot has a lot of similarities to the first series--various blackmail schemes, political intrigues, and a young professional woman (Kitty Aldridge played by Sarah Harding) who assists and becomes enamored of Urquhart. Kitty is a pollster who is very intelligent. She becomes a media advisor to Urquhart, helping him maneuver around the king and the opposition party. She also becomes his lover, leading her to find out more about Mattie which naturally creates more tension. The ending was a little too formulaic and unbelievable for me. Even so, the acting and the rest of the writing are top notch and I will be watching the final series, The Final Cut. 

Mildly recommended.

This is available streaming on Hoopla, a service available from my local library (and maybe yours too?). 

TV Review: House of Cards (1990)

House of Cards (1990) written by Andrew Davies from the novel by Michael Dobbs and directed by Paul Seed

Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) is the conservative party's Chief Whip, meaning he is well connected to other politicians and is adept at dealing in the background with problems and opportunities. When he is passed over for promotion by the Prime Minister (David Lyon), Urquhart puts his skills to use to unseat the PM and get himself moved into the position. He has the dirt on several people and is able to create a scandal involving the PM's brother, an unreliable but thoroughly inoffensive fellow. Urquhart develops a new, useful connection--a young and ambitious reported named Mattie Storin (Susannah Haker) who is enamored of Urquhart. She is very loyal to him, but will her investigation into the scandal upset his carefully laid plans?

Urquhart is like Shakespeare's Richard III in many ways. The primary way is his monologues to the camera/audience, where he explains what is going on or gives wry commentary (though sometimes he just throws knowing glances). He even has a catch phrase that's entered popular culture, "You might well think that, I couldn't possibly comment," much like "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse." Like King Richard, he is a master political manipulator, using everyone while pretending to be loyal, devoted, and unambitious. He successfully deflects suspicion onto other people, discrediting other potential rivals for PM. At one point, he event mentions Richard III to his wife (Diane Fletcher), who plays the supportive Lady MacBeth. The only two things Urquhart does not have are royal blood and a hunchback.

The story is engagingly dramatic. Viewers are tempted to root for Urquhart, who is a brilliant man, but cannot possibly condone his conniving behavior. His ability to put on a pleasant, friendly face is unnerving and fascinating, like a car wreck on the roadside. It's so hard to look away. Soon enough, viewers root for his downfall, to see that flaw that will trip him up. Is he skillful enough to avoid the comeuppance he deserves?

Highly recommended--this is a first class political thriller, smart as a whip, or even as the Whip it portrays! The political corruption is pretty bad (there's a bit of on-screen sex, drugs, and murder), so this is not a show for kids, or the feint of heart.