Product Details

• Actors: Alex McCowen
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: September 21, 2010
• Run Time: 501 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0039ZF8BE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,410 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Unveiling covert assassinations, government cover-ups, military skullduggery, and counter-counterintelligence is all in a day's work for Mr. Palfrey of Westminster, who's part of what could be called the Internal Affairs wing of Britain's intelligence department. Played by the superb Alec McCowen (who also appeared in Frenzy, Travels with My Aunt, and Gangs of New York), Palfrey is dapper, capricious, fussy, and combative with his superiors when he doesn't get his way--but above all cunning. The great gift that McCowen brings to the role is his ability to listen; while Palfrey is patiently letting someone talk, you can practically see the clicking circuits and whirling gears in his brain, turning what could be a banal conversation into a surprisingly taut bit of suspense. In structure, the show is a detective series: Palfrey gets an assignment from the Coordinator (Caroline Blakiston, playing a sort of Margaret Thatcher in miniature) and sets to work with his assistant, Blair (Clive Wood), and secretary, Caroline (Briony McRoberts), sifting through the details and asking innocuous questions until everything falls into place. As the nine episodes of this series are from the 1980s, it's almost entirely about the Cold War, with defectors who may or may not be genuine and double agents who may or may not be passing on intelligence that may or may not be important. Half the time, it's not who or what that gets uncovered so much as why, as Palfrey blows away smokescreens and clouds of confusion. The scripts are brisk and efficient, sometimes startlingly so, yet they never lose sight of the mundanity and doggedness of most intelligence work. It's a fascinating series, particularly for fans of Graham Greene (Our Man in Havana) and John le Carré (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

"Cleverly written adventures … absorbing viewing" --Daily Star (U.K.)
"Polished and realistic" --Daily Mail (U.K.)

He describes himself as "just a civil servant." But in the cloak-and-dagger world of the British security services, mild-mannered Mr. Palfrey (Golden Globe® nominee Alec McCowen, Travels with My Aunt) is an invaluable player in the spy game. A master of counterespionage and a spy-catcher extraordinaire, he’s smart, discreet, cunning--and likes to do things his own way.

His new boss quickly realizes the talents and the dangers of the deceptively charming, utterly ruthless Palfrey. Known simply as "the Coordinator" and splendidly played by Caroline Blakiston (Brass, Scoop), she appoints an assistant (Clive Wood, Pillars of the Earth) to work with Palfrey but report back to her. As always, however, Palfrey has his own ideas.

"Alec McCowen plays [Palfrey] to perfection" (The Times, U.K.) in this stylish British spy series seen on public television and featuring guest appearances by Julian Glover (The Young Victoria), Leslie Phillips (Chancer), Richard Johnson (The Camomile Lawn), and Deborah Grant (Bergerac).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SPY VS SPY in believable situations. Suspense/Intrigue that COULD HAVE BEEN, July 25, 2010

By 

Harold Wolf "Doc" (Wells, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mr Palfrey of Westminster (DVD)

If you like watching a spy catch a spy; here's a set to own. It's created in mid 1980s when British spies used floppy disc drives, VHS tape, audiotape, and dial phones. Mr. Palfrey (Alec McCowen-'Travels with My Aunt','Victoria & Albert') is a spy-buster. A hunter of spies within. He's slick & effective--Westminster's ace. The spy activity is believable--not Hollywood super-hero, super-tech, super-action style. Palfrey was a bit stuffy in the 1st season (episodes 1-4) but eventually the dialogue gave him some quick wit adding sprinklings of humor amid the intrigue. Call it 4 1/2 stars, if you must, for age, but it's better than most 21st century spy films.

10 episodes, each about 50 minutes. SUBTITLES have been added for those who like using them. Plenty of British stars join the series as guests.

Series 1-Episode 1 ONCE YOUR CARD IS MARKED
Palfrey's surprise new boss is female, known only as the Coordinator (Caroline Blakiston-"The Forsyte Saga","Wives and Daughters","Scoop"). Palfrey must find and secure a diplomat, Mr. Springer, believed spying for Soviets. A spy or scapegoat?

1-2 THE HONEYPOT AND THE BEES
Air Vice Marshal Conyers (Richard Johnson-"The Robinsons"), defense official, & a young Czech girl disappear. The Coordinator assumes there's a supreme security risk.

1-3 THE DEFECTOR
Palfrey cautions the Coordinator about announcing a Russian author's, Volkov (Julian Glover-"The Young Victoria","Wish Me Luck") defection. Is it just a trap since the KGB gets involved? Also Yelena (Deborah Grant-"Bergerac","Crown Prosecutor"), a Russian acquaintance of Palfrey gets into the scene.

1-4 A PRESENT FROM LEIPZIG
A Russian 13th Century icon is found by the Coordinator even though never reported stolen. Why? And why is an E. German visiting a Brit industrialist?

Series 2-Episode 1 FREEDOM FROM LONGING
Blair (regular, Clive Wood-"London's Burning","Press Gang") is called in to help investigate Martina (Estelle Kohler-"The Main Chance"), a Czech woman with who he once had an affair. Is she a Russian spy? Palfrey questions Blair's involvement. Martina's breasts get exposed for a few seconds, the only reason for the box warning.

2-2 RETURN TO SENDER
Returning after defection to the Soviets, spy Rupert Styles (Leslie Phillips- "Chancer","Ruth Rendell Mysteries") is assigned to Palfrey for silencing. As always, Palfrey has his own way of doing things. Nikolai Baliev (Clive Francis-"Poldark","Sense and Sensibility","Lipstick on Your Collar")is involved. Excellent episode.

2-3 MUSIC OF A DEAD PROPHET
Palfrey is assigned to sabotage a book publication revealing a 1950's Iranian assassination. Of course it's a gov-cover-up. What to do?

2-4 OFFICIAL SECRET
Palfrey is to stop a past government man from telling the media that there are continuing double agents at work in Britain. Yelena is a defector under state protection. McNair (David Quilter-"Grange Hill","Lilies") is responsible for her safety. There is an omelet-size bit of romance.

2-5 SPYGAME
Palfrey's trailing a space engineer, Madison (David Baxt-"We'll Meet Again")that the CIA believes is spying for the Soviets. A computer connected "Star Wars" battle game leads to clues and suspects.

2-6 THE BAITED TRAP
Coordinator is tipped off by a Soviet that there is a double-agent, namely Bob Sanding (Jim Norton-"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas","Nanny"). Palfrey is assigned to check it out, even though palfrey is wary. Nikolai (2-2) rekindles contact with Coordinator, for what ends?

I apologize for the review length. There is a lot of spy story in this set.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Palfrey of Westminster, March 2, 2011

By 

John Burke - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mr Palfrey of Westminster (DVD)

This is a rather low-key spy/counter espionage series, but very enjoyable. No gun fights or bloody battles, just a thoughtful approach and success. We enjoyed it very much and look forward to more of Mr. Palfrey.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars real life spying, July 9, 2011

By 

Michael P. Dobey (colorado springs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr Palfrey of Westminster (DVD)

The acting in this show is spot on when it comes to the way things really are often in spying. Sure they are adventurous spy games but for many of them it's not so glamorous at all. Mr. P has a digny office and a boss that reminds me of maggie thatcher. The cases are realistic and unlike a field operative in a foriegn land there is little action to be had. The show moves slowly just like reality often. The plots are reallife too. Thames was a company that made shows for itv which was the bbc's main competition for many decades. Thames and all brit tv was shot on video tape and that's the case here. This continued until the late 80's when it all went to film finally.
The show is very slow and each story plods on as it would in real life at least in 1984-86. They technology is of that time and so are the cold war worries. It's interesting to remember that the terrible cold war would be over in 7 years only! Noone in 1986 could see this happening! These type of spy stories are very much real ones that had played out over and over through the decades and for people to complain about how slow they were shows that they have no REAL KNOWLEDGE of spycraft. Sure they were some gunfights and big operations but mostly men ran little ops trying to ensare the other side. A good case of this is the story of the defecting author. IS he for real?
and obviously even if he isn't it's not a huge victory for the soviets to plant a man who will later return and say the west sucks. But that is how things really were back then! Each little op was such a thing. Of course at the time of this show it was only just revealed about the evil american turncoat who was working for the soviets for money. The people who died because of him were all soviets too. In such a world of spying even little victories of any kind were tried. THis show has a bureacrat for it's lead! that's not usually done. But fans of action films or high drama who can't take slow plodding spy work , which is most of it usually , may want to avoid this one.