According to this report in Variety magazine, the BBC has signed an agreement with Sid Gentle films to adapt SS-GB into a five-part, BBC One thriller.
Reportedly at the helm are two writers from the recent Bond adaptations, which is a sign of the probable quality of any screenplay and of the likelihood of the reasonably advanced progress already made on this adaptation. With what can be achieved through CGI in re-creating long-lost London, this should be worth watching.
Indeed, there remains no further substantive news of the other major Deighton story adaptation, that of the Game, Set and Match triple trilogy by Clerkenwell Films, announced just under a year ago.
Of interest, check out author Mike Ripley's review of SS-GB in his Shotsmag Confidential blog, highlighting the classic thriller genre.
Well, I certainly hope that comes off.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the writers will attempt to explain why in the universe of SS-GB the Germans won the Battle of Britain, achieved sufficient air superiority over the channel to subdue the Royal Navy and thus got their invasion onto the British mainland.
Long range tanks fitted to those Bf109s perhaps? :)
Terry - mistakenly deleted your further comment. Please add up again.
DeleteIf you have another QA session with Len maybe you can ask him what he had in mind for the reason Germany was able to invade (in SS-GB). The Battle of Britain was lost but why? What tipped the scales in the Luftwaffe's favour? I suspect Len had some specific thing in mind but there wasn't an opportunity to express it in the novel.
DeleteSure, I'll put it to him at some point when we're doing another (I hope) Q&A
DeleteNotwithstanding the Bond writers, I cannot see SS-GB attracting many younger viewers, may be some in my vintage age bracket. May not matter for the BBC though which has enough money thanks to our license fee which is increasing each year.
ReplyDeleteSSGB relevance in 2014: Seeing the post war Germany holding its powerful sway in Europe-Kohl achieving what he wanted from the European integration to integration of the 2 Germanies - ignoring Thatcher who was still under the delusion that GB had strong say, and now looking at Merkel rejecting GB's suggestion of EU reforms, immigration caps etc.. etc..and according to Der Spiegel just asking Britain to leave the EU, I wonder SS-GB is of much relevance these days as without SS-GB legacy, Germany is doing fine in these days making GB powerless in terms of its mighty manufacturing sector and EU politics. If there is this contemporaneous tail piece, the younger generation could be persuaded to get interested.
The German TV audience seems to have a huge appetite for 'krimis'. Sunday's Tatort is a national institution with police detectives working in all the major German cities. Other krimis play in Venice and Istanbul. 20th century period shows are popular. SS-GB could tick a few boxes with German TV.
ReplyDeleteWether the German TV audience could handle an alternate history that saw a defeated Britain and life in an occupied country as fiction is another thing.
Who could play Douglas, Harry and the beautiful American woman?