Game of Thrones now only second most interesting show on TV.

[Josephus]

I saw the Brit original years and years ago on masterpiece theatre (well, not the original, but the sequel - Final Cut I think it was called).  Marvelous stuff.  But I have very few hopes that US cable can do it justice.

But it's not even US cable. It's a video streaming service.

[Viking]

I saw the Brit original years and years ago on masterpiece theatre (well, not the original, but the sequel - Final Cut I think it was called).  Marvelous stuff.  But I have very few hopes that US cable can do it justice.

There were three

A House of Cards
To Play the King
The Final Cut

[MadImmortalMan]

I wonder how it will work not set in the parliamentary environment. Our struggle for party leadership is a lot different in character than the sort of wheeling and dealing that happens there.

[Viking]

I wonder how it will work not set in the parliamentary environment. Our struggle for party leadership is a lot different in character than the sort of wheeling and dealing that happens there.

I suppose they might run the story during an extended primary.

[Sheilbh]

I wonder how it will work not set in the parliamentary environment. Our struggle for party leadership is a lot different in character than the sort of wheeling and dealing that happens there.

How so?

[Sheilbh]

Watching it again on Lovefilm.  One thing that I hadn't thought of but would probably be difficult for an American series to do is how blatantly political it is.  These are Tories.  The main characters play into all sort of Tory tropes and stereotypes - the novels were written by a former advisor to Maggie so he knew what he was talking about.

I can't imagine an American TV show being so blatantly about Republican or Democrat - which I think it needs to be.  Though I could be pleasantly surprised with that cast and director.  I do hope Spacey gets to say 'you may think that.  I couldn't possibly comment.

[CountDeMoney]

Watching it again on Lovefilm.  One thing that I hadn't thought of but would probably be difficult for an American series to do is how blatantly political it is.  These are Tories.  The main characters play into all sort of Tory tropes and stereotypes - the novels were written by a former advisor to Maggie so he knew what he was talking about.

I can't imagine an American TV show being so blatantly about Republican or Democrat - which I think it needs to be.  Though I could be pleasantly surprised with that cast and director.  I do hope Spacey gets to say 'you may think that.  I couldn't possibly comment.

Oh, I'm pretty sure they can get some tropes and stereotypes out of Republicans and Democrats.  Hell, the live ones do it now.

[Admiral Yi]

To be honest I think given how soon after Iraq is it's batting above average for good films.

Green Zone: stupid.

War Inc.: their retard goes up to 11.

The Hurt Locker: good.

[Sheilbh]

Oh, I'm pretty sure they can get some tropes and stereotypes out of Republicans and Democrats.  Hell, the live ones do it now.

But I mean whether they're willing to actually do that instead of seeping the politics out of it so he could be party whip of either party trying to climb to the top.

Yi.  Also good: Turtles Can Fly, the Messenger.  If you include documentaries: The Control Room, Iraq in Fragments.

[Fate]

To be honest I think given how soon after Iraq is it's batting above average for good films.

Green Zone: stupid.

War Inc.: their retard goes up to 11.

The Hurt Locker: good.

It's not a movie, but HBO's Generation Kill was excellent.

[Viking]

Watching it again on Lovefilm.  One thing that I hadn't thought of but would probably be difficult for an American series to do is how blatantly political it is.  These are Tories.  The main characters play into all sort of Tory tropes and stereotypes - the novels were written by a former advisor to Maggie so he knew what he was talking about.

I can't imagine an American TV show being so blatantly about Republican or Democrat - which I think it needs to be.  Though I could be pleasantly surprised with that cast and director.  I do hope Spacey gets to say 'you may think that.  I couldn't possibly comment.

"I couldn't possibly comment"

The drama also introduced and popularised[3] the phrase: "You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment." It was used by Urquhart whenever he could not be seen to agree with a question, with the emphasis on either the 'I' or the 'possibly' depending on the situation. The phrase was even quoted in the House of Commons following the series.[3] A variation on the phrase was written into Terry Pratchett's Hogfather for Death, voiced by Richardson. A further variation was used by Nicola Murray, a fictional government minister, in the third series finale of The Thick of It.

The Genius of A house of Cards was, among other things, to have a blatantly partisan character look straight into the camer and tell the viewer that the viewer voted for this and is now getting it. In one sense using the fact that the viewer probably did vote for maggie at some point to make the viewer his accomplace. US politics doesn't have a figure comparable to Michael Foot; well, it does but none of them became party leader.

The willing submission to the will of Francis Urqhart by multiple characters is made belivable by the viewer's own willing submission to him.

The more I think about this the more impossible the task of making this seems to me.

[Sheilbh]

I disagree that they need that Maggieness.  I think the books are actually first of all trying to imagine a post-Maggie world and secondly making a story of John Major's benighted existence.

But I think the key to making it work is all the Shakespeare quotes.  It's a Shakespearean story.  Who'll rule the Kingdom now the old, strong King's gone?  Urquhart doesn't need the tacit approval of voters to work as a character, he's like Iago or Richard III he makes the viewer complicit.  You're sat watching half horrified and half willing them on like the best Shakespearean villain.  So it all depends on the central performance.  Luckily Kevin Spacey's a great actor and I think he's played both Iago and Richard III.  I can imagine him looking straight at the viewer and, slightly, smiling as the leader praises him for his loyalty.