SS-GB - TV Review

The BBC gave us some new Drama SS-GB set in 1941 London, Nazi Germany London. After losing the Battle of Britain and the invasion the Germans where now in control. An interesting premise so I was up for an hours viewing.

Being the BBC social media was awash with criticism of 'mumbling' what has become the norm for all BBC drama these days. But I was having no problem.

The story picks up 14 months after the invasion and centres on Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer (Sam Riley). A Spitfire lands on the Mall flown by a famous Nazi pilot who is killed by a lone resistance fighter. In the background, we later see a bombed out Buckingham Palace.

We find Archer having morning naughty’s with his girlfriend/secretary in an apartment of an important Nazi official. A phone call sees him off to investigate a murder at an antiques shop. From the first look around the living quarters of the shop, the murdered man seems to have a profitable sideline in the black market. Archer also makes the discovery of a link to the resistance.

He also encounters an American Journalist Barbara Barge (Kate Bosworth) at the antique shop who he spied through an upstairs window she was not hard to miss in dreary London wearing such bright clothes. An obvious love interest for Archer.

Back at the office, he is order to see his over boss a German who informs him that he will now be working with an SS Officer Dr. Oskar Huth (Lars Eidinger). He is in London to push forward some kind of plan that may or may not have something to do with the murder at the antique shop.

His wife is dead and he lives with his son, a woman, and her son, wife of a POW, she looks after his son and is a housekeeper for him.

His girlfriend/secretary is with the resistance telling Archer his partner Sergeant Harry Woods is also resistance. Added to all this is the fact that one of the resistance leaders — a one-armed man — has taken an interest in Archer and has placed himself within easy striking distance of Archer’s son. Which sees Archer rushing off to stop the man from getting to his son by the close of the episode.

This first episode set the scene brilliantly. I was impress with the period costumes, the production values are top notch, and I will be watching next Sunday. Well worth a punt if you missed it via the iPlayer.