The Americans

Author
Discussion

Smollet

10,596 posts

190 months

Saturday 9th June 2018
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Very good series with solid acting all along. Frank Langella and Margo Martindale very good and very dark. I’m surprised it never received more accolades. Arguably up there with the West Wing and The Sopranos. I will miss it.

willy wombat

915 posts

148 months

Saturday 9th June 2018
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Indeed. What a programme of that quality was doing stuck away on ITV4, heavens knows, particularly when you look at the c**p that fills most of the main channels a lot of the time. I don't think it was ever really an ITV programme - if it had been on Channel Four (like, for example, Homeland) I think it would have been a hit.

willy wombat

915 posts

148 months

Saturday 9th June 2018
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Indeed. What a programme of that quality was doing stuck away on ITV4, heavens knows, particularly when you look at the c**p that fills most of the main channels a lot of the time. I don't think it was ever really an ITV programme - if it had been on Channel Four (like, for example, Homeland) I think it would have been a hit.

gareth_r

5,732 posts

237 months

Saturday 9th June 2018
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willy wombat said:
Indeed. What a programme of that quality was doing stuck away on ITV4, heavens knows, particularly when you look at the c**p that fills most of the main channels a lot of the time. I don't think it was ever really an ITV programme - if it had been on Channel Four (like, for example, Homeland) I think it would have been a hit.
Three series were on ITV Encore, and that channel had such good viewing figures that it closed last month.

Edited by gareth_r on Saturday 9th June 23:05

jurbie

2,343 posts

201 months

Saturday 9th June 2018
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ITV really didn't know what to do with this, the first two seasons were on the main ITV channel before they dropped it. It looked like that was it for a UK broadcaster but then ITV decided to give it another go on ITV Encore. This final season moved from a 10pm slot to a midnight slot half way through the season and it wasn't even advertised that it was coming back.

Apart from ITV's failings it was a great series and actually quite sad to see it go as I think it still had plenty of mileage but at least the writer knew it was coming and were able to end the story properly. I think there are a few seasons on Amazon so I might rewatch it from the start as I definitely think it's one of those show which will benefit from repeated viewing.

Brother D

3,720 posts

176 months

Sunday 10th June 2018
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What a fantastic series. So glad it didn't go down the normal American path of 20 series long until it died. For the adult cast it was an amazing ensemble, with cracking performances. Sad it finished but pretty much perfect ending.

Leonard Stanley

3,688 posts

104 months

Tuesday 12th June 2018
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Sad it’s gone too. I know they throw a lot of $$$ at it, but the yanks really do make great tv when they put their minds to it.

I thought the ending was perfectly judged, not ‘neat’ and full of open questions.

For me though, I loved the cinematography (sp? whatever) , that grey / brown filter on everything, a really smoky and convincing 80s feel to it. Much tougher than just filming in some undeveloped areas and digging out some old cars.

Great, great series.

Leonard Stanley

3,688 posts

104 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
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Oh yes, and 'Brothers in Arms' - great choice.. Had completely forgotten about Dire Straights. I hated them at the time, total 'Dad music'. Now I'm a Dad, they seem to work.

AshVX220

5,929 posts

190 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Now you've all finished it I can add my 2p. I thought it was an amazing episode and had both of us being slightly affected by dust. What an awful position for Stan to be in, who knows if his gf is KGB or not! When they played "Brothers in Arms" it fit so well with the relationship between Stan and Philip.

Awesome series and I'll miss it. I did however hear there may be a spin-off of the show, so we may get more similar stuff. Unless they do a poor job of it and just milk it for all it's worth.

RicksAlfas

13,403 posts

244 months

Monday 25th June 2018
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Just finished it at the weekend. It's been brilliant, and as others have said, goodness knows why it got buried away in the listings like it did. I loved the attention to detail as it moved through the 80s.

What does Stan do now about Renee?! eek

Gavia

7,627 posts

91 months

Thursday 2nd August 2018
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Nice little nod to The Americans in Sneaky Pete when Martha & Claudia meet, albeit as different characters in Marjorie & Audrey

LeoSayer

7,307 posts

244 months

Wednesday 9th August 2023
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Resurrecting an old thread because this series is now available for free streaming on Channel 4.

I can now finish the series after Amazon changed it to PPV whilst I was watching it.

The jiffle king

6,914 posts

258 months

Wednesday 9th August 2023
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Thats what happened to us... Amazon is so frustrating at times
Thanks for posting that its on C4 now

colonel c

7,890 posts

239 months

Thursday 10th August 2023
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Got to be one of the most underrated TV series.

biggbn

23,386 posts

220 months

Thursday 10th August 2023
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I didn't take to it, was just missing something.