The fifty-fourth TV show: #291 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Usually when you talk about spy stories, you think about James Bond. Action, explosions and excitement. Even less ostentatious series focus on that angle.
Of course, real spy work doesn't work that way - it would be way too visible and unnecessarily complex, and I'm sure that once we get to shows like The Americans, we'll see a more realistic approach.
When Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starts, it has some actions elements. Fifteen minutes in, however, the character set up as the main character (if you go in blind, not knowing Alec Guinness is the lead) is killed in a big action scene and we go to focus on George Smiley, Alec Guinness's character, as he tries to find out who the Soviet mole is in the British intelligence agency.
This is the point where I, of course, have to remind myself this was during the height of the cold war, where so much more espionage was necessary, and I was reminded to read up on number stations as an example of something that focused so much on the era.
This is all done through conversation, mind tricks and investigation. no action, but a lot of older white British men sitting around trying to work this out. Sad, perhaps, but of its time. The way it approaches it becomes quite interesting - some of the early episodes sag a bit, with a lot of names being mentioned and facts thrown out as it narrows down a bit. Once they can zoom in on the specifics, however, it becomes an engaging watch. It definately relies on your keeping up with the story, but can be quite rewarding once you do.
I can't see this being made the same way even now - I suspect the movie has its differences there - but the deliberate pace works well to show how the process works and create a slightly more tense atmosphere. Often not much music is used, relying just on the sounds of the environment. A decent setup for a mini series, though not without its flaws.