MovieChat Forums > The Sandbaggers (1978) Discussion > How did you discover The Sandbaggers?

How did you discover The Sandbaggers?

posted 9 years ago by marckreienbrink
6 replies | jump to latest

How did you discover The Sandbaggers? Share your story here.

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Around 1992 or 1993, I checked out a recommended book from the Barstow Library. It was John le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I loved it because it was realistic: minimal action, an intricate plot, and well-developed main characters. The main character, George Smiley, wasn't a Superman, but a good man with noble intent and plenty of weaknesses. A friend of mine from one of my college classes saw the book and offered to lend me a copy of the miniseries on videotape. I watched it and fell in love with it. The same friend loaned me the Smiley's People miniseries, which I also loved. After that, I read everything John le Carre wrote which involved George Smiley.

Sometime around 2005 or 2006, I looked up both of the aforementioned miniseries on the Internet. One of the articles mentioned The Sandbaggers. I paid no attention to it, but the name did stick in the back of my mind.

In late 2010, I read that the Tinker Tailor... movie was due to be released in Jan 2011 so I looked online for some articles about it. Several of the articles or comments at the bottom mentioned The Sandbaggers, with the show being recommended to "fans of George Smiley". I started researching The Sandbaggers and it sounded like a TV show I would love. I ordered the boxed set (red box, containing all 20 episodes) immediately. I also discovered the Ops Room site and the old Sandbaggers mailing list.

I took a day of leave and watched a bunch of the episodes. I've been hooked ever since. It's one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

[–] Rz2010 9 years ago

I remember the name from my childhood, as my mother watched at least one episode. Never thought about it again until sometime in the 90's when Granada Plus started showing it every day. I got hooked almost straight away. Years later I bought the DVDs when they were released, which confirmed that the series was as good as I remembered. I went back and re-watched them a few weeks ago, then came to find the IMDb board to see if anyone else was as blown away by the series as I was.

Incidentally, the BBC's adaptation of Tinker, Tailor... is one of my favourite miniseries of all time.

[–] Maddyclassicfilms 9 years ago

I was watching something else on YouTube a few months ago and The Sandbaggers popped up as a suggested next video to watch. I had never heard of this series before and decided to watch it.

I loved it and having now watched the entire series I wish this would get repeated on TV, it's filled with fascinating characters, brilliant performances and is one of the best series about spies ever made in my opinion.

Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

[–] combatreview 9 years ago

For what it's worth - and you may well already have considered this - the first two series of Spooks appear to have been influenced by The Sandbaggers... though sadly that gets left behind fast and from series 3 onwards the show transforms into something very much more unsubtle.

[–] marsgal42 8 years ago

A recommendation from Amazon. Many of these have panned out really well.

[–] IamtheProphetChuck 8 years ago

Recommended in the back of a comic book issue of Queen and Country by Greg Rucka, and later by another comic book writer (Ed Brubaker-my favorite). Decided it was exactly what I was looking for and it did not disappoint.

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(")_(")world domination

[–] marktayloruk (2378) 3 months ago

It was on TV and I came across it.