Reilly, Ace of Spies


Reilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 British television programme dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian-born adventurer who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the United Kingdom and the British Empire. Among his exploits, in the early 20th century, were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of the Bolsheviks in 1918. His reputation with women was as legendary as his genius for espionage.
The series was written by Troy Kennedy Martin, and based on the 1967 book Ace of Spies by Robin Bruce Lockhart, whose father R. H. Bruce Lockhart was one of Reilly's fellow spies. Sam Neill stars as the eponymous character. The theme music is the romance movement from Dmitri Shostakovich's The Gadfly Suite, though Shostakovich is not actually credited.

Episodes

There are 12 episodes, each approximately 50 minutes in length, except Episode 1, which is approximately 80 minutes). The DVD set Thames/Freemantle) includes a 22-minute "documentary examination into what really happened".

Cast

Critical reception

In a 1984 review for The New York Times, John Corry wrote, "much of 'Reilly' is eminently watchable simply because it is eminently watchable." He praised the production and Sam Neill's performance and summarized "a mixed bag of pleasures, but it's worth dropping in on, if not in whole, then at least in part."

Awards

Costume designer Elizabeth Waller was nominated for a 1984 British Academy Television Craft Award for best costume design for the series, and editors Edward Marnier and Ralph Sheldon won the BAFTA TV Craft award for Best Film Editor.

Home media

The series was issued on Region 1 DVD by A&E Home Entertainment, under licence from THAMES International, talkbackTHAMES and FremantleMedia Ltd on 22 February 2005.