'Masterpiece' BBC adaptation of 1993 crime novel is named 'best series ever' - on iPlayer

A beloved BBC drama is set to return to our screens nearly ten years on from its release. The Night Manager is a British spy thriller television serial based on the 1993 novel of the same name by John le Carré and adapted by David Farr. The six-part first series was directed by Susanne Bier and stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, David Harewood and Elizabeth Debicki. It began broadcasting on BBC One in February 2016 and has since been sold internationally to more than 180 countries.

Alongside this, The Night Manager was nominated for thirty-six awards and of which it won eleven, including two Primetime Emmy Awards (for director Bier and music composer Victor Reyes) and three Golden Globe Awards (for Hiddleston, Colman, and Laurie).

In 2023, an Indian adaptation was released, starring Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sobhita Dhulipala. Following this, in April 2024, The Night Manager was excitingly renewed for a second and third series by BBC One and Amazon Prime Video, with Hiddleston confirmed to reprise his role and Georgi Banks-Davies directing. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Olivia Colman and Alistair Petrie would also be returning as Angela Burr and "Sandy" Langbourne, respectively, late last year.

The series synopsis reads: "Based on John le Carré's novel of the same name, "The Night Manager" is a crime drama following the work of former British soldier Jonathan Pine. Hotel night porter Pine is contacted by an intelligence operative who asks for his assistance to spy on international businessman Richard Roper. The entrepreneur is believed to have forged a criminal alliance between the secret arms trade and the intelligence community, prompting the need for surveillance. Pine attempts to infiltrate Roper's inner circle by becoming a felon himself, while keeping his mission a secret from his hotel colleagues and girlfriend."

One fan of the series described it as a "masterpiece" in their Google review, with another billing it the "best miniseries I've ever watched".

"From start to finish, perhaps the best show ever made," added a third.

Another viewer said: "Absolutely excellent! Superb cinematography and very good acting. I knew only Olivia Colman before watching it, but every one of the cast does a superb job. There are enough twists and turns to keep our interest for 6 episodes. The heroes are close to reality and not supermen and superwomen who submit all their opponents in every battle."

The Night Manager is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.