The Night Manager - Anyone looking forward to it?

[AdriftOnMemoryBliss]

I'm not familiar with the story, but the trailers for it look awesome.

I can't see anything with both Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston in, as well as Olivia Colman being bad, can you?

True, thegirlonthelanding - though the pool did look lovely! If it was heated it could make a nice end to the day.

Interesting to see tom hollander play a highly unpleasant character - it makes quite a change from rev!

I think swimming after a few glasses of champagne was the least of the blonde's problems.

Just loving this.
I am avoiding doing housework by watching it now on the iPlayer.
All lead characters are great.
So good to see Hugh Laurie playing a baddy.

Who is Sophie playing in Spin?

I'm sure Russell T can't be the actual British ambassador either. If he is, he's tragically miscast. He looks about 17 and his accent is not posh enough.

The hotel in Switzerland was not quite top-notch, I didn't think; not like the Cairo one. Cheap and nasty plastic curtain thing by the outdoor pool, and one of those institutional doors with wire in the glass. Is the idea that Jonathan Pine has chosen to come down in the world slightly, to get away from the bad memories of Cairo?

I can't quite buy Hugh L as 'the worst man in the world', but I liked (if that's the right word) the scenes when he and his gang arrived at the hotel. Dripping with entitlement and bullying left over from public school, the lot of them, particularly Tom Hollander (who can't be any more than about five foot three). I think that explains why they didn't cut up the SIM cards; they can't even imagine anything going wrong for them.

Hiddleston is a bit weak-chinned and weasel-faced and receding of hairline but he has a beautiful body. I wouldn't say no, to be honest. I know that's a relief, Tom.

He wasn't the ambassador, I can't exactly remember what they called him but I think it was along the lines of 'station officer'.

Hiddleston is a bit weak-chinned and weasel-faced - how very dare you! ;)

Snoop, that's good news about the Russell Tovey character!

Sorry about the Tom comment.

Russell T was the ' 2nd man' something something wasn't he?
I love Russell. Not his fault that society is so establishment that he stands out for being normal, vs Toms Hi. and Ho., Hugh L and Olive C, all of whom are ex - Cambridge.

Nope, I'm not buying Hugh as the worst man in the world yet either. Maybe it will come, and he will drip evil?

I must admit it's strange seeing Russell play someone posh but that's probably the fault of casting directors.

I like Russell too, but he just doesn't ring true in this role. In the context of this series, his character SHOULD be part of the establishment, because diplomats etc generally are; and they look, behave and sound like it. He just doesn't.

I'm not saying I think that's OK, but it does make him stick out like a sore thumb, especially against Tom H who, as an ex-soldier, is presumably meant to be, what, middle-class at most, but who just DOES have that public-school aura.

I don't think Russell stood out for being normal. He stood out for me because he looked about 12. Especially in the scene where he was in his bathrobe in his fancy shmancy office. He looked like a schoolboy who'd broken into the headmaster's office.

I like Russell, just don't think he fitted the part.

It was both for me, squoosh; too young and too not-posh!

Actually, an old friend of mine was a diplomat as was her fiance and he was from Glasgow and she wasn't posh. The 'modern' govt is a bit more inclusive these days, I think. And they were in their late twenties I think, at the time?

Anyway, I digress! Tom is just utterly perfect and Hugh was horrible in the hotel lobby scene - really unpleasant. Olivia was fab as always. But for a 'top flight' swiss hotel, they had the most ridiculously teeny tiny rubbish bins I'd ever seen. My bins at home are bigger than that!

And Tom doesn't have a weak chin. he doesn't, he doesn't he doesn't!

I didn't know Hugh Laurie had a bald spot.

Hmm - I haven't really seen Russell in anything except Sherlock, where he played a very wealthy and reasonably posh bloke. I agree that he doesn't have that top public school air about him, but surely a good actor should be able to pull that off. He was ok, bit too young-looking though I was too busy looking at Tom H to notice him much . If I'm not careful I shall develop a TH crush as bad as my BC one when Sherlock was on. I am clearly a sucker for emotionally unavailable, svelte public school types in expensive suits.

I loved this , not usually a fan of these sorts of dramas but I thought the acting was amazing - I thought him going from noisy , hot , crazy and dangerous Cairo to cold , safe and v quiet Switzerland was a way to get away all the craziness , I agree the hotel didn't seem quite 5 star. I also didn't quite believe he would have slept with her and left the hotel like he did . It's brilliant though - I really enjoyed it.

I am clearly a sucker for emotionally unavailable, svelte public school types in expensive suits.

Best to avoid the House of Commons in that case. Your hormones will go into overdrive

Nonetheless, in a le Carre production I sort of expect the diplomats to be old-school and posh, and I think it strikes a bum note that this one isn't. He also did seem too young and just wrong; I don't doubt that there are young diplomats, but I just couldn't buy him as one.

Olivia C being not-totally-cut-glass was great though, and very convincing.

Queenie, he didn't sleep with her at the hotel but at the house out of town; and he didn't leave –he was making eggs or something the next morning. Or is that not what you're talking about? Maybe I missed something (generally do in anything with a remotely twisty set-up or plot).

'Hiddleston is a bit weak-chinned and weasel-faced '

I agree - not really getting all the 'heart throb' fuss

Hugh Laurie was really quite chilling. Russell did indeed look about 12. Olivia is fab in everything. I quite enjoyed it overall, looking forward to the next episode

OnlyLovers your username made me think you were a TH fan - or do you just like Jarmusch? As buff as TH is here, I think I marginally prefer him as a vampire...

Actually, I know a young state-educated diplomat based in Cairo, so Tovey is probably not too far off the mark.

I am a fan of Tom's work, absolutely, and yes, I love that film although am agnostic about Jarmusch generally. He's wonderful as Loki too, and in Joanna Hogg's films.

I did say earlier here, too, that I wouldn't turn him down, for which I'm sure he's grateful. But I do at the same time think he's a bit odd-looking...

I'm not fussed by Tom's looks but I have a feeling he's so suave and charming that 20 mins after meeting him you'd be discreetly (okay maybe not so discreetly) using one hand to wrestle your own knickers off and throw them over your shoulder.

Or maybe that's just me.

I'd never take my knickers off for Benedict though.

I have some standards.