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* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Haydon can't help but chuckle the entire way through Peter's interrogation by the Circus leaders, where Guillam snarks at Alleline the entire time.
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''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Creator/AlecGuinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy.[[note]]The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.[[/note]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (Creator/PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
to:
''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Creator/AlecGuinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy.[[note]]The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.[[/note]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, UsefulNotes/MoscowCentre, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (Creator/PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Without ''The Honourable Schoolboy,'' there are some unexplained loose ends. [[spoiler: Why was Smiley forced ''back'' into retirement? Why is he willing to recruit Toby Esterhase, but not Roy Bland? What happened to Fawn?]]
to:
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Without ''The Honourable Schoolboy,'' there are some unexplained loose ends. [[spoiler: Why was Smiley forced ''back'' into retirement? Why is he willing to recruit Toby Esterhase, but not Roy Bland? What happened to Fawn?]]Fawn? And of course, what happened to Jerry Westerby?]]
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Trivia (moved)
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* {{Chiaroscuro}}: There is a lot of this. The credits sequence lists "Photography" as by Tony Pierce-Roberts, and puts his name before that of the producer.
* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists Creator/PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists Creator/PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
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* {{Chiaroscuro}}: There is a lot of this. The credits sequence lists "Photography" as by Tony Pierce-Roberts, and puts his name before that of the producer. \n* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists Creator/PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
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* DawsonCasting: Tatiana [[spoiler:Karla's Daughter]] is meant to be in her early 20's. The actress is in her early to mid 30's.
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* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[Series/HouseOfCardsUK Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[Film/HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
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* TheOtherDarrin: Peter Guillam was recast for ''Smiley's People.''
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''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Creator/AlecGuinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy.[[note]]The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.[[/note]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
to:
''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Creator/AlecGuinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy.[[note]]The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.[[/note]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), (Creator/PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
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* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
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* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists PatrickStewart Creator/PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
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namespacing
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* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[HouseOfCards Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[Film/HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
to:
* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[HouseOfCards [[Series/HouseOfCardsUK Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[Film/HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
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** Also Ricki Tarr.
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* NeckSnap: [[spoiler: Jim Prideaux]] uses the karate chop version of this to kill [[spoiler: Bill Haydon]].
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* OhCrap: After he's arrested as the mole, [[spoiler: Bill Haydon]] is unrepentant, even defiant. [[spoiler: Until Jim Prideaux, the close friend he betrayed to the Russians, shows up one night. Haydon, knowing he's about to die, is clearly rattled.]]
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Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
'''''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''''' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Alec Guinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy.[[note]]The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.[[/note]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
to:
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* NiceShoes: Smiley wears a pair of orange suede desert boots. A trait he borrowed from the real MI6 boss, who he met for lunch along with John le Carré.
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* NiceShoes: Smiley wears a pair of orange suede desert boots. A trait he Guiness borrowed from the real MI6 boss, who he met for lunch along with John le Carré.
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* NiceShoes: Smiley wears a pair of orange suede desert boots. A trait he borrowed from the real MI6 boss, who he met for lunch along with John le Carré.
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Hottip cleanup
; see thread for details.
; see thread for details.Changed line(s) 7 (click to see context) from:
'''''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''''' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Alec Guinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy. [[hottip:*:The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
to:
'''''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''''' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Alec Guinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy. [[hottip:*:The [[note]]The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.]] [[/note]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.lives.
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* WhoWatchesTheWatchmen
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* WhoWatchesTheWatchmenWhoWatchesTheWatchmen
----
----
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* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[HouseOfCards Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
to:
* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[HouseOfCards Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[HarryPotter [[Film/HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
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* BatmanGambit: Karla's plan in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''. [[spoiler:Because of the very particular way that source Merlin operates, the heads of the Circus not only don't bother searching for a mole, they actively stop others from doing the same, because they believe they're keeping their own agent safe.]]
to:
* BatmanGambit: Karla's plan in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''. [[spoiler:Because of the very particular way that source the "source" Merlin operates, the heads of the Circus not only don't bother searching for a mole, they actively stop others from doing the same, because they believe they're keeping their own agent safe.]]
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* [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [[spoiler: As Smiley finds out, both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are part of an ingenious plot between Karla and Bill Haydon to mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.]] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
to:
* [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", "Merlin", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT."Witchcraft." [[spoiler: As Smiley finds out, both MERLIN Merlin and WITCHCRAFT Witchcraft are part of an ingenious plot between Karla and Bill Haydon to mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.]] Meaning both MERLIN Merlin and WITCHCRAFT Witchcraft are... "hocus pocus".
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* BiTheWay: Connie Sachs is flirtatious with the men in the Circus, and is revealed to be in a lesbian relationship in ''Smiley's People''.
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* BiTheWay: Connie Sachs is flirtatious with the men in the Circus, and is revealed to be in a lesbian romantic relationship with a former female Circus employee in ''Smiley's People''.
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* BiTheWay: Connie Sachs is flirtatious with the men in the Circus, and is revealed to be in a lesbian relationship in ''Smiley's People''.
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* CompositeCharacter: For '''''Smiley's People'''''; Strickland is promoted to being Saul Enderby's number two and carries out all the roles that Sam Collins performed in the book.
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* CompositeCharacter: For '''''Smiley's People'''''; ''Smiley's People''; Strickland is promoted to being Saul Enderby's number two and carries out all the roles that Sam Collins performed in the book.
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* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: In the novels, the Hungarian Toby Esterhase speaks English with a noticeable but unplaceable accent. In ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'', he speaks English in impeccable Received Pronunciation.
** Averted in ''Smiley's People,'' where the character's English approaches PoirotSpeak.
** Averted in ''Smiley's People,'' where the character's English approaches PoirotSpeak.
to:
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: In the novels, the Hungarian Toby Esterhase speaks English with a noticeable but unplaceable accent. In ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'', Spy'' miniseries, he speaks English in impeccable Received Pronunciation.
** Averted in ''Smiley's People,'' where the character's English approaches PoirotSpeak. Esterhase hints that his exercise in BritishStuffiness was to belong at the Circus.
** Averted in ''Smiley's People,'' where the character's English approaches PoirotSpeak. Esterhase hints that his exercise in BritishStuffiness was to belong at the Circus.
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* [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [[spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.]] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
to:
* [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [[spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.]] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
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None
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
* [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
to:
* [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [spoiler: [[spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.] ]] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
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* {{MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename}}: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
to:
* {{MeaningfulName [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename}}: Codename]]: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
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* {{MeaningfulName Meaningful Codename}}: The Moscow source giving the supposedly indispensable intelligence to the Circus is codenamed "MERLIN", and the information he gives that is relayed to the Americans is codenamed "WITCHCRAFT." [spoiler: As Smiley finds out, it turns out both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are both part of an ingenious plot between the Soviet spymaster Karla and the mole Bill Haydon to completely mislead the Americans and to ultimately discredit the Circus.] Meaning both MERLIN and WITCHCRAFT are... "hocus pocus".
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* ThatsWhatIWouldDo: Toby works out how Jim slipped a message for Bill into the suit he'd sent to the cleaners.
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* GiveMeBackMyWallet: Bill Haydon nicks Smiley's pen after using it to sign some cheques. Having learnt his lesson from Karla and the cigarette lighter, Smiley insists he hand it back.
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* AsYouKnow: George Smiley puts out a couple of milkbottles on the steps of a safehouse, then goes inside and confirms that this is, in fact, the correct 'It's safe to come in' signal.
-->'''Peter:''' Yes George, for the second time.
-->'''Smiley:''' Is it? Well let's not pretend we're not nervous.
-->'''Peter:''' Yes George, for the second time.
-->'''Smiley:''' Is it? Well let's not pretend we're not nervous.
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* WhoWatchsTheWatchers
to:
* WhoWatchsTheWatchersWhoWatchesTheWatchmen
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* CassandraTruth: Smiley's earlier warning that there was a mole was ignored, as it was assumed that he was trying to save Control from being fired.
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* WhoWatchesTheWatchers
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* WhoWatchesTheWatchersWhoWatchsTheWatchers
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Without ''The Honourable Schoolboy,'' there are some unexplained loose ends. [[spoiler: Why was Smiley forced ''back'' into retirement? Why is he willing to recruit Toby Esterhase, but not Roy Bland? What happened to Fawn?]]
to:
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Without ''The Honourable Schoolboy,'' there are some unexplained loose ends. [[spoiler: Why was Smiley forced ''back'' into retirement? Why is he willing to recruit Toby Esterhase, but not Roy Bland? What happened to Fawn?]]Fawn?]]
* WhoWatchesTheWatchers
* WhoWatchesTheWatchers
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* VomitIndiscretionShot
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* VomitIndiscretionShotVomitIndiscretionShot: Prideaux when Smiley informs him the Czech spies he'd recruited had all been executed.
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[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Alec_Guinness_-_Smiley_4922.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:Alec Guinness as George Smiley]]
-> ''"I've got a story to tell you, it's all about spies. And if it's true, which I think it is, you boys are gonna need a whole new organisation..."''
-->-- '''Ricki Tarr''', ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''
'''''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''''' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Alec Guinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy. [[hottip:*:The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
----
!! These series provide examples of:
* BatmanGambit: Karla's plan in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''. [[spoiler:Because of the very particular way that source Merlin operates, the heads of the Circus not only don't bother searching for a mole, they actively stop others from doing the same, because they believe they're keeping their own agent safe.]]
* BattleButler: Fawn. Pretty handy with a karate chop.
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: There is a lot of this. The credits sequence lists "Photography" as by Tony Pierce-Roberts, and puts his name before that of the producer.
* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
* CodeName: Lots.
* CompositeCharacter: For '''''Smiley's People'''''; Strickland is promoted to being Saul Enderby's number two and carries out all the roles that Sam Collins performed in the book.
* DawsonCasting: Tatiana [[spoiler:Karla's Daughter]] is meant to be in her early 20's. The actress is in her early to mid 30's.
* DeadpanSnarker: Bill Haydon.
* EverybodySmokes: Like the proverbial chimney. Lightens up considerably in ''Smiley's People.''
* HeroicBSOD: Control after the failure of Operation Testify.
* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[HouseOfCards Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
* JerkassHasAPoint: Near the end of the appalling Roddy Martindale's passive-aggressive conversation with Smiley, he asks what turns out to be an extremely good question: Alleline is supposedly in charge of the Circus, but who is in charge of Alleline?
* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: Why Toby Esterhase gets roped in by Alleline and company.
* MandatoryUnretirement: Smiley is forced out of retirement at beginning of ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''.
* MatryoshkaObject: The series has a traditional Russian doll in its intro. Each doll is revealed to have an irate expression until the final one, which is blank. This is reflecting the search for a Russian mole at the heart of MI6.
* TheMole: Natch.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: In the novels, the Hungarian Toby Esterhase speaks English with a noticeable but unplaceable accent. In ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'', he speaks English in impeccable Received Pronunciation.
** Averted in ''Smiley's People,'' where the character's English approaches PoirotSpeak.
* TheOtherDarrin: Peter Guillam was recast for ''Smiley's People.''
* ReallyGetsAround: George Smiley's wife Ann. She is unstoppably unfaithful.
-->'''George Smiley''': She gets around.
* SharpDressedMan: Toby Esterhase.
* SpySpeak: And not just any SpySpeak, it's dialogue and jargon lifted directly from le Carre's novels.
* TranslationConvention: In ''Smiley's People.''
* TheVoiceless: Karla.
* TheWatson: Peter Guillam in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Without ''The Honourable Schoolboy,'' there are some unexplained loose ends. [[spoiler: Why was Smiley forced ''back'' into retirement? Why is he willing to recruit Toby Esterhase, but not Roy Bland? What happened to Fawn?]]
[[caption-width-right:200:Alec Guinness as George Smiley]]
-> ''"I've got a story to tell you, it's all about spies. And if it's true, which I think it is, you boys are gonna need a whole new organisation..."''
-->-- '''Ricki Tarr''', ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''
'''''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''''' is a seven-part miniseries based on the first book in JohnLeCarre's ''Literature/TheQuestForKarla'' trilogy; it aired in 1979 and starred Alec Guinness as [[SecretIntelligenceService British Intelligence officer]] George Smiley. He reprised the role in '''''Smiley's People''''', made in 1981 and based on the third book in the same trilogy. [[hottip:*:The middle installment, ''The Honourable Schoolboy'', was deemed too difficult to film due to budget constraints.]] Together, the chronicle Smiley's conflict with his opposite number in MoscowCenter, a legendary spymaster known as Karla (PatrickStewart), and thematically deal with the minutiae of spy work and the emotional toll it wreaks on people's lives.
----
!! These series provide examples of:
* BatmanGambit: Karla's plan in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''. [[spoiler:Because of the very particular way that source Merlin operates, the heads of the Circus not only don't bother searching for a mole, they actively stop others from doing the same, because they believe they're keeping their own agent safe.]]
* BattleButler: Fawn. Pretty handy with a karate chop.
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: There is a lot of this. The credits sequence lists "Photography" as by Tony Pierce-Roberts, and puts his name before that of the producer.
* BillingDisplacement: The current publicity for the ''Smiley's People'' DVD lists PatrickStewart (Karla) prominently among the main cast, even though he has approximately three minutes of screen time and zero lines.
* CodeName: Lots.
* CompositeCharacter: For '''''Smiley's People'''''; Strickland is promoted to being Saul Enderby's number two and carries out all the roles that Sam Collins performed in the book.
* DawsonCasting: Tatiana [[spoiler:Karla's Daughter]] is meant to be in her early 20's. The actress is in her early to mid 30's.
* DeadpanSnarker: Bill Haydon.
* EverybodySmokes: Like the proverbial chimney. Lightens up considerably in ''Smiley's People.''
* HeroicBSOD: Control after the failure of Operation Testify.
* HeyItsThatGuy: Hey, it's [[StarWars Obi-Wan]]! And [[Series/DoctorWho the Valeyard]]! And [[HouseOfCards Francis Urquhart]]! And [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]! And [[Series/IClaudius Livia]]! And, for about five seconds, [[HarryPotter Severus Snape]]!
* JerkassHasAPoint: Near the end of the appalling Roddy Martindale's passive-aggressive conversation with Smiley, he asks what turns out to be an extremely good question: Alleline is supposedly in charge of the Circus, but who is in charge of Alleline?
* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: Why Toby Esterhase gets roped in by Alleline and company.
* MandatoryUnretirement: Smiley is forced out of retirement at beginning of ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''.
* MatryoshkaObject: The series has a traditional Russian doll in its intro. Each doll is revealed to have an irate expression until the final one, which is blank. This is reflecting the search for a Russian mole at the heart of MI6.
* TheMole: Natch.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: In the novels, the Hungarian Toby Esterhase speaks English with a noticeable but unplaceable accent. In ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'', he speaks English in impeccable Received Pronunciation.
** Averted in ''Smiley's People,'' where the character's English approaches PoirotSpeak.
* TheOtherDarrin: Peter Guillam was recast for ''Smiley's People.''
* ReallyGetsAround: George Smiley's wife Ann. She is unstoppably unfaithful.
-->'''George Smiley''': She gets around.
* SharpDressedMan: Toby Esterhase.
* SpySpeak: And not just any SpySpeak, it's dialogue and jargon lifted directly from le Carre's novels.
* TranslationConvention: In ''Smiley's People.''
* TheVoiceless: Karla.
* TheWatson: Peter Guillam in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Without ''The Honourable Schoolboy,'' there are some unexplained loose ends. [[spoiler: Why was Smiley forced ''back'' into retirement? Why is he willing to recruit Toby Esterhase, but not Roy Bland? What happened to Fawn?]]
