Good, old TV this week

The BBC is showing its classic serialisation of John Le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy this week. It may seem slow and anachronistic to many of us but it contains Alec Guinness at his inhabiting best in the central role, and describes a fascinating time in recent history. As I wrote when contrasting the series with the 2012 film,

This is the Britain le Carré writes about, trudging through a slough of post-imperial despond. It is a faded world, barely-lit and frayed at the edges... The blurred shapes of pre-HD TV suggest and depict a fallen England, ashamed and fumbling in the shadows.

Starts Tuesday night on BBC4, if that cheery description hasn't put you off.