House of Cards Trilogy: The Original UK Series Remastered

House of Cards, a BBC production done at the time of Margaret Thatcher's downfall, is one of the best modern political intrigue/satires done. The cast, the story, and the exacting attention to detail make this a piece worth watching and re-watching, to see what details escaped notice the first time.The PlotAs the story opens, Thatcher has just resigned. There is a brief glimpse of an inner-party election for a new leader, and the moderate, middle candidate Henry Collingridge wins the post, and proceeds to barely win the next General Election. Almost immediately following this event, tempers begin to flare as Urqhart is denied the promotion he had sought, and is disgusted with Collingridge's 'politics as usual' stance.Francis Urqhart, Conservative Party whip and functionary, with the unwitting assistance of a junior political reporter Mattie Storin, and the manipulated support of party functionary Roger O'Neill, sets out to undo the Prime Minister, involving the PM in scandals that rock his fragile majority and ever-loosening grip on power. Ultimately, Urqhart's schemes against Collingridge bring the PM down, and the stage is set for another leadership election.Urqhart, at the urging of his wife Elizabeth, works toward the leadership and works toward solidifying the loyalties of his minions, who include the ruffian Tim Stamper, an associate whip in the Commons, and Benjamin Landless, a newspaper proprietor. However, it is in making Storin his bedroom partner and virtual worshipper that Urqhart has his strongest support; this support is not absolute, something he recognises. This relationship is done with the blessing, nay, with the urging, of his wife Elizabeth.Urqhart uses his inside knowledge to make short work of all but the top contenders for the job, and then casts his lot for the job at the last moment, splitting the ticket. Knocking one contender against another one final time, Urqhart carries the election. However, O'Neill is unstable and unsure of the propriety of his dealings in bringing down Collingridge, and Storin realises at the last moment that she has been a pawn in a master political chess game. O'Neill's cocaine problem leads to his demise, as Urqhart plants poison in his drugs and permits O'Neill's nature to do him in. Storin discovers this murder plot, and confronts Urqhart, who confesses, but then proceeds to throw Mattie Storin bodily from the roof of the House of Commons.But, there was a tape recorder running, setting the stage for the sequel...`To Play the King' is the sequel, in which Urqhart matches forces against the newly installed King, played by Michael Kitchen. The King sees himself as the champion of the underdog and underclass Urqhart has abandoned, and it is a literal battle royale to the end. Storin has been replaced by Sarah Harding, who finds Urqhart is more than a match for her minor turncoating as well.Finally, `The Final Cut' brings things full circle, as Urqhart beats Thatcher's record of unbroken days in office. However, his lust for power drives him into reckless foreign affairs, and his wife comes into her own with scheming beyond measure.The CastIan Richardson is masterful as Urqhart, the scheming blackheart Chief Whip/Prime Minister. His voice, his subtle inflections and tones are perfect for the subtext in the words he speaks. His sidewise glances and knowing expressions to camera as the action plays out is worth far more than any words. He is a perfect snobbish, upper-class politico who considers political office as patrician right, and despises pretenders to the role.Diane Fletcher is superb as Elizabeth Urqhart, the equally manipulative wife. She is under utilised in this part of the trilogy, coming into her own as a character and an actress in later parts of the trilogy. One gets the strong sense of muted ambition and greed, but not amorality or power for power's sake from her, a distinction hard to play out on video. Fletcher succeeds beautifully.Susannah Harker plays Mattie Storin, the troubled, intelligent and inexperienced journalist who falls for Urqhart. Her psychological instability and intelligence are played beautifully. Harker can make quite a statement just with the movements of her eyes, making her a good counterpoint to Richardson.Miles Anderson plays the drug addict/party operative Roger O'Neill, doing a good job at playing the cad, the coward, and the fearful go-along with Urqhart's schemes. A rat trapped, O'Neill is at the breaking point, and Anderson plays this admirably.Perhaps the best secondary roles were performed by Alphonsia Emmanuel, who plays O'Neill's assistant and lover Penny Guy, and James Villiers, who plays Charles Collingridge, the deposed Prime Minister's troubled brother. Their roles shine brilliantly despite the relative lack of screen time.In the second series, Michael Kitchen as the King and Kitty Aldridge as Sarah Harding take primary roles, and Colin Jeavons as Stamper repeats his performance of the earlier episode, this time with much more panache. In the third series, Isla Blair as Claire Carlsen and Paul Freeman make a good show, if not altogether convincing as the final opponents for Urqhart.One gets the impression that everyone in British politics is brilliant and troubled. Well, the truth would be about half that.The Play's the Thing...This production, in writing and execution, is full of Shakespearean nuances. There are indirect and direct references to Richard III, and Urqhart is a Machiavellian manipulator in the Duke of Gloucester's image, recast for modern dress and situation, complete with stage whispers and asides to audience. The depth of the characters, while still remaining caricatures, is fascinating. Perhaps the best-known line for a while was Urqhart's attempts to get information out to the journalist Storin without actually telling her, and being guilty (by the letter of the law) for leaks and disclosures. She would hint and speculate, at which Urqhart would reply, `You might very well think that. I of course couldn't possibly comment.'John Major used this response in one of his own question-time exchanges, a use that was appreciated by the Members on both sides of the House.ConclusionsFor those who know nothing of British politics, this is actually a fascinating way to learn. For those who take an interest in British politics, this provides an intriguing fictional tale that is, in many ways, so close to reality on so many levels as to be positively unnerving.Richardson rightly won BAFTA awards for his portrayal of Urqhart in each of the three installments, House of Cards and its sequels To Play the King and The Final Cut. These sequels were possibly only because of a BBC change to Dobbs' original manuscript, which had Urqhart rather than Storin falling from the rooftop garden of the House of Commons.A bonus for the viewer.

This is without a doubt, one of the very best dramatic series I have ever seen. Why on earth hasn't Masterpeice Theater replayed it? Given what PBS has recently gone through with its governing board and accusations of "liberal bias", perhaps it's understandable that they don't want to be seen to be criticizing our political masters, but the point has already been made. Why leave it up to mealy-mouthed special-effects fests like "Retread of the Sith", when works like this do so with so much more poise and precision?The House of Cards series combines superlative acting skills with pointed commentary on power, ambition and politics. Three great scripts (I disagree with those who say Part 3 was weaker than the others, but more on this below), and superb directing and acting make this the highlight of my summer viewing for sure. For US viewers, this series is as excellent as the Sopranos, and Homicide and for similar reasons (interesting characters, wonderful actors and compelling plot lines).*General spoiler alert*This series is many things to many people, but it is to my mind, first and foremost a Shakespearean drama. Screenwriter Andrew Davies makes this quite clear in his discussions of the series. To that end, the most important thing in the series is our villain and his arc from charming, ruthless monster to cornered animal.How sad that Ian Richardson hasn't been given the chance to display his incredible acting talents to a wider audience. His portrayl of the caiman-like Conservative politician Francis Urquhart captured the simultaneously mesmerizing and sheer evil quality of Urquhart beautifully (Richardson won a BAFTA in 1991 for House of Cards and was nominated again in 1993 for To Play the King, and again in 1996 for The Final Cut). Richardson's training in theater (he was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for 15 years) stand him in excellent stead here, but the most compelling pieces of acting he does are often expressed with no more than a glance at the camera, or a lifted eyebrow or corner of the mouth. The man's a genius in my humble opinion.House of Cards has had an interesting effect on political behavior in the UK in particular. The non-denial denial "You might say that... I couldn't possibly comment" that was one of Urquhart's favorite catchphrases has become established usage among British public figures, including then-Prime Minister John Major. It's also been acronymized for use in cyberspace as YMSTICPC.As a number of other people have pointed out, this series strongly evokes specific Shakespearean works, notably MacBeth, and Richard III. There are however, echoes of other tragedies as well, particularly King Lear (Urquhart's soliloquy on being "a father of daughters" for one, and the use of the "sharper than a serpent's tooth" quotation) and Titus Andronicus (F.U.'s ease with violence, and the black humor throughout the series) particularly in Part 3 (The Final Cut). I suppose if one wanted to play the "match the series with the play" game, Part 1 would be analogous to the first half of MacBeth, Part 2 to Richard (up to the Battle of Bosworth), and Part 3 would be Lear with Act V of Richard thrown in for good measure.Thus the supposed "weaknesses" in F.U.'s behavior in Part 3: his tendency to surround himself with weaklings, his descent into open violence, and his inability to "smell the mood" of his colleagues can in fact be better understood as classic Shakespearean indicators of the ruler who has finally lost his edge through age, hubris or paranoia (or some combination of all 3).Much has been made of Mrs. Urquhart's similarity to Lady MacBeth, but she's really more like the homicidal Goneril in "Lear": None of Lady M's weak-kneed descent into madness for her. In fact, the Tragedy of Francis Urquhart (apart from the mayhem he inflicts -indirectly depicted by the director for the most part, on the well-being of ordinary British people) might well be most clearly expressed in the treacherousness or self-servingness of those who surround him at the end.Some people believe that this series does not translate well for American audiences, my sense is that this is far from the case. Certainly some of the more subtle satire and the British cultural references might be lost, (such as the reference to the children's hand-puppet character Sooty - think Lamb Chop or Elmo as a stuffed bear) and it certainly helps to have a passing familiarity with British Parliamentary procedure (in particular the wonderful institution of "Prime Minister's Question Time").Nevertheless these are minor details in the overall scheme of things. British politics has no monopoly on stupidity, manipulation or naked ambition. Viewers in other countries will have no trouble recognizing their own domestic versions of F.U., some perhaps in their own workplaces. Can we recognize this same behavior (admittedly with much less wit and sophistication) in some people in the current US administration? You might think that, you might very well think that, ... I couldn't possibly comment.

I remember this production from some years ago and was looking forward to a few relaxing hours watching it again. Another reviewer referred to the absence of disc numbering, leading to confusion, but it's worse than this! The one customary DVD plastic container contains THREE DOUBLE-SIDED DVDs, none of them with any kind of labelling or indication, therefore, of the order of play or which side comes before the other side in the 6-side playing order. Surely the manufacturers of this product could have done better than this??? So beware prospective purchasers. Not Amazon's or the secondary supplier's fault - they are selling something customers want to buy. But be prepared for some VERY frustrating time spent sorting one disc from another. And of course, since all 6 sides are playing sides, you daren't even, having established the viewing order, mark the DVDs with a marking pen!

Oh my Gosh !!! A gift for my husband - what a totally amazing series - amazing actors, so well written, the story snakes along, & you don't which corner you'll be turning next as a viewer! Who'd have thought Politics could be interesting & exciting?! Very recent purchase, so watching it now & still a wee bit more to go. The creepy thing about it is, that watching this series, it's all so "here and now stuff too!" Like someone has a glass ball or so?! very enjoyable and a very good gift. Thank You! L.B.

Ruthless politicians, who'd have thought they existed. But this british version is much sharper and pacier than the US series that followed it, and all the better for it. Ian Richardson is able supported by a great cast, but he is a proper class act as Francis Urquhart... a very clever and scheming politician.It's still top drawer stuff... and getting the whole series together just means you will be tempted to binge on the lot.

Not bad value for 50p, even if Kitty Aldridge did come across like an irritating GP. Impossible to believe that her character (Oxford, then Cambridge) would be anything other than a leftie. I hated Ian Richardson's constant turning to the camera. Might work with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, but not in a dodgy thriller. The BBC was slipping by then. Nice to see that Isla Blair still had a nice body - but what about Paul Freeman's hair-do?Not a patch on, say, 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'.

All three series (four episodes a pop) marking the career of Chief Whip Francis Urquhart to the rank of... well, you may well guess where but I could not possibly say. The waspish nature of party politics, meetings in small rooms, the cut-and-thrust of the House are all magnificently rendered with a rich cast of characters based (all too cheekily) on real parliamentarians. The result is very cynical but I doubt very wrong. Politics as my dear old chum von Bismarck used to say of making laws and sausages would, if widely known, keep the public awake at night. The rather dramatic use of violence will come perhaps as less of shock to us today than it did back then. Ian Richardson's breaking of the fourth wall is magnificently done and Michael Kitchen's portrayal of a Certain Royal Person is powerful, at times cruel yet ultimately affectionate. Splendid political drama.