The Sandbaggers Online

I completely agree with the astute reader comments. This was a brilliant show. Good 'spy' drama without gun fights and fiery explosions.

Even the British portrayal of the American agent -- slovenly, incessantly eating and talking with his mouth full, crude -- nice one Brits!

I rate this English drama show right up there with I, Claudius and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Just proves what the Brits and Japanese know -- riveting drama doesn't require car chases and cleavage.

Thank you London and PBS!

"The Sandbaggers" is the best spy drama ever made for TV, and is certainly the most realistic. Focusing on a group of special agents of the British SIS, it shows spies as they probably really are: overworked, underpaid, under-appreciated and expendable.

The acting in the series is top notch by all of the cast, particularly Roy Marsden as the workaholic Burnside and Ray Lonnen as the amiable Caine. There's also particularly good work by Alan MacNaughton as the wily Wellingham. The plots rely less on action and more on intrigue, with battles won and lost in "drab dusty corridors in Whitehall", as Burnside puts it. There isn't any real gunplay until the sixth episode, in fact.

The first season of the series, with all episodes written by series creator Ian MacIntosh, is the best. It follows a rough story arc involving the introduction of troubled agent Laura Dickens (well-played by Diane Keen). It leads up to the powerful season finale "Special Relationship", which is a stunner.

The second season isn't as good. Other writers besides MacIntosh are involved and there are some ill-advised plot developments. Also, there are less-than-successful changes in some characterizations. But, still, it remains a superior and thoughtful drama.

I highly recommend this series. It's well-worth tracking down on video or on PBS. Just remember what Burnside says in the first episode: "If you want James Bond, go to a library."

I can't remember how I managed to stumble across this series a good many years ago now, but somehow - and I still haven't been able to work out just how - it managed to hook me almost instantly. There is so much subterfuge, nasty, backroom dealings and internal politics going on and plain intrigue that it hardly matters that there's almost no real action in this series. Virtually everything goes on in the offices of the Sandbagger unit and there's not even very much outdoor camera work, so I suspect this series was made on an incredibly cheap budget, but the scripts are good, the plots are believable, the acting is excellent when you consider that these guys are spies who are not meant to betray too much emotion, and the tension is constant. Good British psychological drama.

Brilliant series : well-written and well-performed. Sophisticated plots that didn't strain credulity and rarely ended up neatly resolved. The best spy/international intrigue series ever produced, in my book.

The Sandbaggers is one of the most intelligent series dramas to come out of British television, and it has devoted followers wherever it's been aired. Despite this, it is one of those shows which always seems to be forgotten about in TV retrospectives or histories. I think the principal reason for this is that it is a "niche" programme in the days before there were such things. Up until 1980 or so, British TV was not as narrowcasted as it appears now, and a drama shown on a weekday evening where there were only three channels would be assumed to have wide appeal throughout the arcane letters and numbers of marketing/advertising categories. But The Sandbaggers is resolutely for the ABC1 audience - a similar viewership to, say, The West Wing. It's complicated, fast moving, dialogue heavy, with most of the action revolving around people walking in and out of offices, talking, arguing and picking up the phone. Sometimes - as in the episode "My Name is Anna Wiseman", in which Burnside helps to fake a defection knowing that the subject will certainly be caught, tortured and tried - it functions as highly political drama, as good as anything in contemporary agitprop theatre. Nowadays, if it were made at all, The Sandbaggers would be on late night, or on a cable channel. Some British series, such as Callan, Public Eye, or even the earlier ITV spy series the Rat-Catchers, fitted the format of 50 minutes plus ads better; others, such as Rumpole of the Bailey, used their popularity to allow special "movie length" stories from time to time. But The Sandbaggers was apparently too shortlived and wasn't liked enough by the general viewing public to gain leverage.

And yet it's gripping. The situations the series deals with are global ones, involving the shifting, tenuous balance of power between the powers during the tail end of the Cold War. Our "hero", Neil Burnside, is the workaholic director of operations in the British security services abroad, in charge of a group of "sandbaggers", the secret heavies who to take on the dirty, secret jobs. He is an obsessive, with little in his life apart from the job and the struggle against the KGB and their pals. He is also - and this is where much of the drama comes - a liar and a cheat, prepared to do anything up to and including misleading or defying his bosses to achieve his (albeit worthy) goals. But the world of The Sandbaggers is packed with deceit. The apparently relaxed and compliant Jeff Ross, his opposite number at the CIA, poses as Burnside's friend and confidant, but is not averse to double crossing the British whenever the situation calls for it. Similarly Wellingham, the man from the ministry and Burnside's ex-father in law, seems to be Burnside's protector to his colleagues and bosses, but is not averse to stabbing his back if needs be.

Unusually in series TV drama, most of the characters including our protagonist are simply not very nice people. Though Burnside (an ex-sandbagger himself) is fiercely protective of his men, the security service seems to function on office politics between departments, personal ambition, back covering. And though it's never said explicitly, the class lines are very clear: Burnside is ambitious, but you know he will never move up the line.

There are lots of incidental pleasures. The clothing - Burnside's no nonsense three piece suits contrast with the Savile Row or civil service tailoring of his bosses. (Indeed, a similar case for symbolism could be made for the hairdressing!) The appalling treatment Burnside dishes out to his secretaries, whom he affects to consider to be little more than coffee makers. (Luckily, they're spunky enough not to take the treatment.) Burnside's poor diet - he always seems to be at a Chinese restaurant ordering his "usual", at a McDonald's, or making himself a rather disgusting fry up at home. The endless sniping over saving relatively minor amounts of money in the service. The highly creative use of locations, in which some of the less picturesque parts of Britain are meant to stand for grim places beyond the Iron Curtain. The fact that no-one in the production team seemed to know whether the creator was Ian MacKintosh or Ian Mackintosh. Plus, despite the subject matter, The Sandbaggers can also be very funny.

The faults in the programme are almost entirely due to the curious set-up in British commercial (ie not BBC) television at the time it was produced. The series fell into the slot after the "watershed", the arbitrary 9pm line beyond which adult television could be shown, and the News at Ten, which at the time was an unshakeable institution. What this meant was that The Sandbaggers, which demanded a more extensive length, often had to cram the plot of a 70 minute show into 50. The editing is so sharp as often to give a shock to the viewer. The dialogue is fast and furious, with little time for pacing. The endings often seem too pat. Some of the stories and themes cry out for a more leisurely approach. For instance, Burnside's love affair with Laura Dickens seems hurried and not properly examined, and her death at the end of series one (murdered on Burnside's orders) needs more explanatory scenes. Some other times, complex plots can only be wound up by overly explanatory dialogue scenes. Imagine The Sopranos existing under similar restrictions.

The still unexplained disappearance of Ian Mackintosh was a genuine tragedy and one which led to the series ending somewhat abruptly. The new writers were good, and rounded off the third series neatly, but it was decided that there was a certain quality missing. Principally, this was the impression that Mackintosh, rumoured to be an MI5 agent himself, had the insidere knowledge to know exactly what he was talking about. Nevertheless, it's a great, great series.

While we watched the Sandbaggers on WLIW Long Island some years ago, we were taping it. At the end of the showing, we would rewind the tape and immediately watch the entire show again. Every word spoken played a role in the intrigue. We didn't want to miss one of those words. I never even noticed that the "action" consisted of dialogue in the office or MI5. Clever wording provided all the intensity and emotion that was needed. It was one of the most fascinating television shows we had ever seen. Since we did not get in at the beginning episode (although it was run a second time on WLIW), we never did see the very first episode. Thanks to the people who publish the DVD, we can make up for that loss.

A previous commenter noted that the series seemed to end abruptly and wondered if our British friends were holding out on us. The reality is that the series was supposed to continue for at least another season, but there was one problem: the producer/writer of the series died at the end of the first season. This was one of those rare situations where the originator of the series also wrote all of the episodes. That intimacy with the characters and the ability to weave various plot lines over multiple episodes was one of the characteristics that made Sandbaggers so enjoyable. But it also made it vulnerable to disaster because only the producer/writer knew all the plot lines he had planned for the second season. Most of that was in his head. With few notes to go on, the production company staff found it impossible to figure out what to do with the series, so the second season was never produced. It's a tragedy because Sandbaggers was so wonderfully done. We can only guess whether Willie survived and how Burnside dealt with his ex-wife.

This is probably the best TV series I have ever seen.

I also accidently stumbled upon the series while watching PBS. It caught my attention and I could not quit watching. My favorite episodes are "Decision by Committee" and "Who Needs Enemies". I particularly liked Burnside's dedication to his principles and also, the dedication of his fellow Sandbaggers to him. Anyone who admires the theme of "competence versus political influence" will enjoy this series. Glad to see that all of the series is now available on DVD.

The sandbaggers was a series about the British secret service. Its scripts were mostly written by Ian Mackintosh and were realistic and amazing.

The leading role was brilliantly played by Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside.

The sandbaggers was one of the shows you want to see again and again.

If you love this show, and there's no reason why you shouldn't, don't despair that only three seasons (about 18 episodes) were made. The Sandbaggers continues in more modern-day missions in the comic book "Queen and Country," by Greg Rucka. Now there's no Burnside or Willie, but it's pure Sandbaggers. Apparently Rucka was a huge fan of the show and wanted to continue the idea of a realistic special operations unit, where paper-pushing is more prevelant than gun fights and no one -- NO ONE -- is safe. I'm pretty sure you can find the books on Amazon.

This is one of those series, you think you know and when you get to the end you realize, you missed something important.

This is a series which has many layers, in most cases something is missed and you feel you need to watch it again see how it was missed.

This is not a James Bond style series. It is centred around the head of the special ops of the British secret service. On the surface it appears to be about the politics of running a department. Even though it was filmed in the 70's, it holds up well. This is not to say it does not show. This could be a distraction for anybody wanting the slick production of present day.

It is well written, the acting does not get in the way of the stories, the characters are believable.

I watched the series again recently and it left me wanting more TV of this quality. I highly recommend this series.

This programme starred Roy Marsden as a MI5/MI6 Officer responsible for a small section called ' The Sandbaggers' Operatives who are tasked with doing whatever dirty work is necessary. The head of the Sandbaggers section is played by Ray Lonnen. The problem is that for most of the time Lonnen is the only person in the section !! The programme is not an action adventure,. but more a saga of internal politics. Marsden, as Neil Burnside, as the advantages of marrying the bosses daughter. Although the marriage has not worked out, they are still friends and he is able to get help when necessary. An enjoyable series, well worth seeing again, if I get the chance.

Finally on DVD in Canada. Saw this on PBS in the 80's a wonderful complex description of how intelligence operations work, political interference, budget worries, a conscious rejection of the " James bond" hi-tech image. If you are look for big explosions and supermodels then this is not for you, what violence that is seen is short range knives and bullets in dark alleys. Well done and intelligent,Marsden and the rest of the cast is excellent.0 have only watched the first couple of episodes but it holds up well although the situations could often be very different in today's internet/cell phone world. The only down side is that it has been broken into 3 or 4 $30 boxes. This whole series should be in one set but just seeing it again is great.

I agree with previous reviewers about the exceptional quality of this programme, and yes, sad to say, with one of them about the changes in some characterisations later on. The tale was low-key but frankly engrossing. THE SANDBAGGERS was run twice by P.B.S. in Grand Rapids, Mich. in the middle 1980s. The saga seems to end pretty abruptly, so much so that I quizzed a friend studying at Oxford. Were the limeys holding out on us? He said he did not think so, and since much time had elapsed since production, it seemed reasonable. From this web site he was right, but I cannot help wonder whether THE SANDBAGGERS had been meant to go on. Too bad it did not.

I bought the dvd's after reading raves about this on the internet. The series keeps your attention through each well written and acted episode. It's major flaw is that unlike the best spy shows from an earlier era, the politics aren't so grey. The mistrust and disloyalties only hint at uneasy conclusions but are ultimately neatly wrapped up and one-sided. Not surprising I suppose for a series leading us into the Reagan-Thatcher years. It makes me cringe when people compare this to John LeCarre. "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" is precisely what this is not. Though it might have been less realistic, Secret Agent was braver (and better). Still, it's worth a rental.

Agree completely with the other reviewers who reflect that every word in the Sandbaggers scripts is crucial. The dialog in this excellent program comes thick and fast. Don't watch Sandbaggers if you are tired and don't multi-task ... this one requires complete concentration and attention to keep up with the story and shifting sands of the characters' relationships. I have not seen this since 2003 on DVD, and plan to watch it again this year in 2010. Need to work up to the commitment, but cannot wait. If you have not seen this before and enjoy the cold-war genre, don't miss out. The commitment is absolutely worth it and you will surely not be disappointed.

For those that do love the genre, delighted that the monochrome episodes of Callan are now out. Hope that the excellent Game, Set and Match, and the even more excellent Ashenden come out on DVD soon.

The best line in all the episodes is in the first one, titled "First Principles."

The odious Neil Burnside flies to Oslo only to rebuke his Norwegian colleague face-to-face with a short, sharp lecture delivered at the boarding gate of the airplane, brusk and aggressive as Burnside nearly always is, on what it takes to succeed in the Cold War. Burnside says the Norwegians must learn more about how intelligence works and that takestime. His Norwegian counterpart protests that there was no time and action was necessary. Action was taken and it ended disastrously.

"If you want James Bond, go to the library," Burnside replies. Hasty action gets good agents killed as it did in this case. If you want success then do the hard, boring, endless, tedious, and detailed work of preparation. Read maps, study weather patterns, train and train again, learn languages, stockpile equipment that may never be used, argue over budgets to do these tasks, guard against cost-cutting pressures, consider every possible and few impossible alternatives, and then start over. Most of all jealously preserve the capacity to take action from the most insidious and constant threat against the capacity to act and that is the office politics of any large organization, the competition for resources, for recognition, for promotion, for one's ideas, and so on.

That brief dialogue sets the theme for most of the rest of the Sandbaggers where the focus is first on securing the Sandbaggers in the dangerous and ruthless world of Whitehall. In Whitehall it makes sense to send assassins economy class on long international flights and expect them to do the killing efficiently and secretly and return economy class. That is far cheaper.

One of Burnside's recurrent fights is over budget for exactly such needs as first class travel for the Sandbaggers who do the killing. (There is no point in hiding behind metaphors like "dirty work" or "heavy lifting" because mostly the Sandbaggers kill. If anything less than murder was required, someone else could do it.) Anyone working in an organization knows all of this to be true, and "The Sandbaggers" is on this score one of the most realistic television programs ever made. It is all about budget most of the time.

I quite enjoy "The Sandbaggers" in small doses and it can be an interesting series. There is no way I can call the above series a classic, nor is it the best Spy series ever made (that honour goes to "Callan"). I find "The Carpetbaggers" to be far too talky and deprived of any kind of incident. There isn't anything wrong with the acting and the writing is pretty good. But the series simply doesn't sustain my interest. The look of the series has left it dating rather badly. It was filmed on video for the studio scenes, where as a lot of British television was being made on film. It's OK but not a masterpiece.

The abrupt end of the series generated enough talk among fans here in NYC that the local PBS station that broadcast it (WLIW) issued a release that the driving force behind the series, Ian MacIntosh, died suddenly and the production company decided not to carry on with it- MacIntosh had written 17 of 20 episodes. One seemingly reliable web source says MacIntosh was lost on a plane flight in Alaska, but I have also heard it was a heart attack.

BTW, one point in the series simply does not ring true- the fate of Laura Dickens, played by Diane Keen. Intell services that go around killing their own non-defecting agents don't have agents for very long. There might be rare exceptions, but this wasn't one of them. Witness the extreme efforts even the Russians made to get back their own, such as George Blake. it is one thing to lose people in the field- that is expected (although the CIA, in fifty-plus years, has lost about 80, and a number of these to accident); it is quite another for an agent to go out there thinking his own people may be gunning for him. Until I see documented cases, its pure Hollywood.

This show is incredible. The first episodes were slo0w and I thought that there was a paucity of skilled writing re: some imaginative thinking but OH HOW WRONG I WAS. The writing is SPOT-ON and the plot moves on at a parlimentary pace....each carefully-made move thought and re-thought and analyzed until it had a soul of it's own and finally...the pieces begin to fall into place....like a well made jigsaw and reveal the underlying plots and sub-plots that make up a good.....no...GREAT...political spy thriller. I would say this is BY FAR....the finest and best written series of it's kind that I have EVER seen.....bar none! Don't miss this if you have a chance to see it and don't be put off by the first few episodes....it'll soon have you wrapped up in intrigue like no other show you've ever viewed.

This was released on DVD a while back and i purchased it on the recommendation of a friend, who knew i liked callan , i have to say this stands up very well in comparison both in tension and quality of script acting and storyline,this is nothing like The professionals for example, no flashy action scenes no uptempo background music to set the scene, its gritty and real, dialogue plot and excellent casting make this compelling viewing, its as good as say secret army another taught gripping drama of quality that was all about fighting the enemy while avoiding detection, a tragedy then that its creator and writer Ian Mackintosh disappeared in a light aircraft crash with two other passengers in 1979 over the gulf of alaska a fourth series was being written, yorkshire television believed that without mackintosh the quality would be compromised and that it was best to end the production, in retrospect the right decision the three series we have stand head and shoulders above any other espionage thriller drama before or since, {in my opinion of course}

The Sandbaggers was created by Ian Mackintosh, the theme music is by Roy Budd and it stars Roy Marsden, Ray Lonnen, Diane Keen,Jerome Willis ,Richard Vernon, Elizabeth Bennett, Bob Sherman and Alan MacNaughton.

If you like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People, then this is another spy series that is a must see. The Sandbaggers is an absorbing, gritty and gripping series filled with superb performances and engrossing story lines.

Neil Burnside(Roy Marsden)is a member of the British Intelligence Service and the head of a team of agents known as Sandbaggers. Burnside is regularly at odds with his superiors, particularly Sir Geoffrey Wellingham(Alan MacNaughton),the Permanent Undersecretary of State who is also Burnside's former father in law. Burnside has the loyalty and friendship of his top agent Willie Caine(Ray Lonnen)and his secretary Diane Lawler(Elizabeth Bennett). Burnside's team also regularly work with London based C.I.A station chief Jeff Ross(Bob Sherman).

Diane Keen is memorable as Laura Dickens, the only woman on Burnside's team, what happens to her in the season 1 episode The Special Relationship is tragic and deeply affects Burnside.

The series follows the various missions of the agents, it also shows that sometimes you have to play dirty to get the results you want. This is a well written series and is one that forces you to pay close attention as every piece of dialogue is important, if you don't pay attention you'll miss key information.

Unfortunately this was cancelled after three seasons because the creator Ian Macintosh was killed in a plane crash along with his girlfriend and a pilot in Alaska. It was felt that the writing quality might not be as good without him so it was cancelled, which is a great shame because this is a superb series.