Acorn will release another obscure British spy series this May—this one from the Nineties. Circles of Deceit stars ITV mainstay Dennis Waterman (The Sweeny, Minder) and, as far as I can tell, consists of four TV movies made in 1995 and '96: Circle of Deception, Dark Secret, Kalon and Sleeping Dogs. Information on the series seems kind of scarce (and I've honestly never heard of it before now), so I'll let Acorn's copy do the speaking:
Former special-forces operative John Neil (Dennis Waterman, New Tricks, The Sweeney) remains on call for the brass at Britain’s security services. Whether taking on Irish terrorists, tracking down professional assassins, or pitting his wits against ruthless drug dealers, the ex-SAS man harbors no illusions about the work he’s doing--or the people he serves. He faces down deadly adversaries as well as devious bosses who keep him on a need-to-know basis, forcing Neil to rely on his instincts and his training in a world of betrayal, danger, and deceit.Cool! I love it when spy things I've never heard of pop up on the horizon. I didn't even realize that there were any of these ex-SAS/spy things that were such a staple of British broadcast and cinema in the Seventies and Eighties made in the Nineties. I can't wait to see this! Circles of Deceit, a two-disc set, comes out on May 17. Retail is a steep $49.99, but it's currently available to pre-order on Amazon for substantially less.
Top British actors guest star in these four feature-length dramas, including Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius), John Hannah (The Mummy), Peter Vaughan (The Remains of the Day), Kate Buffery (Trial & Retribution), Clare Higgins (Silent Witness), and Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey, [and The Prisoner, of course!]).
