television Archives - Felix's Gaming Pages

SS-GB

Adapted from Len Deighton’s 1978 alternate history novel, and starring Sam Riley and Kate Bosworth, SS-GB premieres on BBC One on the 19th February 2017.

Produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd and written by Bafta Award-winners Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, SS-GB is a complex thriller focusing on British Detective Douglas Archer.

Forced to work under the brutal SS in occupied London, Archer is determined to continue to do his job in the service of his country, but against impossible odds.

We first meet Archer in 1941, with the vast majority of England and Wales are under Nazi occupation after losing the Battle of Britain. Pockets of resistance continue to show their defiance against the occupying German forces, but after a German pilot is murdered by a British Resistance fighter, tensions in London could not be higher.

When investigating what appears to be a simple black market murder, Archer is dragged into a much darker and more treacherous world where the stakes are as high as the ultimate outcome of the war. The elusive American journalist Barbara Barga may hold the key – but can he trust her? And when his lover Sylvia endangers her life by bravely making a stand against the oppressive regime, Archer is forced to confront a deeper dilemma. Can he carry out his duty to defend law and order when he is working for the wrong side? What is he willing to risk in the fight against fascism?

The trailer and the images released so far, show a disturbing image of London under Nazi occupation. What may have happened if the proposed Operation Sealion was successful and Britain had lost the Battle of Britain in 1940.

Though most experts agree that there was little or no chance of Operation Sealion ever succeeding, many people have wondered and extrapolated what could have happened if it had indeed taken place and the Germans were victorious.

The background of SS-GB offers a range of gaming scenarios across different kinds of actions and scales. I may explore these in a later post once I have viewed the first few episodes.

Gaming Revolution

No not a revolution in gaming, this is a blog post about the television series called Revolution.

Revolution is a series in which all the power stops working, an event which became known as the Blackout. The basic premise behind the series is that there is no electricity, there are no combustion engines, however steam engines work as does gunpowder and automatic weapons.

In some respects it mirrors many of the ideas in the Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling, though in that series of books, as well as no electricity, there is no steam engines and gunpowder just fizzles. As a result that world reverts to a feudal society with a medievalistic level of technology. Revolution is similar, but different as there are assault rifles and steam powered vehicles. In addition the way in which electricity and power has stopped working, means in some instances it will work, so you can for some scenarios have vehicles or even helicopters.

There is a lot of ideas and inspiration for gaming from the two series that were broadcast and unfortunately like a lot of other American series, it was cancelled before it had the chance for a full run.

The action sequences in the episodes really provide many of the ideas for scenarios for games. We have bandits armed with a mish-mash of weapons attacking fortified towns. Armed militia from different nation states fight pitched battles or border skirmishes with a limited number of guns, but everyone has a sword and some are armed with crossbows. You could have raiding parties against barricaded farmhouses, or attacks on a steam train.

I can really see how games in the Revolution universe would work using the mechanics I outlined for my Tally Ho! game. The heroes and villains of the series appear to be able to do so much more than the miltia, bandits and other groups in the battles they fight.

Get Revolution Series 1 at Amazon or on iTunes.

Get Revolution Series 2 at Amazon or on iTunes.

Jericho

Jericho is a drama about what happens when a nuclear mushroom cloud suddenly appears on the horizon, plunging the residents of a small, peaceful Kansas town into chaos, leaving them completely isolated and wondering if they’re the only Americans left alive. But in this time of crisis, as sensible people become paranoid, personal agendas take over and well-kept secrets threaten to be revealed, some people will find an inner strength they never knew they had and the most unlikely heroes will emerge.

I really liked Jericho the TV series and was very disappointed when they cancelled it after just one season. Was pleased when it was renewed for a second season.

At the end of season two the series started to get really interesting… and then the series was cancelled!

A third season was published as a comic, but though nice, it’s not just the same.

There were lots of great ideas that could be transferred to gaming scenarios from Jericho. From small skirmishes that wouldn’t seem out of place in the old west, to large scale modern tank battles.

Colditz

Recently on the Yesterday channel here in the UK, they have been showing the 1970s BBC Series, Colditz.

This classic series deals with Allied prisoners of war imprisoned at the supposedly escape-proof Colditz Castle during World War II, and their many attempts to escape captivity, as well as the relationships formed between the various nationalities and their German captors.

I do remember watching it back then and usually I avoid watching things I recall from the 1970s and 1980s as my nostalgic memories are often dashed when I view them now. The Channel Island drama, Enemy At The Door was also on recently and to be honest though I remember enjoying it back when it was first on, it seemed somewhat more soap opera than world war two drama.

So when I found that Yesterday were showing Colditz, I thought I would remember it from my nostalgic memories rather than ruin them by watching it again.

However looking through the listings describing the episodes, I was intrigued by the episode Tweedledum.

One memorable episode portrays the attempts of a prisoner, Wing Commander Marsh (Michael Bryant), to get out of Colditz by feigning insanity. He succeeds, but is pushed to the limits of his sanity in the process…

I did watch it, and was impressed, it certainly was worth the awards it won. As a result I watched more episodes. Slightly disappointed that I had missed so many, but at least it is available on DVD.

If you like 1970/80s world war two dramas, then you will enjoy Colditz. With an excellent cast, great writing and some poignant stories, it is a series well worth watching.

Outcasts

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Outcasts is a new SF drama from the BBC which premieres on the 7th February.

The story follows a group of individuals who, after the destruction of the earth, try to live a new life on an alien planet. The new planet Carpathia has had human colonists creating a new colony for ten years. The series starts as they await the final ship from earth.

Settled in the town of Forthaven on Carpathia, the Outcasts are passionate about their jobs, confident of their ideals and optimistic about the future. They work hard to preserve what they’ve built on this planet they now call home, having embraced all the challenges that come with forging a new beginning.

They are led by President Tate and his core team of Stella, Cass and Fleur – they took charge and settled here first alongside Expeditionaries Mitchell and Jack.

They are a diverse group of individuals who left their old lives behind in extraordinary circumstances; promised a second chance at life they created a society, far away from their home, friends, family… and their pasts.

The planet offers the possibility for both corruption and redemption; while they try to avoid the mistakes made on Earth, inevitably our heroes cannot escape the human pitfalls of love, greed, lust, loss, and a longing for those they’ve left behind.

As they continue to work and live together they come to realise this is no ordinary planet… is there a bigger purpose at work? Mystery lurks around them and threatens to risk the fragile peace of Forthaven.

Set in 2040 this is a series that won’t have lots of tech and technobabble.
This is more of a drama set on an alien world, rather than a sci-fi series with dramatic scenes. It’s about human relationships rather than dealing with aliens, alien technology or invasive species.

It sounds an interesting premise and I will certainly be watching the first episode.

Find out more on Outcasts.

Smeg!

Those of us in the UK can tonight look forward to the first of three new episodes of Red Dwarf.

Red Dwarf

Yay!

Back to Earth Part 1: The classic sci-fi comedy returns for a special three-part series. Older but no wiser, the crew discover a dimension-hopping leviathan in the ship’s water tank.

Tonight at 9pm on Dave.

The Return of Blake’s Seven

Back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s alongside Doctor Who the BBC broadcast an excellent sci-fi series called Blake’s Seven.

When it was broadcast I use to watch it and thought it was fantastic.

Blake’s Seven

I have never tried to watch it again now, as I know I will destroy my treasured memories as at the time the sets and effects were fantastic, today they will look horrible, tacky and cheap!

Having said all that I am pleased to hear that there is to be a new series of Blake’s Seven which will be made for Sky.

A new remake of sci-fi series Blake’s 7 could soon return to television screens, Sky One has revealed.

The satellite channel has given the green light for the development of two 60-minute scripts for a “potential event series”.

I am already looking forward to it.

Of course from a gaming perspective, the battles between the rebels and the “evil” Federation are just waiting to be recreated on the table. We also have the starship battles with the infamous Liberator.