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Apr 19, 2016 By Aaron Passman Web Exclusive

The Night Manager, adapted from a 1993 John le Carré novel, arrives with a not insignificant obstacle before it: all the best le Carré novels have already been adapted for the screen, some of them multiple times.

That’s not to say that there’s not plenty to like about this six-part mini-series. Having originally aired on British television and beginning a six-week run on AMC starting tonight, The Night Manager stars Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, the titular night manager at a string of high-class hotels, who signs on with British intelligence to entrap Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), a wildly rich philanthropist who also happens to dabble in the international arms trade. Pine’s motives aren’t solely patriotic—he also carries a personal vendetta against Roper that’s laid out in the opening episode.

Like much of le Carré‘s work (and adaptations of it), the action isn’t particularly quick to get off the ground, but Hiddleston and Laurie are adeptly cast—particularly Laurie, who imbues Roper with a mix of both charm and monstrosity. (Incidentally, Laurie said in a Charlie Rose interview that he’s wanted to adapt the novel since its publication more than two decades ago, though he originally thought of himself as Pine age made him more suitable to play Roper).

There are two significant revisions from the source material, the most salient of which is updating the setting from the immediate post-Cold War world to modern day, including the start of the Arab Spring and the popular Egyptian uprising that brought down Hosni Mubarak. Additionally, Pine’s main liaison within MI6 has been converted to a female character—a notable difference given that women are little more than arm candy in the novel. She’s played memorably by Olivia Colman (probably best known as David Tenant’s partner in Broadchurch), but those who have seen her elsewhere may find themselves feeling that she’s too often cast in the same sort of role.

Given the success of The Americans, Deutschland 83, Homeland, and other long-form espionage-related series, this is perhaps the best possible time for The Night Manager to debut. And while it’s a well-produced and entertaining series, it’s disappointing to see writers and filmmakers heading back to the well to rehash lesser John le Carré works when current spy novelists like Olen Steinhauer, Charles Cumming, and Chris Pavone have modern novels that could easily be adapted—and likely with superior results. (www.amc.com/shows/the-night-manager)

Author rating: 6/10