******
- Verified Buyer
This review is simultaneously one of the easiest and the most difficult to complete. That's because this show, House of Cards, is indeed an excellent show in its own right, but the fact remains that it is also based on a much earlier show originally produced in the UK: because many "derivative" TV shows are not up to their predecessors' level, that complicates such a review. But I'm happy to say that, in this case, the derivative show is as good as the original version (although many of the specifics surrounding the story have been changed to suit the American audience). Let me talk a little bit about that and then provide some information about the current disc I'm reviewing here.House of Cards was originally created in 1990, and was focused on the UK political scene immediately after Margaret Thatcher left office. More specifically, the show centered on the political ins and outs of particular individuals in the Tory party working within the power vacuum after Thatcher's exit in the Westminster setting. The main character of the show, Francis Urquhart (played by Ian Richardson, a Scottish Shakespearean actor of great acclaim), was slighted by his party, and he embarked on an agenda to "right matters," at least in his own mind, by forwarding his own personal agenda at the expense of others in the government. That's really all I'll say about it, because I don't want to give too much of the story away. Much of the enjoyment from watching the original House of Cards comes from watching Urquhart work his way through this process of self-promotion, and so giving away specifics about the story would not here serve any valuable purpose. This BBC-produced show was wildly popular in the UK, even though it consisted of only a limited number of episodes, and was revisited in two more seasons, first in 1993, and then again in 1995.In spite of the shows great popularity and success, one of the reasons that gives us pause in wondering if such a show could be successfully translated to the American context is the different manner in which the British people view government as compared to their American cousins. There is a playfulness, no, even more so a subtle mockery that borders on bemusement of politicians in the original BBC series, and this is not a trait held by the vast majority of American people, in spite of their negative view of many and political life.And it is here that we can begin discussing the American House of Cards production, which was produced by Netflix in 2012. The show has now been fully Americanized, not just in the names and places and features of the political landscape, but in the manner in which politics is carried out in the United States. This has allowed the migration of the original concept into the American setting, but with the addition of new twists and features that are not present in the UK political setting. The overall story plot is the same in that story focuses on a relatively high level politician who feels slighted by his own party and then seeks to gain an upper hand in responding to the slight. But the adaptation to the American context is exceptionally well done, and this makes the 2012 Netflix House of Cards completely worthy of consideration along with the original series. It's it's a show about power, politics, and betrayal, and if you are interested in politics and how the behind-the-scenes work is sometimes carried out, this is a show for you. It's not a show full of action, car chases, or even arguments, but that doesn't mean that it's uninspired or uninteresting. If you like to be challenged in your thinking, and enjoy plot twists, intrigue, and mystery, this is a show you'll certainly want to watch. And you can do so without ever having seen the original UK version. Having said that, if you watch House of Cards and enjoy it, and if you have any interest in UK politics at all, then I highly recommend that you go back and view the original UK version, all three seasons. (And although the original UK version is in three seasons, because there are only four episodes per season, there are only a total of 12 episodes for the entire three season run. This is the same number of episodes as in the first season of the American version of House of Cards season one.)You may have heard that House of Cards 2012 was done by Netflix and was not shown on any broadcast channel or even any cable channel. This may be a sign of a newly emerging Netflix producing shows that come can compete with some of the best of HBO and Showtime. The show is every bit the equal of some of the best of these cable offerings, has extremely strong acting, and very good production values. Kevin Spacey's acting is excellent, right on the correct note, and his was an excellent casting decision, much as he and Richardson's casting as Francis Urquhart in the original UK version was also superb. Nearly everyone who has seen House of Cards 2012 season one is anxiously awaiting season two. Five stars.Note:The Original UK Version: House of Cards Trilogy: The Original UK Series Remastered [Blu-ray]
