Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy returns to BBC4 on the 29th-31st May

It has been eight long years since Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was repeated on BBC4 but it makes a welcome return to our screens this bank holiday weekend. Unfortunately there is a cloud with this silver lining! According to the Radio Times, the series will be broadcast in its original standard definition format rather than utilise the striking new high definition prints created for the 2019 Blu-ray release.

There may of course be contractual reasons for this and let's hope so, as it would otherwise be a missed opportunity to provide the series with the high definition broadcast premiere it deserves.

The seven episodes are spread out across the weekend. Episodes 1 and 2 are broadcast on Saturday 29th May at 22.30 and 23.20 respectively. Episodes 3, 4 and 5 follow on Sunday 30th May starting at at 22.00 and the last two episodes can be seen on Monday 31st May also from 22.00.

To celebrate the return of the series to BBC4 there is a four page retrospective in this weeks Radio Times featuring new interviews with producer Jonathan Powell and director John Irvin. The Daily Mail have pinched the headlines and some quotes from the interview in an article you can read here. 

The interviews don't cover much new ground for long-time fans and many visitors to this site will already be aware of Arthur Lowe's connection to the role of George Smiley - full details here.

All the episodes will be available for catch up shortly after broadcast on the BBC iPlayer.