Reviews

The series is visually stunning, with panoramic views, impressive action scenes (though there are too few of them) and CGI effects. The production values earned the 5 stars I've awarded.

The rendering of the literary masterpiece (the original three Foundation novels) into film is where this series fails. To say that the series is based on the novels is a stretch. The character names are certainly there, as are institutions like The Foundation and Empire. But the departure from the source material means that the series is based on the ideas of Isaac Asimov. This may not be a problem for those who haven't read the books, but for those of us who have, we wanted to see what's in the books on the screen.

I also recommend a shout out to Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the Mars Trilogy. A major scene came from Robinson's Red Mars, and is nowhere to be found in Asimov's work.

You've gotta love a crime drama where the bad guy constantly has Vanishing Point playing on TV. One of my favourite series and movies combined. I was in heaven.

I just watched this in March 2021. I'm making my way through all the old episodes of Tatort. This one began as a "Kressin" Episode, then veered off into a Fellini-esque James Bond flick starring Glen Corbett. They even had a SPECTRE - like international criminal organization headed by a not-so-mysterious Number 1, played by Anton Diffring. I give it 5/10 for historical interest, but I can see why it was widely panned in 1974. The film didn't just veer, it was all over the road. This wasn't so much the fault of the actors, as the script and the editing.

The Blacklist, Homeland, Designated Survivor all introduced fresh concepts when they launched. But today, their plot devices, when (re)used or adapted in series like this one, induce only eye rolls and groans. The ending - did anyone really not see that coming? The actors are fine, so no reflection on them. But not compelling viewing.