The English Game

I was somewhat misled by the title of the series. I was looking forward to a deer hunt or a dramatic and adventurous wild boar hunt, so I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that the title referred to soccer. Let’s see how I feel about soccer. Well, the relationship is definitely not warm. Unstoppable, tough guys like Ruud van Nistelrooy have practically disappeared, and it’s more about celebrating the Actor of the Year instead. That's why I am an avid fan of rugby, which doesn’t disappoint me in this way. This is why I was biased toward the series in the beginning, but I ended up enjoying this decently handled Victorian social drama. (27.05.2021)

There are some offers you just can't refuse. So when the creator of Downton Abbey stands behind a football fairy tale from the late Victorian era, I've got to be there. But despite the usual lavish production and beautiful music by Harry Escott, this experience is not one that can compare to visiting the Crowley family. Things happen too quickly on the local greens without leaving room for twists and emotions. Before the main characters can get under my skin and I can understand them a little better than just dividing them into rich and poor, their lives go through significant changes and the first episode clearly wants an emotional involvement from me that I simply am not capable of at that moment. Later, of course, I root more for the main heroes, especially because Kevin Guthrie is likable and very similar to the actual Suter. Unfortunately, his counterpart from the upper classes is worse off because Edward Holcroft may indeed work as an athlete, with his careless elegance I don't believe him even for a second as a lord from the turn of the 19th and 20th century. When you add to that the number of historical deviations, which spoil the skillfully constructed and almost family-like atmosphere (unnecessarily, because the story would have been captivating enough with the real details), it becomes only a one-time excursion into the clash of football and societal values, which evaporates from me with the last kick of the ball. (22.11.2021)