Critical Condition: A Very Secret Service

A Very Secret Service | Netflix, from Monday

➢➢ “This droll spy parody pokes fun at the grittier world of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, using Cold War Paris as an unsuspecting backdrop for its depiction of inept bureaucracy and eye-rolling office politics. Even the  dealing with Nazi generals or torturing prisoners, the action is always light in tone and the laughs come easily.” — The Telegraph.

➢➢ “Set in Paris in 1960, A Very Secret Service is an intelligent and beautifully produced blend of spy satire and dry office comedy. The series also comes with all the insight of the strongest period dramas. Despite Service’s unapologetic absurdism, I was reminded often of (the early seasons of) Mad Men and BBC’s The Hour, not only because the three shows take place during roughly the same decade – albeit in different countries – but because all three are at their best when they combine coy historical hindsight with low-key, ‘the past is a foreign country’ sensitivity.” — Critics at Large.

➢➢ “The decidedly French (and English-subtitled) series offers lots of sophisticated humour and occasional slapstick to create a fun viewing experience … Each 30-minute installment seems a bit more like The Pink Panther than James Bond, but folks who are drawn to spy-themed shows may like it. Fans of contemporary French comedy will find it highly entertaining.” — Common Sense Media.

➢➢ “A Very Secret Service is … weird. Sometimes it’s a comedy and sometimes it’s a drama, but believe me — it’s always enjoyable … A Very Secret Service is a hard show to describe because I’ve never seen anything so wholly original or bizarre. It is as if David Lynch directed a season of Mad Men with Don Draper and company as spies.” — Medium.

➢➢ “A Very Secret Service’ brilliantly captures the instability of France in the 1960s. It exposes the misogynist attitudes towards women in the work force, prejudices and the inefficiency and outdated methods of the French government at the time, all through smart and heavy satire … One of the most cleverly entertaining shows I have seen this year.” — TheSprout.