The Ipcress File/ITV

Michael Caine’s first starring role was as an effete officer Granville Broomhead in Zulu but after that he played a series of leading cockney roles – Alfie, The Italian Job , The Ipcress File – which launched his successful career.

With young northern film actors like Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Alan Bates setting the pace – and the pop explosion in Liverpool – the south needed someone to address the balance and it was two actors Michael Caine and Terence Stamp.

Michael Caine, as Harry Palmer, cut against the suave James Bond.

He was cheeky, wore those trademark thick black framed glasses and did not go to public school.

The author of The Ipcress File novel was Len Deighton- no Etonian like Ian Fleming. However, Harry Salzman, the producer of the Bond movies, did produce The Ipcress File 

So the problem that this adaptation had to overcome is the shadow of the earlier film which is still regularly shown on TV.

The adaptation bore the elements of contemporary TV drama, e.g. the female agent (Lucy Boynton) who is much cleverer than her male colleagues and diversity in the cast.

However in the key role Joe Cole suffered in comparison to Michael Caine.

Although the period detail of the 1960s was recreated with diligence this made a modem makeover all the more unrealistic.

There was enough to make me want to watch a second episode – the plot had tempo and the dialogue was crisp – but I doubt if I will make all eight.