“Bodyguard” is the name of the exciting BBC series that we have only seen on Netflix so far.
ZDF is now showing the production as a free TV premiere.
"Bodyguard" is a six-part BBC series that has previously been shown on Netflix.
ZDF is now showing the production as a free TV premiere.
Richard Madden ("Game of Thrones") plays the main role.
When you think of the wonderful scraps of tearfulness with Whitney Houston, Kevin Costner and the minimally pathetic soundtrack when you think of “Bodyguard”, that's obvious.
But on Monday, February 1st, ZDF will show the first parts of the BBC series of the same name at 10.15 p.m. - and this “Bodyguard” is much more exciting, realistic and tricky than the melodrama from 1992.
“Bodyguard” runs as a free TV premiere on ZDF
At the center of the six parts (the second shows two episodes as a double pack on February 1, 8 and 15) is the London police officer David Budd.
After he succeeds in forcing a suicide bomber to give up on the journey to the British capital so that her explosive device can be defused and a train accident prevented, he is promoted to the position of bodyguard for the Home Secretary.
This prelude was filmed with a keen sense for the cramped conditions in a wagon.
In addition, the directors Thomas Vincent and John Strickland prove how skillfully they can build tension - and keep it going.
Because they do nothing else: Like all series heroes, David is also a broken figure.
The Scot fought in Afghanistan and returned with post-traumatic stress disorder that his superiors hardly suspect.
Jed Mercurio tells of this suffering without glossing over, especially without clichés.
One can assume that this is a matter close to the heart of the “bodyguard” inventor and author: The 54-year-old was an officer in the Royal Air Force.
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Bloody but good: David (Richard Madden) is carrying explosives under the covers.
He was set up.
Or?
© Sophie Mutevelian / ZDF
He now sends his main character into an enormous dilemma.
"If you were ever to stand next to one of the bastards who sent us out there, would you just pull the trigger?" Someone asks at one point.
Yes, David is driven by an enormous despair, by the anger at the politicians who have summoned people like him into an unpredictable fight from their secure offices.
At the same time, however, he is supposed to protect the interior minister, of all people, who never tires of emphasizing how necessary foreign missions are for Great Britain.
We suspect that this attitude will also give her a career boost.
Richard Madden was best known for "Game of Thrones"
The makers group others around this conflict: It is about a dispute over competence and political advancement, about comradeship and love, about loyalty and betrayal.
However, none of this overloads this series, but rather captivates the audience more and more in a story in which even everyone in front of the screen will ask at least once who can still be trusted.
This also applies to David Budd, to whom Richard Madden ("Game of Thrones") gives an enormous physical presence, which, however, seems to be becoming increasingly fragile.
This role fits the Scotsman like the bulletproof vest fits his bodyguard - so it's no wonder that his achievement was honored with a Golden Globe.
In addition, this production, which initially ran on the Netflix streaming service in Germany, draws its fascination from the fact that it approaches work in personal protection with respect and conscientiousness.
Despite all the dramaturgical concessions and beyond all “I will always love you” affection, this “bodyguard” shows a world in which a weapon can be hidden in every bouquet - and a recording device in the salt shaker.
And while the mighty meet, those whose duty it is to protect them are waiting at the door.