YOU MIGHT VERY WELL THINK THAT, I COULDN'T POSSIBLY COMMENT: Michael Dobbs, a one-time Chief of Staff for the Conservative Party, wrote House of Cards - a clever little novel about Francis Urquhart's devious ascent to the Prime Ministry in the wake of Margaret Thatcher. It was, in short order, turned into the best political dramas ever put out by the BBC. Sir Ian Richardson, as FU, is all but perfect as the antihero.
Now, Kevin Spacey is leading US-set remake. It's unclear quite how this works in a US setting. FU's rise was premised on the fact that election cycles were fluid, leadership of the legislature does meant leadership of the party and the country, and that scandals in the UK burn far faster there than here.
I like Kevin Spacey, of course. And House of Cards is so good I'm surprised it didn't get sucked over here years ago, but how does this show dirty, dirty politics without showing itself as a humorless West Wing?
