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  • BBC-1
  • May 18, 2003
  • BBC-1
  • May 18, 2003

Summary Welcome to the State of Play guide. State of Play was one of the BBC's most innovative conspiracy dramas. The storyline and pacey dialogue kept the viewers riveted right till the end. This very contemporary drama was set in modern day Westminster. In 2004 the show was nominated for a Bafta award for Best Drama Serial. David Morrissey ...

  • BBC-1
  • May 18, 2003
  • BBC-1
  • May 18, 2003
State of Play
Season 1
Season Premiere: May 18, 2003
Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 4 Critic Reviews
85
User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 7 User Ratings
8.6
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary Welcome to the State of Play guide. State of Play was one of the BBC's most innovative conspiracy dramas. The storyline and pacey dialogue kept the viewers riveted right till the end. This very contemporary drama was set in modern day Westminster. In 2004 the show was nominated for a Bafta award for Best Drama Serial. David Morrissey ...

Season Episodes

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Episode 1 • May 18, 2003 • 52 m
Episode #1.1
Paparazzi descend on Member of Parliament Stephen Collins following the mysterious death of his research assistant. A drug dealer is killed execution style. News reporter Cal McCaffrey investigates.
Episode 2 • May 25, 2003 • 52 m
Episode #1.2
Investigations suggest a relationship between the murder of Stephen Collins's assistant and the drug dealer. Collins's wife Anne makes a veiled public admission. Tough questions come from surprising sources. The killer resurfaces.
Episode 3 • Jun 1, 2003 • 52 m
Episode #1.3
McCaffrey tries to seduce Anne but the hitman appears. Police Inspector Bell interviews Collins. The journalist team tries to track down Foy, a new possible insider.
Episode 4 • Jun 8, 2003 • 52 m
Episode #1.4
Foy tells his side of the story, but something doesn't add up. Helen uncovers a connection between Foy and a shady lobbying firm that works for the energy sector. Collins discovers that the dead girl may have been 'a plant.'
Episode 5 • Jun 15, 2003 • 52 m
Episode #1.5
Foy becomes paranoid and opens up. An MP becomes a new suspect. A gag order prevents the story from hitting the papers. Risking everything, Cameron refuses to accept that.
Episode 6 • Jun 22, 2003 • 52 m
Episode #1.6
A new discovery sets everything back to the beginning and reveals the true culprit.

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 4 Critic Reviews
85
100% Positive
4 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 4 Critic Reviews
85
100% Positive
4 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Dec 7, 2011
State of Play is one of those series where a moment's brilliance is rivaled by the very next scene, a careening thriller that gives credence to the idea that there may not be any better format for telling an impact story than over the course of four or six hours. [16 Apr 2004, p.E1]
By Tim Goodman FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 7, 2011
On "State of Play" and Prime Suspect, ordinary men and women take center stage and hold it beautifully. [16 Apr 2004, p.E1]
By Alessandra Stanley FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 7, 2011
State of Play is one of the best dramas about a newspaper since "All the President's Men." [16 Apr 2004, p.131]
FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 7, 2011
A continually surprising thriller that maintains an air of imminent danger through its five or so hours (in six episodes), State of Play is a grander, more romantic creation [than Prime Suspect 6].
By Robert Lloyd FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 7 User Ratings
8.6
100% Positive
7 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 7 User Ratings
8.6
100% Positive
7 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

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