The One Game

Infobox Television Film
bgcolour =
name = The One Game


caption = Cover of the 2003 DVD release
format = Drama serial Fantasy thriller
runtime = 50 minutes
director = Mike Vardy
producer =
writer = John Brown
starring = Patrick Malahide Stephen Dillane
music = Nigel Hess
country = United Kingdom
language = English
network = ITV
first_aired = 4 June 1988
last_aired = 25 June 1988
num_episodes = 4
imdb_id = 0095782
tv_com_id =
amg_id =

"The One Game" is a four part 1988 British television drama serial, produced by Central Independent Television and broadcast on ITV from 4 June to 25 June 1988. It starred Patrick Malahide, Stephen Dillane (credited as "Stephen Dillon"), Pippa Haywood and Kate McKenzie, and was written by John Brown from a concept by Tony Benet.

Plot

Nick Thorne (Dillane) is a businessman who has achieved success by marketing games. He finds himself drawn into a "reality game" by his former business partner Magnus (Malahide), whom Nick had forced out of their games company after its initial success. Called "The One Game", this sees Nick take on a series of challenges which force him to explore his past, while both his professional and personal life come under threat.

Production

Filming took place in the winter of 1987–8. The production aimed at a surreal rather than a fantasy atmosphere, with an emphasis of only including narrative elements which could cccur in real life. Writer John Brown worked an Arthurian theme into his scripts, with the idea that the story was about what would happen if

"Arthur said to Merlin after he'd helped set up the Kingdom, 'Get lost. I don't need you any more.'"

with Nick and Magnus as Arthur and Merlin, respectively; images such as a knife thrown into water, and a woman's hand rising from a lake, were likewise based on the legend of Excalibur. The series composer Nigel Hess built on the use of Celtic mythology by writing a theme song and incidental music which was sung in Patagonian Welsh.

Releases

"The One Game" was released on Region 2 DVD in 2003.

References

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External links

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UK-tv-stub