Trivia / Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The Miniseries:

• Approval of God: John le Carré cited this as his favourite adaptation of his works, attributing this to his experience collaborating with Alec Guinness.
• California Doubling: The Czechoslovakia scenes were filmed in Scotland, mainly Glasgow, but some additional filming in Aberguthrie.
• Creator-Preferred Adaptation: John le Carré was so impressed by Alec Guinness' performance as George Smiley that in later novels he wrote Smiley's characterization to be in keeping with Guinness's performance.
• Dawson Casting: Karla's daughter is supposed to be in her twenties, but the actress playing her in Smiley's People was in her thirties.
• Fake Brit: Control is played by Canadian actor Alexander Knox.
• Fake Nationality: Soviet spymaster Karla is played by none other than SIR PATRICK STEWART. Not that it matters much, since he never talks.
• Hypothetical Casting: Alec Guinness initially felt he was wrong for George Smiley and asked if Arthur Lowe would be more fitting.
• I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: The cast of Smiley's People includes Michael Gough, who was also in Guinness' films The Man in the White Suit and The Horse's Mouth.
• The Other Darrin: Due to Michael Jayston being unavailable to repeat the role of Peter Guillam for Smiley's People, it was recast with Michael Byrne.
• Playing Against Type: This was a rare dramatic role for Beryl Reid, who was known for light comedy. Alec Guinness was initially opposed to her casting, but she won him over.
• Troubled Production: The series was plagued by a series of strikes. Due to shooting overruns, a large number of actors moved to other projects without finishing their roles. Alec Guinness ended up being on call for eighteen months.