"Betrayal, over and over, on and on....."

Part spy thriller, part mystery, part psychological suspense story, John le Carre's most intriguing and absorbing masterpiece is brought to the screen in this stunning BBC adaptation.

Magnus Pym has disappeared, setting off a massive man-hunt. One of Britain's top spies, Pym is also searching - for his true identity, hidden beneath a lifetime of deception.

His quest takes him from his relationship with his con-man father to his betrayal of everything close to him: his wife, his country, even the high-ranking Eastern agent whom he befriended. Pursued by his agency and his enemies, Pym must find himself before his hunters find him.

Originally transmitted 04/11/87 to 16/12/87.