What’ll happen next – or what’s happened so far – is anybody’s guess: The Ipcress File reviewed

ITV’s new version of The Ipcress File began with a close-up of a pair of black-rimmed glasses just like those worn by Michael Caine in the 1965 film. They were then put on by their owner (Joe Cole), thus transforming him into Harry Palmer – but also neatly establishing the kind of show we were in for.

Sunday’s first episode did a fine job of setting up an impeccably twisty (i.e. confusing) Cold War plot. It spared no effort in its quest to show us that the Britain of 1963 was on the Brink of Social Change. And yet, neither of these things really got in the way of its main aim: to be as cool and stylish as the 1960s films and TV it was paying tribute to. Happily, not only did it succeed, but it also pulled off their fun trick of hovering around the borders of silliness without ever crossing them.

In that opening scene, Harry (together with the naked hottie his specs revealed to be occupying his bathtub) was in West Berlin, where he was serving as a soldier. But not, it turned out, for long. Arrested for an impressive range of black-market activities – including supplying fresh lobster to the East German mistresses of Russian generals – he was taken back to Britain and banged up in prison. But not, it turned out, for long.

What if Alan Partridge was a hunter of witches in 17th-century England?

That’s because in the meantime a leading British nuclear scientist (his boffin status duly signified by the wearing of a bowtie) had been kidnapped and the chief suspect was one of Harry’s old black-market contacts. As a result, he was visited by Dalby (Tom Hollander), head of a bespoke government spying unit, and made an offer he couldn’t refuse. He was to go to Berlin, contact his contact and bring the boffin back.