The Offer

The Offer dramatises the making of The Godfather through the experiences of producer Albert S. Ruddy. The finished film is famous; the series finds its story in the arguments, compromises and practical obstacles involved in getting it made.

Miles Teller plays Ruddy, Matthew Goode plays Paramount's Robert Evans, and Juno Temple plays Bettye McCartt. Goode is a particular pleasure, making Evans's self-presentation entertaining while keeping a working executive beneath it. Temple gives the production's less glamorous tasks their own momentum.

Created by Michael Tolkin, the ten-part series is a dramatisation, not a documentary record of every exchange. Its producer-centred perspective is part of its character. It is most rewarding as an entertaining account of people trying to keep a film alive, rather than a definitive history of who deserves the credit.

Fans of The Godfather have an obvious reason to try it. Mad Men offers another richly observed workplace, while Boardwalk Empire takes the gangster connection in a different direction.