As produced for British television in the mid-1990s, the series of individual feature-length movies titled CIRCLES OF DECEIT star Dennis Waterman as John Neil. The character is ex-special forces operative, routinely tapped by British security services to keep the country safe by performing various heroic missions. These run the gamut, including everything from reigning in Irish terrorists to going head-to-head with malevolent drug pushers. Its dark edge, complex plots, generally great acting and writing and colourful and varied situations make it a rather gripping spy series. Circles of Deceit really started out as a one off for ITV in 1993. The film was popular enough to generate three follow ups that were produced and showed in 1995 and 1996 under the generic title of Circles of Deceit.
The Wolves are Howling
Oct 16, 1993
Neil's handler sends him on an undercover mission to Belfast posing as an expat Irishman. His job is to get close to a local IRA godfather and find out when and how he plans to bring in a new shipment of arms and ammunition. Neil succeeds in winning the man's confidence--and the romantic attentions of his daughter. But suspicions about his true identity begin to mount, and Neil must complete his mission before his cover is blown.
Dark Secret
Dec 27, 1995
Ex-SAS soldier John Neil is brought out of retirement by a secretive government controller, and is asked to investigate an old SAS colleague who's taken to a life of crime. An MP is exposed to blackmail, and the conspiracy uncovered leads all the way back to Nazi Germany.
Kalon
Apr 8, 1996
Investigating the murder of a Major in military intelligence, ex-solider Jon Neil follows two lines of enquiry. One is the beautiful girlfriend of the murdered man, the other takes him undercover at a merchant bank. He unearths an international drugs deal, and the Controller insists he remains in place, even when a murderous Columbian appears on the scene.
Sleeping Dogs
Dec 23, 1996
Final part in a trilogy about John Neil, an ex-SAS soldier who is persuaded to end his semi-retirement by a powerful and secretive government department. He is sent to Paris to do a deal with a former KGB agent who has the names of two people he recruited as potential saboteurs in the 1970s. The agent is killed, and Neil becomes the target of a hit man.
