Netflix’s Department Q icon’s ‘superb’ period drama dubbed ‘best since Queen’s Gambit’
The 'fantastic' series features an A-list cast, including stars from Netflix's Department Q and Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso.
Renowned British actor Matthew Goode, known for his performances as DCI Carl Morck in Department Q and Henry Talbot in Downton Abbey, features in a beloved period drama that has discovered fresh momentum on ITVX. The Offer, which holds a 57% critic score and 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has been granted another opportunity to captivate audiences on the streaming service.
The programme chronicles the creation of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary film The Godfather and draws from the 'unbelievable' true account of how the 70s masterpiece was brought to fruition.
It features an impressive ensemble cast, including Netflix performer Goode, Whiplash's Miles Teller, Ted Lasso's Juno Temple and Sneaky Pete's Giovanni Ribisi.
The official synopsis from ITVX states: "Mobsters, mayhem and the making of a masterpiece. Miles Teller and Matthew Goode lead a starry cast in the stranger-than-fiction true story behind the 1972 film, The Godfather."
When the programme initially debuted on Paramount Plus in 2022, it garnered notably mixed critiques from reviewers, but supporters have subsequently maintained that they "got it wrong", reports the Express.
AV Club commented at the time: "If The Godfather was masterful and precise despite its famously harrowed production, The Offer is amateurish and messy because of the way it uses its sure-fire assets."
RogerEbert.com noted: "Its goofy failures create a veritable list of guidelines of how not to tell a story when otherwise trying to get across how hard it is to make a movie in Hollywood."
Variety wrote: "This program insists that movies are important, and does so by pulping perhaps the most celebrated film of the second half of the twentieth century and using it as fuel for a diverting but hardly cinematic streaming series."
However, The Financial Times did say: "While the protracted dramatisation may draw you out, there are enough strong moments to pull you back in..."
ITVX Premium offers exclusive ad-free content that can be streamed on-demand and on the go, with everything from Hollywood blockbusters to bingeable British box sets.
An annual plan costs £59.99 – equal to £4.99 per month – after a seven-day free trial.
Telly fans can get seven days of free access to Paramount+ shows like Tulsa King and Dexter: Original Sin by signing up for a free trial via Amazon Prime's Paramount+ channel.
Meanwhile, viewers were overwhelmingly positive about the series, with one writing: "Great story, superb acting, and sharp writing - completely bingeworthy. I never once reached for my phone. It swept me up, hit me with waves of nostalgia, and left me grinning like I'd stepped back into the past. Finally something engaging and worth my attention."
Another argued: "This was a lot of fun with a lot of heart. Made for people that love movies. Don't let the poor critics score sway you. This wasn't for them, it was for us."
A third penned: "The first season of The Offer is expertly casted with superb acting and a fantastic story. If you love film history and the Godfather you're going to love this show."
Another enthused: "Phenomenal acting, each episode plays like a movie. An absolute must see. Best show I've seen in many years. Bravo to all involved."
One fan highlighted Goode's performance, saying: "How did the critics get this one wrong? Great show, great cast. Matthew Goode steals the show as Bob Evans.
"Best TV series I've seen since Queens Gambit," one viewer insisted, while another added: "Critics really got this one wrong. Fantastic."
The Offer is now available to stream for free on ITVX, and Paramount Plus subscribers can continue to watch the series on its original platform.