Netflix's Department Q star leads 'must see' period drama about 'unbelievable' true story

Celebrated British actor Matthew Goode, famed for his roles as DCI Carl Morck in Department Q and Henry Talbot in Downton Abbey, stars in a popular period drama which has found new life on ITVX. The Offer, which has a 57% critic score and 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has been given a second chance to be a hit with viewers on the streaming platform.

The series follows the production of Francis Ford Coppola's iconic film The Godfather and is based on the 'unbelievable' real-life story of how the 70s blockbuster came to be.

It boasts a star-studded cast, including Netflix actor Goode, Whiplash star Miles Teller, Ted Lasso's Juno Temple and Sneaky Pete's Giovanni Ribisi.

The official description from ITVX reads: "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 show first came out on Paramount Plus in 2022, it received decidedly mixed reviews from critics, but fans have since insisted that they "got it wrong".

AV Club wrote 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 added: "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 penned: "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..."

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," yet another insisted, as one more added: "Critics really got this one wrong. Fantastic."

The Offer is free to stream now on ITVX. Paramount Plus subscribers can also continue to watch The Offer on its original platform.