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In the heart of bustling London, Ten Percent opens in Nightingale Hart, a thriving talent agency headed by its founder Richard Nightangle. Based on the famous series Call My Agent, the AMC remake is set in London and at the heart of the drama we find the Nightingale Hart talent agency and its employees as they face off one challenge after another with tact, diplomacy, and elegance.
A bridge between the industry and budding as well as seasoned actors, Nightingale Hart is indeed a very busy place and although most of the time the agency manages to carry itself respectfully, everyone falters, at one point or another. But it counts to forgive and move on, forge new alliances and mend old bonds. That is what Ten Percent is all about.
Introducing Nightingale Hart, the heart of the series
Nightingale Hart is run by the very distinguished Richard Nightingale (Jim Broadbent) and his senior partner, the elegant and tactful Stella Hart (Maggie Steed), along with a bevy of accomplished employees and interns who together hold up the corporate workhouse, amidst all the uncertainties of drama.
The senior Nightingale is always clashing with his son and colleague Jonathan, played by Jack Davenport, who is critical of his father's soft corner for a certain client who seems to let their establishment down at every opportunity. Then there is Rebecca Fox (Lydia Leonard) and Dan Bala (Prasanna Puwanarajah) who are fighting their own struggles with a losing assistant and a client.
The main premise of the first episode is Kelly McDonald, a Nightingale client who is hounding the agency after she loses her opportunity to feature in a prominent role in an upcoming production. Her agent Dan is at a loss for words, unable to tell her why she was rejected. Evading every opportunity he could to break the news to the hopeful actress, Dan ends up in a pickle when Rebecca's new intern assistant Misha naively shares the reason with Kelly.
Livid at the betrayal and dishonesty from her agent, it looks like Nightingale Hart is at the risk of losing another reputed client and that is when Richard steps in to fix the situation and win over the actress once again.
Meanwhile, Kelly decides to undergo some major fix-ups after a suggestion is made by Jonathan, but the question is will she finally go through with it? And what of her relationship with Dan? Will the client and agent once again put aside all the mishaps and reconnect once more?
Ten Percent is a corporate satire of sorts
There seems to be boiling tension between Jonathan and Misha, Rebecca's intern. The two seem to be familiar with one another, but the nature of the duo's relationship hasn't been revealed yet and raises a lot of curiosity. Determined to make a place for herself in the industry, Misha is adamant to prove herself in her new job while Jonathan takes hold of every opportunity he can to oust her.
In an attempt to turn Rebecca against Misha, Jonathan reveals something about the Kelly McDonald mishap to her which causes her to fume and finally kick out Misha, much to the relief of Jonathan. But Misha rapidly turns around the situation by winning Rebecca's heart by doing her a favor by resorting to unethical means. What lies in store for Misha and Jonathan now?
If anything, the series is a satirical exploration of the ethics, or the lack thereof, of corporate workculture, cut-throat competition, and the unimaginable deceits and lies which form the groundwork of any corporate establishment. BAFTA award winner writer and director John Morton has done an incredible job in painting this satirical picture of the ruthlessness of the corporate world in Ten Percent.
For those who have watched Call My Agent, Ten Percent may not have too much to offer in terms of the storyline which is significantly similar. The fashionable streets of Paris are only replaced with the elegant charm of Soho, and the colorful characters, which are of course different from the French original, make a fresh addition. But what this remake has to offer is the hallmark of Morton which sure brings in a piercing British humor, among many other things.
Although the first episode of Ten Percent ends on a heart-breaking note which is sure to shake up things in the agency, it promises to be comedic and entertaining, filled with drama and glamour. Don't forget to catch the AMC drama Ten Percent which is premiering exclusively on AMC and Sundance with its first two episodes on Friday, April 29, and with one new episode thereafter, every Friday.
