Slow start despite interesting plot

GIVEN its novel premise, it's funny how long it took for Philip K Dick's Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternate history novel, The Man in the High Castle, to be adapted for screen. Thanks to Amazon Prime Video, it's finally happened and all 10 hour-long episodes from the first season are ready to be streamed on-demand.

Created by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files) and with Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien) on board as one of its executive producers, the series is in good hands ... at least on paper.

There is no disputing that these guys know a thing or two about making dystopian sci-fi dramas but that is slightly hard to tell from the plodding build-up in the pilot, directed by David Semel (American Horror Story, House) and written by Spotnitz.