The Best British Spy Shows to Stream Right Now

Espionage and escapism, what more can you ask for?

This list was originally published on April 26, 2018. It has been updated since with the addition of more spy shows, including Slow Horses.

The small-screen British spy genre is packed with some of the most tonally diverse marvels under the sun — pick one show, and you’ll bear witness to a beautiful assassin stabbing a man to death with a needle. Pick another, and a guy is giggling his way through the silliest MI-5 training imaginable. Whatever your taste, there are spy gadgets, thrilling chases, secret identities, and twisty betrayals throughout this list of good ol’ fashioned espionage shows for your (incognito) browsing pleasure.

Slow Horses (2022–present)

Made up entirely of disgraced MI-5 agents, the team of “slow horses” working at Slough House aren’t considered London’s best and brightest, but time and again these spies prove themselves to be more capable than their more glamorous and well-funded counterparts. Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a crude but talented legend of the field, who leads the ragtag bunch as they work to uncover conspiracies and fiendish schemes while keeping Britain safe. Despite the title, the Apple TV+ series operates at full speed, keeping viewers hooked by escalating the tension each episode until the season ends in a suspenseful, twisty, action-packed crescendo. —Tolly Wright

A Spy Among Friends (2022)

Deception — both deceiving others and catching adversaries in their lies — is considered a key part of the job when you’re a spy, but Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service was still caught flat-footed when it was discovered that one of its own, Kim Philby (played here by Guy Pearce), was a double agent working for the KGB. Based on Ben Macintyre’s 2014 book of the same name, A Spy Among Friends depicts one of the most embarrassing episodes in British espionage history by focusing on the long friendship between Philby and fellow spy Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis). —T.W.

Treason (2022)

Poor Adam. As soon as the young MI-6 deputy (played by Charlie Cox) is promoted to acting chief of the agency, his daughter is kidnapped and he learns that his meteoric rise might have been the work of a Russian spy with her own agenda. In this twisty miniseries, Adam runs afoul of allies and foes alike as he works to untangle himself from quite a quagmire and in the process uncovers some suspicious behavior within MI-6’s upper ranks. —T.W.

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

All hail Sandra Oh! It took three decades to secure the Grey’s Anatomy star a leading role worthy of her talents, and this engrossing cat-and-mouse thriller by Phoebe Waller-Bridge checks all the boxes. Oh plays Eve, a deskbound MI-5 agent who longs to be a spy in the field, a dream that is soon realized when a mutual obsession develops between her and a sadistic, sociopathic assassin (Jodie Comer) who always evades capture. —Devon Ivie

The Night Manager (2016)

This miniseries proved to be a smash sensation back in 2016, and it’s pretty easy to understand why. A mélange of A-list talent aside — hello, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie! — the slow burn of a narrative about an ex-soldier infiltrating the inner circle of an extraordinary evil weapons dealer is wickedly compelling, especially when you factor in the gorgeous, international settings. Whether he’ll be successful with his spy mission, though, is another story. —D.I.

London Spy (2015)

The epitome of an opposites-attract narrative, London Spy revolves around a hedonistic young clubgoer (Ben Whishaw) who ends up falling for a high-ranking member of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service — only because he believed the guy dabbled in investment banking, and not, you know, espionage. When his lover disappears, our fella gets embroiled with the terrifying underbelly of the capital’s crime and spy scene, all so he can discover what truly happened. If that’s not true love, then we don’t know what is. —D.I.

The Game (2014)

Not to be confused with the rapper or those other TV shows, this Cold War–set period drama is all about the aftermath of a young MI-5 operative who tries to defect to the Soviet Union — for love! — but massively fails and then returns to MI-5. His boss seems unusually chill with the deception, mostly because this lad might be helpful for sniffing out other moles and double agents in their field. Oh, and stopping the Soviets from annihilating the world. —D.I.

Spies of Warsaw (2013)

Here are four words to tickle your fancy: “French spy David Tennant.” (Swoon!) Tennant, a secret Deuxième Bureau agent posing as an army officer, finds himself circling around Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris in the years leading up to World War II, becoming increasingly convinced that a devastating war is on the horizon. Too bad his French counterparts don’t believe him — so he’ll instead bed women and drink fine Cointreau until they finally come to their senses. —D.I.

Spy (2011)

Consider this your classic accidental-spy sitcom in the same vein as NBC’s Chuck. The protagonist, an affable but unmotivated computer store employee, decides to quit his job to pursue new opportunities to better support his son and divorced wife. But when he discovers the standard “computing exam” given to him at a job center was actually an exam for MI-5, the chaps at the secret agency are so chuffed that they decide to keep him around for spy activities. Realistic? Nah. But positively delightful? Obviously! —D.I.

Spooks (a.k.a. MI-5) (2002–2011)

If you want a long-running procedural about the inner workings of Britain’s premiere counterterrorism unit, Spooks was created with you in mind. Encompassing just about every spy-centric story line you can think of over ten seasons, it follows MI-5 employees as they prevent the country from imploding. (Handsome British faves such as David Oyelowo and Matthew Macfadyen also starred on it for quite some time.) It’s mostly dramatic, but moments of levity shine through. —D.I.

The Avengers (1961–1969)

Before Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans paraded around the big screen with the superhero Avengers, this ’60s series of the same name was a master class in sexy espionage — a suave secret agent travels the world to catch the most dangerous murderers and assassins, always with a badass woman by his side. Like Doctor Who, there are many rotations and eras in the show, and you’ll find yourself choosing your favorite sidekick-and-spy combination real quick. (The answer, of course, is Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg.) —D.I.