If you think Slow Horses is one of the best spy thrillers on TV, you wouldn’t be wrong. And while it is indeed brilliant, we’ve searched far and wide in search of the hidden gem spy thrillers that are just as good – and we’ve even found one that’s more watchable (yes, really).
From one of James Norton’s most chilling performances to an underrated Elisabeth Moss thriller and a series we really do think is better than Slow Horses, there are plenty of other great shows that are available to binge right now. So, clear your schedule for our pick of the 7 spy thrillers to watch on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Unfamiliar
One you’ll want to binge in an evening, Unfamiliar follows former Federal Intelligence Service (BND) agents and husband and wife, Simon (Felix Kramer) and Meret (Susanne Wolff), who are living under the radar with their daughter in “The Nest”, the Berlin safe house they run. Until, that is, their hideaway exposed and a threat from their past finally catches up with them. The pair find themselves on the run once again - this time, from assassins, Russian agents and a whole bunch of other people they've wronged. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Talamasca: The Secret Order
A spy thriller with a supernatural twist, Talamasca: The Secret Order takes us to the Immortal Universe where secret organisation, Talamasca, monitors and controls the activity of immortal beings. Think witches, vampires and the like. When Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) is invited to be part of it, he accepts, but he has an ulterior motive: he hopes the Talamasca’s infinite resources can help him solve a personal family mystery of his own. Available to watch now on Netflix.
The Copenhagen Test
Imagine a world in which your brain could be hacked. That’s the one we find ourselves in in The Copenhagen Test, where Alexander Hale is the army veteran and spy who’s the victim of just such an assault. Now, his foes have access to everything he sees and hears. Not only that, but the big bosses at his organisation, The Orphanage, also believe he’s mole. It's a life-or-death situation that makes for very compelling viewing. Available to watch now on Channel 4.
The Veil
The ultimate game of cat and mouse plays out in this brilliantly twisty series that has two women at the heart of it: Imogen (Elisabeth Moss), who works for MI6, and Adilah (Yumna Marwan), who’s suspected of being a high-level ISIS operative. The pair travel from Istanbul to Paris and London, one of them in possession of a secret, the other trying to expose it. Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, it’s a globe-trotting series that won’t disappoint. Available to watch now on Disney+.
Rogue Agent
If you enjoy a spy thriller based on a real-life story, you’ll like Rogue Agent. James Norton is Robert Hendy-Freegard, a con artist who's spent his life tricking people into believing he's an MI5 agent and kidnapping multiple victims along the way. But when he attempts to scam quick-witted lawyer, Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton), she decides to take him down once and for all. As fascinating as it is thrilling. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Lioness
From the creative mind of Taylor Sheridan, the genius behind the hit Paramount+ megahit Yellowstone, this eight-part series follows an all-female crew of undercover CIA operatives know as the Lionesses, who are tasked with infiltrating terrorist organisations. The women, played by the likes of Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña, use subversive tactics - befriending the wives and girlfriends of dangerous terrorists - to try and thwart the next devastating terror attack. Tense, twisty and as watchable as Slow Horses. Available to watch now on ITVX.
The Capture
There are three excellent instalments of The Capture to enjoy, and each is more gripping than the last. The first two saw Holliday Grainger's DI Rachel Carey race against the clock to get to the bottom of two major conspiracies that involved video manipulation. Series three, which aired earlier this year, picks up a year after she broadcast a live deepfake of a government minister to the nation and her hopes to regain the public’s trust in surveillance technology are thrown off course when an act of terror occurs. Pure genius. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
