Intricate plots, heart-pounding action sequences and bucketfuls of suspense. Just three of the ingredients that make the spy genre so gripping.
Amazon Prime Video’s new crime thriller, The Assassin, is no exception, having proved popular with critics since landing on the streamer last week.
Metro‘s own TV editor, Sabrina Barr, awarded the series four stars, praising its ‘gripping twists’ and confessing it had her on the edge of her seat from the very beginning.
The series stars Keeley Hawes, who is no stranger to spy thrillers, having previously appeared in Bodyguard and Spooks, as a retired former assassin living in Greece.
Her life is turned upside down when her estranged son (played by Freddie Highmore) arrives on the remote island. They soon find themselves on the run, and she is reluctantly drawn back into her former profession.
Metro readers have their say
Following the popularity of The Assassin, we asked Metro readers to share more of their favourite TV spy thrillers.
From a ‘tantalising’ limited series to long-running classics, these are the five shows that came highly recommended by our readers…
Metro’s review of The Assassin
‘I was immediately enraptured by The Assassin’s fast-paced action and cleverly choreographed fight sequences, as well as the wry British wit embodied by Julie and Edward as they strive to make something of their awkward relationship. Despite the wild twists and turns of the story, it still feels relatable and grounded at its core.
‘Julie’s no-nonsense wisecracks are a joy to watch, as is Edward’s bumbling nature as he’s forced to grapple with his entire world being flipped upside down. While he’s the sensible one, his mother lives life on the reckless side – an entertaining subversion of the typical roles played by a parent and child.’
The Night Manager
Metro readers James Lyddall and Pramuditha Lakshan both recommended The Night Manager, which boasts a star-studded cast including Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki and Tom Hollander.
The BBC thriller is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by John le Carré, who is known for his gripping novels about espionage.
The critically acclaimed thriller aired on BBC One in 2016, picking up three Golden Globes among many other awards.
It follows Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston), a former British soldier working as a hotel night porter, who must infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Roper (Laurie).
In good news for its many fans, the BBC revealed last year that the spy thriller will be returning for not one but two new series, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role.
The release date for series two has not yet been confirmed.
Where to watch: All six episodes of The Night Manager are available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Prime Video.
The Americans
Another award-winning series, The Americans, came highly recommended by Metro readers.
Simone Rumfitt and Chathurinda Sumithraarachchi both suggested the series, which is set during the Cold War and follows the marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C.
Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) are in an arranged marriage, but their connection soon becomes genuine.
As the demands of their job increase, so does the personal toll, and their ability to protect both their cover and their family’s safety becomes much more difficult.
One reader said of the series, which aired between 2013 and 2018: ‘This is a top five favourite show for me, not a single misstep or bad season, just a show that started great and got consistently better season to season and ends perfectly.’
Many fans have raved about the ending of The Americans, with one reader hailing it as: ‘One of the best series finales ever.’
Where to watch: All six seasons of The Americans are available to stream on Channel 4.
Slow Horses
Unsurprisingly, several Metro readers also praised Apple TV Plus smash hit Slow Horses — and particularly Gary Oldman’s performance as the dishevelled and obnoxious Secret Service agent Jackson Lamb.
A user calling themselves Green4cl0ver added of the series, which follows a dysfunctional group of MI5 outcasts: ‘This is how modern spy shows should be!’
The show is so popular that it’s already been renewed for a seventh season, even though the fifth instalment is yet to air.
Set in modern-day London, the agents, who have been relegated to a run-down office called Slough House, must navigate the smoke and mirrors world of espionage along with their rude and flatulent boss.
Slow Horses season five will arrive on Apple TV Plus on September 24.
Metro’s review of Slow Horses
Metro TV reporter Ruth Lawes awarded the latest season of Slow Horses five stars in her review, writing that the show ‘should be bigger than Line of Duty’.
‘The drama does away with most thriller tropes – from an overabundance of female victims to missing children in backwater towns – and is all the more compelling for it.
‘Season 4 takes this up a notch by making the plot, normally what drives any thriller, almost secondary to the characters.
‘Despite their various vulgarities, I cried twice during the season because, for the first time in a long time in a crime drama, I actually cared about them.
‘It’s not just Oldman, who puts in a performance of a lifetime, but the rest of the Slough House misfits I’m rooting for too.’
Where to watch: All four episodes of Slow Horses are available to watch on Apple TV Plus.
The Diplomat
Elsewhere, Netflix hit The Diplomat was praised by Metro readers as ‘one of the smartest shows on television’.
The series follows a US diplomat (played by Keri Russell), who juggles her job as ambassador to the United Kingdom with her strained marriage to a political star (Rufus Sewell).
As she attempts to defuse international crises and form strategic alliances with other countries, her husband Hal finds it difficult to step out of the spotlight and let his wife shine.
And there’s more to come, with the series soon returning for a third season.
Though the release date is yet to be confirmed, Netflix has said The Diplomat season three is expected to land in Autumn 2025.
Where to watch: Both seasons of The Diplomat are available to watch on Netflix.
More spy thrillers to binge
- Netflix quietly adds all 4 episodes of ‘gripping’ spy thriller with Line of Duty star
- Gripping BBC thriller that fans praised ‘stunningly good’ now available on Netflix
- Amazon Prime fans rush to binge ‘incredible’ spy thriller axed 10 years ago
- We’ve found your next binge-watch from the creators of Netflix’s Black Doves
Spooks
Several readers mentioned BBC series Spooks, which ran for 10 seasons between 2002 and 2011.
It follows a group of MI5 operatives who are tasked with keeping Britain safe from organised crime and terrorist activity. Metro reader Val Howard said it’s so good that they’re rewatching all the old episodes.
The show saw a number of stars make appearances throughout, including The Assassin’s Keeley Hawes as well as Matthew Macfadyen, Robert Hardy, Nicola Walker and Hugh Laurie, to name a few.
The complex plots and strong characters made Spooks an instant hit for the BBC, with audiences showering praise on the series.
Though some viewers at the time criticised the activities of the intelligence officers as unrealistic, audiences in recent years have commented on how relevant some of the storylines are to today.
Where to watch: All 10 series of Spooks are available to watch on BBC iPlayer and UKTV.
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