Almost everyone loves a good spy story.
Dashing men and glamorous women who live life on the edge to save the world from ultimate disaster make for some excellent television, but not every spy on TV fits the James Bond stereotype.
There are spies who are trying to live their lives as average Americans (while doing dirty deeds for their home country), spies who have been forced into their new career to save their families, and even spies who are bumbling idiots and shouldn’t be allowed to hold a gun.
No matter what kind of spy is your favorite, we’ve gathered the goods on 23 shows that will satisfy your espionage addiction!
Killing Eve
If you haven’t watched Killing Eve, what exactly have you been doing with your life? When desk bound MI5 agent, Eve discovers that a woman is behind a series of high-profile murders, it quickly turns into a thrilling cat-and-mouse adventure. The BBC America series is sexy and smart, and you’ll have a completely different view of serial killers after getting to know the ultra-enticing psychopath, Villanelle. Killing Eve can be streamed on BBC America.
Marvel’s Agent Carter
Sometimes networks make stupid decisions, and ABC made a major blunder when they axed Marvel’s Agent Carter in 2016 after only two seasons. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and taking place after Captain America: The First Avenger movie, Agent Peggy Carter is still working for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), but because it’s peacetime (and 1946), she finds that the men she works with don’t value her exceptional skills. Instead of sending her out on exciting missions, she’s relegated to being nothing more than a secretary until her old friend, Howard Stark calls on her for help when he finds himself in a sticky situation. Peggy finds herself back in the field kicking ass all over the place as she tries to clear Stark’s name. You can watch this unstoppable secret agent in action on Hulu.
The Night Manager
The Night Manager is a binge-worthy spy thriller that will blow your mind. It features an ultra-talented cast including Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman and follows Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston) who has been recruited by British intelligence (Colman) to bring down bad guy Roper (Laurie). Based on a 1993 novel of the same name by John le Carre, the series is smart, seductive, and addictive. The Night Manager originally aired on BBC in the UK, AMC in the US, and can currently be seen on Amazon Prime.
Deutschland 83
Set in 1983 Germany, the German-language series follows Martin Rauch who is recruited by East German agents to travel to West Germany and gather NATO military secrets regarding the Cold War. Rauch is a reluctant spy whose naivety nearly costs him the mission and missions yet to come. The series is subtitled, but you’ll forget all about that once you’re drawn into this compelling and thrilling story. A second season titled Deutschland 86 is set to premiere in October on Sundance TV in the US. Deutschland 83 can be seen on Hulu.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E
Ian Fleming was actually involved in this TV series until legal complications relating arose due to the similarity to his James Bond movies. It was Fleming who came up with Napolean Solo’s name. The series follows Solo and his team from the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement as they battled the mysterious THRUSH who wanted to rule the world. The Man from U.N.C.L.E was wildly popular when it aired back from 1964 to 1968 and spawned many copycat shows. The show can be seen on Amazon Video.
The Looming Tower
9/11 was one of the most devastating events in American history. The Looming Tower takes a hard look at how it all might have happened, and who was ultimately responsible. Could a rivalry for information between the CIA and FBI have allowed pertinent information to slip through about the impending attacks? This is explored in this high-action thrilling drama which can be currently seen on Hulu.
The Americans
You never know who your neighbors are! Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings may seem like your average American couple, but they are KGB agents living in suburban Washington, D.C. during the Reagan years. They must maintain normalcy while undertaking a variety of covert missions on behalf of their home country. This critically acclaimed show aired for six seasons on FX and can currently be seen on Netflix.
Berlin Station
On this original EPIX series which is still currently airing, CIA agent Daniel Miller is sent to the agency’s Berlin office on a covert mission to identify the source of a leak who has supplied information to a well-known whistleblower. He learns the ins and outs of what it takes to be a field agent and finds that every decision isn’t always an easy one. Past seasons can be seen on Epix or Amazon Video.
Condor
This political conspiracy thriller is based on the 1975 flick Three Days of the Condor which was itself based on the 1974 novel, Six Days of the Condor by James Grady. It follows idealistic CIA employee Joe Turner who wants to reform the agency from the inside out until he accidentally discovers a plan that could kill millions. After everyone in his office is brutally murdered, he finds himself on the run and in a battle against forces he never dreamed possible. Condor currently airs on Audience Network and past episodes can be seen on Direct TV.
Counterpart
A sci-fi spy show? What could be better? Howard Silk works for the Office of Interchange in Berlin when he discovers the agency is in the middle of a Cold War with a parallel universe that they’ve been hiding. But when an assassin arrives from this other world and starts killing people off, Silk’s spy world just got a bit more exciting — and dangerous! Counterpart currently airs on Starz.
Deep State
Max Easton is a former MI6 agent who’s been gone from the business for 10 years when he gets a call from his former boss who desperately needs his help for a Middle East mission. It is one that becomes deeply personal and which he may ultimately regret. Deep State can be seen on Epix.
Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan is a new original series from Amazon featuring John Krasinski playing the CIA analyst who gets pulled from his desk job into the field after discovering some nefarious terrorist activities.
London Spy
This is not your typical spy show as it involves regular guy Danny who gets romantically involved with a real spy. When Alex is murdered, Danny gets drawn into Alex’s secret world of lies, espionage, and conspiracies in his effort to find out the truth behind Alex’s murder. London Spy can be seen on Netflix.
The Man in the High Castle
Imagine what the world would look like if the Nazis had won World War II. That concept is explored in this original Amazon series based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick. When Juliana Crain is given a film showing an alternate history where the Nazis are defeated, she becomes involved with and runs missions for the resistance.
Spies of Warsaw
Set in Poland in the 1930s, David Tennant plays Jean Francois-Mercier, a French spy who tries to uncover Germany’s plans to invade the war. It has all the usual spy stuff, a good looking spy, beautiful women, and thrilling action. Spies of Warsaw was a four-part mini-series that aired on BBC in 2013. It can now be seen on Netflix.
Spooks (MI-5)
Spooks is a British television series that aired on BBC for 10 seasons. The series follows a team of intelligence agents tasked with saving the U.K. from terrorist and other threats. Spooks can be seen on Hulu.
The Game
The series is set in 1972 London and follows British MI5 spies as they try to stop an evil Soviet plot to destroy Britain. Like many spy shows, not everything is as is seems, and the people you thought were your friends might very well be your enemy. The Game aired on BBC for one season. It can be seen on BBC and BBC America.
Turn: Washington’s Spies
Set during the American Revolutionary War, the series is based on the true story of New York farmer Abe Woodhull who becomes a spy, along with his group of friends, in order to help his country gain independence from Britain. Turn: Washington’s Spies can be seen on Netflix.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
An elite team of agents with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, aka S.H.I.E.L.D work to rid the world of bizarre threats using cutting edge technology and various espionage tactics. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D airs on ABC, and past seasons can be seen on Netflix.
The Equalizer
A former spy decides to help those less fortunate who find themselves in desperate situations. Although Robert McCall isn’t engaging in super secret missions, he uses his spy skills and resources to save the day. The Equalizer can be seen on Amazon Video.
The Avengers
The Avengers was a popular British spy series that ran from 1961-1969. It took five years before this classic show finally made it to the U.S. World-class spy, Jonathan Steed teams up with various intelligent and engaging female assistants (the most famous being Emma Peel) to save the world from evil-doers. The Avengers can be seen on Amazon Video.
Get Smart
Spy shows and movies were all the rage in the 60s when Mel Brooks decided it was time to add a little humor to the genre. The series follows Maxwell Smart (Agent 86), Agent 99 and The Chief as they hilariously try to outsmart the bad guys and save the world from certain evil. Get Smart aired from 1965 – 1970 and can be seen on Amazon Prime.
Homeland
Going into its 8th season, Homeland is a spy thriller that follows CIA Agent Carrie Mathison as she investigates a Marine who she believes is a terrorist sleeper agent. And that’s just the beginning of Mathison’s roller coaster world. Homeland airs on Showtime and past seasons can be seen on Hulu.
