Apple TV+ is slowly but surely building up a prestige lineup of original series, with Slow Horses being one of the standouts. The series’ fourth season is underway and a fifth was already green-lit by Apple in January 2024. Adapted from author Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, the live-action adaptation successfully translates its spy drama and bleak humor.
The spy genre has spawned many great serialized stories over the years, from a thrilling FX Cold War drama to Amazon Prime Video’s Tom Clancy adaptation. Fans will have plenty to dig into during their inevitable wait for Slow Horses’ MI5 rejects to return in season 5.
The Americans (2013-2018)
While fans won’t find the brand of dark, sardonic humor of Slow Horses in FX’s The Americans, they’ll be kept on edge with its drama. Helmed by showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, the series takes place during the tension of the Cold War and focuses on two Soviet KGB agents.
The Diplomat’s Keri Russell and Perry Mason’s Matthew Rhys star as the Soviet plants and pose as a married American couple. Fans of spy thrillers and period-piece stories will be well-catered to with The Americans. The series was widely acclaimed across its six-season-long run for the riveting dynamic between its co-leads, as well as the tense relationships that develop from their characters’ high-stakes missions.
The Americans is available to stream now on Hulu and purchase on Apple TV.
Jack Ryan (2018-2023)
Author Tom Clancy paved the way for a lucrative multimedia franchise that included movies, video games, and TV shows. For the latter, Amazon Prime Video’s Jack Ryan was the franchise’s recent hit. Created by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland, this adaptation sees The Office and A Quiet Place star John Krasinski as the titular agent on a string of deadly field assignments.
Once a CIA analyst working quietly behind a desk, Jack’s life is uprooted when he tracks down several suspicious bank transfers. Jack Ryan certainly leans harder on its action-thriller elements, but spy fans will find plenty of tension in the Prime Video original. Even without reinventing the genre wheel, Jack Ryan is elevated by a compelling lead performance from Krasinski, exciting action set pieces, and political intrigue.
Jack Ryan is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video and purchase on Apple TV.
Bodyguard (2018)
Created and written by Jed Mercurio originally for the BBC, Bodyguard is one of the best spy-thrillers available to stream. The six-episode miniseries features Game of Thrones star Richard Madden as Police Sergeant David Budd, a British Afghanistan war veteran.
Budd finds himself assigned to personally guard Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) — despite loathing her war-time policies. Bodyguard is one of the most compelling miniseries on Netflix overall, featuring a well-paced and dramatic story that justifies its tight runtime. The controversial politics and tense dynamic between Madden and Hawes’ characters are palpable off the screen, which is all supported by a terrorist plot that’s always involving.
Bodyguard is available to stream now on Netflix and to purchase on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
The first two episodes of Slow Horses season 4 are available to stream now on Apple TV+, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday.
