The Americans: "proshchay" seems to be the hardest word
June 5, 2018 2:11 PM Subscribe
In the wake of The Americans ending, please recommend great podcasts/fiction/nonfiction/shows/films/etc. to scratch my continuing itch for the Cold War and/or espionage! [spoiler-free]
Some things in this vein I've already enjoyed:
- Slate's The Americans Insider podcast, plus the most recent episode of Vox's I Think You’re Interesting podcast (interviews with Matthew Rhys and Joe Weisburg/Joel Fields).
- Jack Barsky's Deep Undercover autobiography just went on my wishlist (per Matthew Rhys mentioning it in the Vox interview)
- Deutschland 83 (is Deutschland 86 available in the US yet?)
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: the film with Gary Oldman, not the TV series with Alec Guinness, though I definitely want to watch the series. (On that note, I've heard the original version that aired on the BBC is far superior than the edited version that aired in the US, but I'm not quite clear how to ensure that I get my hands on the UK version. Anyone know?)
- Atomic Blonde: I didn’t necessarily love it, but it was fun. Please note that I'm not looking for a lot of recommendations in this vein -- I'm definitely interested in things more on the Tinker, Tailor side of the spectrum -- but if it's really good, feel free to mention it.
- Just started Killing Eve (it's obviously contemporary, not Cold War, but I’m definitely loving it so far)
Thanks!
Some things in this vein I've already enjoyed:
- Slate's The Americans Insider podcast, plus the most recent episode of Vox's I Think You’re Interesting podcast (interviews with Matthew Rhys and Joe Weisburg/Joel Fields).
- Jack Barsky's Deep Undercover autobiography just went on my wishlist (per Matthew Rhys mentioning it in the Vox interview)
- Deutschland 83 (is Deutschland 86 available in the US yet?)
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: the film with Gary Oldman, not the TV series with Alec Guinness, though I definitely want to watch the series. (On that note, I've heard the original version that aired on the BBC is far superior than the edited version that aired in the US, but I'm not quite clear how to ensure that I get my hands on the UK version. Anyone know?)
- Atomic Blonde: I didn’t necessarily love it, but it was fun. Please note that I'm not looking for a lot of recommendations in this vein -- I'm definitely interested in things more on the Tinker, Tailor side of the spectrum -- but if it's really good, feel free to mention it.
- Just started Killing Eve (it's obviously contemporary, not Cold War, but I’m definitely loving it so far)
Thanks!
The Sandbaggers, the Sandbaggers, the Sandbaggers. Like the Americans and Tinker Tailor, it was written by an ex-spy turned writer, and is their only match, as far as I'm concerned. And oh man, the emotional brutality. It was made for a budget that was tiny even for the miniscule TV budgets of the time, but it's been a decade, and I still remember the way I felt after watching this one particular episode in the first season.
The first couple volumes of Queen & Country by Greg Rucka are basically the comic version of The Sandbaggers.
posted by joyceanmachine at 2:27 PM on June 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
The first couple volumes of Queen & Country by Greg Rucka are basically the comic version of The Sandbaggers.
posted by joyceanmachine at 2:27 PM on June 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Try the BBC mini-series Edge of Darkness if you can find it. My favourite bit of late-Cold War drama.
posted by N-stoff at 2:28 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by N-stoff at 2:28 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I really liked the BBC series The Game. (YT trailer)
It only got the one season though.
posted by juv3nal at 2:45 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
It only got the one season though.
posted by juv3nal at 2:45 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Alan Furst. The first one in the series is Night Soldiers
The Sandbaggers -we did a run on FanFare.
but I'm not quite clear how to ensure that I get my hands on the UK version. Anyone know?
You know, old boy, sometimes these things are just laying around and one picks them up... I'm sure one of the wranglers, these circuits-and-networks types could fill you in on it.
You might be interested in a bit of stale beer...
posted by the man of twists and turns at 2:46 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Sandbaggers -we did a run on FanFare.
but I'm not quite clear how to ensure that I get my hands on the UK version. Anyone know?
You know, old boy, sometimes these things are just laying around and one picks them up... I'm sure one of the wranglers, these circuits-and-networks types could fill you in on it.
You might be interested in a bit of stale beer...
posted by the man of twists and turns at 2:46 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
I don't know if you're into fantasy at all, but Tim Powers' Declare is a Cold War spy novel that invents a secret, supernatural history for documented real-life events. It's quite something.
Also, Joe Haldeman's Tool of the Trade has a main character who is, like the main characters of "The Americans," a KGB agent living under deep cover in the US during the Cold War. It is otherwise very different from that show, but it's a fun little sci-fi thriller.
posted by kindall at 2:47 PM on June 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Also, Joe Haldeman's Tool of the Trade has a main character who is, like the main characters of "The Americans," a KGB agent living under deep cover in the US during the Cold War. It is otherwise very different from that show, but it's a fun little sci-fi thriller.
posted by kindall at 2:47 PM on June 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Emphatically seconding The Sandbaggers.
Tinker Tailor was the first of 3 books in the "Karla Trilogy." The second, "The Honourable Schoolboy," set in HK. It was considered prohibitively expensive by BBC to adapt to a miniseries in the fashion of the Alec Guinness TTSS, so they skipped ahead to the third book, "Smiley's People," again starring Guinness as Smiley and Patrick Stewart as Karla.
The second and third books of the trilogy that began with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" involve an ugly Cold War hangover which caused the Swedish government to carry out a series of abuses to young Lisbeth Salander. You can read the books, "The Girl Who Played with Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest," or you can see the Swedish movies, which are maybe TV-budget but good quality, which like the first one star the now-international stars Noomi Rapace as Salander, and Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist. The first one is worth seeing as a setup, even though it's a standalone locked-room (well, locked island) murder mystery with pre-Cold War generation of monsters in the closet; it sets up Nyqvist's and Rapace's depiction of their respective characters.
The Company is a miniseries based on the best-selling historical fiction about the CIA through from the 50s to the mid 90s. I recommend the book, but the miniseries is excellent as well, with Michael Keaton as "Mother," the CIA genius mastermind, and Alfred Molina as a Berlin Station Chief, and it follows Chris O'Donnell as the main character.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:49 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Tinker Tailor was the first of 3 books in the "Karla Trilogy." The second, "The Honourable Schoolboy," set in HK. It was considered prohibitively expensive by BBC to adapt to a miniseries in the fashion of the Alec Guinness TTSS, so they skipped ahead to the third book, "Smiley's People," again starring Guinness as Smiley and Patrick Stewart as Karla.
The second and third books of the trilogy that began with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" involve an ugly Cold War hangover which caused the Swedish government to carry out a series of abuses to young Lisbeth Salander. You can read the books, "The Girl Who Played with Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest," or you can see the Swedish movies, which are maybe TV-budget but good quality, which like the first one star the now-international stars Noomi Rapace as Salander, and Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist. The first one is worth seeing as a setup, even though it's a standalone locked-room (well, locked island) murder mystery with pre-Cold War generation of monsters in the closet; it sets up Nyqvist's and Rapace's depiction of their respective characters.
The Company is a miniseries based on the best-selling historical fiction about the CIA through from the 50s to the mid 90s. I recommend the book, but the miniseries is excellent as well, with Michael Keaton as "Mother," the CIA genius mastermind, and Alfred Molina as a Berlin Station Chief, and it follows Chris O'Donnell as the main character.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:49 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
> but I'm not quite clear how to ensure that I get my hands on the UK version. Anyone know?
Amazon.co.uk have a DVD which claims a 350 minute running time.
The original series had 7 episodes so 350 minutes would be 50 minutes each which seems to me to the right length from my memory.
posted by southof40 at 2:50 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Amazon.co.uk have a DVD which claims a 350 minute running time.
The original series had 7 episodes so 350 minutes would be 50 minutes each which seems to me to the right length from my memory.
posted by southof40 at 2:50 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Starz' series Counterpart, with J.K. Simmons, was very much Cold War espionage crossed with one very specific sci-fi element. Not necessarily quite what you're looking for but it might well scratch the same itch.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 2:56 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 2:56 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Don't forget that DVDs are region-locked, and UK is a different region than North America.
The solution is to get a cheap DVD-ROM drive, which can connect to computer via USB, and runs around $15. You can switch the region on that one only so you don't have to mess with any built-in DVD drives, or whatnot.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:04 PM on June 5, 2018
The solution is to get a cheap DVD-ROM drive, which can connect to computer via USB, and runs around $15. You can switch the region on that one only so you don't have to mess with any built-in DVD drives, or whatnot.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:04 PM on June 5, 2018
I enjoyed the book Red Sparrow. The movie sounds bad, but with the book I could skim over the particularly unpleasant parts.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:26 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:26 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
> Don't forget that DVDs are region-locked
Ah, good point.
I don't really understand how/why but my DVD player doesn't care about regions so I'd forgotten about all that nonsense.
posted by southof40 at 3:46 PM on June 5, 2018
Ah, good point.
I don't really understand how/why but my DVD player doesn't care about regions so I'd forgotten about all that nonsense.
posted by southof40 at 3:46 PM on June 5, 2018
Len Deighton wrote three Cold War spy trilogies that I liked quite a bit - the book that starts it all is Berlin Game.
According to Wikipedia, there was a 1988 television adaptation of the first trilogy starring Ian Holm and Mel Martin, but it tanked in the ratings and has never been released on vhs/dvd.
posted by mogget at 3:54 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
According to Wikipedia, there was a 1988 television adaptation of the first trilogy starring Ian Holm and Mel Martin, but it tanked in the ratings and has never been released on vhs/dvd.
posted by mogget at 3:54 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'd recommend the fiction - books - of John LeCarre, alreadymentioned here in their film and TV adaptations:
Here's a list, start with The Spy who Came In from the Cold and end at The Russia House for the most cold-war action.
posted by sol at 4:05 PM on June 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Here's a list, start with The Spy who Came In from the Cold and end at The Russia House for the most cold-war action.
posted by sol at 4:05 PM on June 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
I want to second the recommendation of Starz' "Counterpart" - a great vehicle for J.K. Simmons, already renewed for a second season, and there are Fanfare posts up for every S1 episode if you have any thoughts/questions along the way.
posted by oh yeah! at 4:34 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by oh yeah! at 4:34 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
The historical arcs covered on the excellent (nonfiction) Safe for Democracy podcast by MeFi's Own™ TheProfessor frequently involve details of Cold War espionage.
In the unlikely event you haven't seen it the film version of The Hunt for Red October is a classic that sits at the cusp of espionage and military stuff. I re-watched it recently and the historical details I've learned in the intervening decades made it an even richer experience than the first time. And Sean Connery's sorta-Russian-but-sorta-still-just-Sean-Connery accent is timelessly entertaining.
I saw the 1962 film version of The Manchurian Candidate for the first time last year and quite enjoyed it. Now-Dame Angela Lansbury is awesome, plus the other titans of mid-20th-century Hollywood.
posted by XMLicious at 4:51 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
In the unlikely event you haven't seen it the film version of The Hunt for Red October is a classic that sits at the cusp of espionage and military stuff. I re-watched it recently and the historical details I've learned in the intervening decades made it an even richer experience than the first time. And Sean Connery's sorta-Russian-but-sorta-still-just-Sean-Connery accent is timelessly entertaining.
I saw the 1962 film version of The Manchurian Candidate for the first time last year and quite enjoyed it. Now-Dame Angela Lansbury is awesome, plus the other titans of mid-20th-century Hollywood.
posted by XMLicious at 4:51 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
You can pick up a region-free DVD player for pretty darned cheap. Region-free Bluray is MUCH more of a pain.
posted by praemunire at 4:58 PM on June 5, 2018
posted by praemunire at 4:58 PM on June 5, 2018
......start with The Spy who Came In from the Cold and end at The Russia House for the most cold-war action.
And don't neglect the recent A Legacy Of Spies, which revisits characters from the classic novels, and, especially, from The Spy who Came In from the Cold.
posted by thelonius at 5:00 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
And don't neglect the recent A Legacy Of Spies, which revisits characters from the classic novels, and, especially, from The Spy who Came In from the Cold.
posted by thelonius at 5:00 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Larry Wilmore interviewed Americans' producer Joel Fields on his podcast. Joel mentioned one book, The Sword and the Shield, which is about a stolen archive of KGB material smuggled out of the Russia in 1992. I haven't read it, but Fields is pretty enthusiastic.
posted by thenormshow at 7:40 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by thenormshow at 7:40 PM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
The BBC radio adaptations of all of the Smiley novels are superb, with Simon Russell Beale as Smiley.
I’ve listened to all of them multiple times. You can buy them on Amazon.
posted by Happy Dave at 11:15 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I’ve listened to all of them multiple times. You can buy them on Amazon.
posted by Happy Dave at 11:15 PM on June 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I don't believe Deutschland '86 has been released anywhere yet. (I'm waiting for it as well ...)
Das Leben Der Anderen was excellent.
A Most Wanted Man isn't my favourite adaptation of Le Carré, but Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nina Hoss make up for a lot.
Sergei Kostin's Farewell was quite good; he was a consultant on The Americans and the information in his book was the basis for, among other things, how Nina's execution was handled.
A film has been made based on his book as well; I've not seen it yet but it's in the queue.
Seconding Le Carré's Karla Trilogy; much of his stuff is worth reading but that and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold are the most likely to scratch your current itch. The Looking Glass War as well — same subject matter but with a slight spin.
posted by myotahapea at 1:24 AM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Das Leben Der Anderen was excellent.
A Most Wanted Man isn't my favourite adaptation of Le Carré, but Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nina Hoss make up for a lot.
Sergei Kostin's Farewell was quite good; he was a consultant on The Americans and the information in his book was the basis for, among other things, how Nina's execution was handled.
A film has been made based on his book as well; I've not seen it yet but it's in the queue.
Seconding Le Carré's Karla Trilogy; much of his stuff is worth reading but that and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold are the most likely to scratch your current itch. The Looking Glass War as well — same subject matter but with a slight spin.
posted by myotahapea at 1:24 AM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
(It seems The Looking Glass War was filmed also; this is the extent of my knowledge of it, but it does have Anthony Hopkins.)
posted by myotahapea at 1:35 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by myotahapea at 1:35 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Have you seen Spooks? UK spy series about 10-15 years old so it doesn’t have the Cold War setting but is more focused on traditional spy craft (bugging rooms, safe houses, meeting contacts, trailing suspects) rather than action scenes and shootouts. Bit silly in places (people enthusiastically sacrificing themselves completely unnecessarily) but it felt like an updated TTSS to me at the time.
Also well known for being very willing to kill off main characters unexpectedly and horrifically in the middle of the series. Should be on iplayer.
posted by tinkletown at 3:04 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also well known for being very willing to kill off main characters unexpectedly and horrifically in the middle of the series. Should be on iplayer.
posted by tinkletown at 3:04 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Nthing Counterpart- great Simmons showcase and all-around great performances from the rest of the cast.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 5:03 AM on June 6, 2018
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 5:03 AM on June 6, 2018
In terms of non-fiction, the Spy Museum in D.C. has a podcast where they interview historians, authors, former operators, etc. Depending on the subject they can be a bit dry but they have a huge back catalog that you can pick and choose from.
posted by mmascolino at 7:23 AM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by mmascolino at 7:23 AM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: So many wonderful answers - thanks, all! This will happily keep me in dead-drops and code breaking for awhile.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 11:02 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 11:02 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
This isn't *entirely* germane to your question as it isn't spy-related, but to fill the void left by The Americans I've been re-reading Colin Thubron's Among the Russians. Thubron is an excellent travel writer (and novellist, but he's more well-known for the travel books) and in this volume he spent a few months travelling by car through western Russia and some of the satellites in the early 1980's. His travel books tend to be a fascinating blend of history, observation, and accounts of interactions with the 'ordinary' people he encounters, all recorded in lyrical prose. I've rather enjoyed re-reading his experiences (IIRC he visited in 1983) and imagining Philip and Elizabeth (and Martha) being dropped into the world he describes.
(Disclaimer: He is easily one of my top three favourite writers, but given the subject matter I feel justified in the recommendation regardless.)
posted by myotahapea at 8:58 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Disclaimer: He is easily one of my top three favourite writers, but given the subject matter I feel justified in the recommendation regardless.)
posted by myotahapea at 8:58 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by orrnyereg at 2:26 PM on June 5, 2018 [3 favorites]