TV series like Slow Horses?
April 16, 2022 3:13 PM Subscribe
I’m impatiently waiting for the next episode of Apple TV’s Slow Horses and am wondering if there are similar things that I could watch until then. Preferences listed inside.
Something with
I want something I can stream via Canadian Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, Crave (HBO). I don’t have access to Disney+ or Hulu.
Thank you!
Something with
- spies, intrigue and double crossing
- a diverse ensemble cast working together on something urgent and high stakes (rather than a lone wolf spy),
- clever dialogue
- doesn't take itself too seriously; has humour but not silliness
I want something I can stream via Canadian Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, Crave (HBO). I don’t have access to Disney+ or Hulu.
Thank you!
Herron - author of the Slow Horses books - is often compared to Le Carre, who wrote Little Drummer Girl.
posted by Mid at 3:34 PM on April 16, 2022
posted by Mid at 3:34 PM on April 16, 2022
The Night Manager, maybe? More lone wolfy but not lone wolf.
posted by dobbs at 4:08 PM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 4:08 PM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, though it's a movie and not a show. (Though it was a show years ago.)
posted by dobbs at 4:09 PM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 4:09 PM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Maybe you would like The Americans but I think it takes itself pretty seriously. It's my favorite show ever but it isn't usually funny.
Since you have Prime, The Night Manager is an excellent adaptation (Olivia Colman, Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie) of the Le Carre novel. But it isn't funny either.
I'm looking forward to seeing the other answers.
posted by kingless at 4:10 PM on April 16, 2022
Since you have Prime, The Night Manager is an excellent adaptation (Olivia Colman, Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie) of the Le Carre novel. But it isn't funny either.
I'm looking forward to seeing the other answers.
posted by kingless at 4:10 PM on April 16, 2022
Best answer: There was a show years ago that was similar called Rubicon that's on AMC.
Also, Counterpart, if you can handle a little sci-fi twist.
The later seasons of Foyle's War (post WWII) have more intelligence intrigue.
The Hour is from the POV of reporters that get ensnared in some MI5 stuff.
Also, Spies of Warsaw, London Spy, Covert Affairs, Alias and the Alec Guiness movies Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People.
posted by typetive at 4:26 PM on April 16, 2022 [6 favorites]
Also, Counterpart, if you can handle a little sci-fi twist.
The later seasons of Foyle's War (post WWII) have more intelligence intrigue.
The Hour is from the POV of reporters that get ensnared in some MI5 stuff.
Also, Spies of Warsaw, London Spy, Covert Affairs, Alias and the Alec Guiness movies Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People.
posted by typetive at 4:26 PM on April 16, 2022 [6 favorites]
Definitely falls on the lighter side of the scale, but Burn Notice might be worth checking out.
posted by sardonyx at 5:13 PM on April 16, 2022
posted by sardonyx at 5:13 PM on April 16, 2022
Another vote for Counterpart.
Some seasons of Fargo (2, 4) have this dynamic between rival crime syndicates. Each season stands on its own with only small ties between them, so you don't need to watch the other seasons to understand anything.
Berlin has spies, ensemble cast, high stakes, but is mostly not funny.
Giri/Haji has double crossing, diverse ensemble cast, high stakes, humor.
In Travelers, they aren't spies, per se, but operate similarly. Diverse cast, high stakes, sometimes funny. Sci-fi elements.
posted by automatic cabinet at 6:05 PM on April 16, 2022
Some seasons of Fargo (2, 4) have this dynamic between rival crime syndicates. Each season stands on its own with only small ties between them, so you don't need to watch the other seasons to understand anything.
Berlin has spies, ensemble cast, high stakes, but is mostly not funny.
Giri/Haji has double crossing, diverse ensemble cast, high stakes, humor.
In Travelers, they aren't spies, per se, but operate similarly. Diverse cast, high stakes, sometimes funny. Sci-fi elements.
posted by automatic cabinet at 6:05 PM on April 16, 2022
Line of Duty? Not technically spies but the dynamics are similar. Lots of intrigue, great cast, less in the way of humor.
posted by BungaDunga at 6:12 PM on April 16, 2022
posted by BungaDunga at 6:12 PM on April 16, 2022
Response by poster: So many good suggestions! Unfortunately we've already seen and enjoyed: Little Drummer Girl, The Night Manager, London Spy, The Hour, The Courier, Giri/Haji, Fargo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People (jeez, I didn't think we had watched that many spy series/movies but I guess we have).
So many of the rest sound really good but they're not on our Canadian streaming services or just on Disney+. However, we can access Spies of Warsaw (DAVID TENNANT!) and The Spy, so I think we will start with those! Also have never seen Line of Duty and it's on Canadian Prime so maybe it's time to check that out.
The humour thing is interesting...it's not like Slow Horses is a bundle of laughs but I guess "not taking itself too seriously" is a good descriptor for what I'm looking for. Not a comedy but not ploddingly serious.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:28 PM on April 16, 2022
So many of the rest sound really good but they're not on our Canadian streaming services or just on Disney+. However, we can access Spies of Warsaw (DAVID TENNANT!) and The Spy, so I think we will start with those! Also have never seen Line of Duty and it's on Canadian Prime so maybe it's time to check that out.
The humour thing is interesting...it's not like Slow Horses is a bundle of laughs but I guess "not taking itself too seriously" is a good descriptor for what I'm looking for. Not a comedy but not ploddingly serious.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:28 PM on April 16, 2022
Turn Spy series/ Jaimie Bell is the lead. Really engrossing, lots of great support characters.
Munich: The Edge of War George McKay is the lead, really tense and great acting.
Jack Ryan With the awesome Wendell Pierce from The Wire as his partner. Lots of action and well written intriguing plots.
posted by effluvia at 7:02 PM on April 16, 2022
Munich: The Edge of War George McKay is the lead, really tense and great acting.
Jack Ryan With the awesome Wendell Pierce from The Wire as his partner. Lots of action and well written intriguing plots.
posted by effluvia at 7:02 PM on April 16, 2022
I am annoyed on your behalf that you don't get Counterpart on Prime in Canada. It's ridiculously good.
posted by wierdo at 7:19 PM on April 16, 2022
posted by wierdo at 7:19 PM on April 16, 2022
There are at least 2 shows called Line of Duty. You want the British one about AC-12. It's excellent. For some reason S5 and only S5 is on Netflix.
Also, some Canadian libraries (like Toronto) allow you to have free access to Kanopy, which has a lot of great shows and movies. You might want to check it out.
Oh, and not at all spies, but if you have the Criterion Channel, I would suggest Le Trou, a French prison movie. I would wager you'd love it. (I do and am also enjoying Slow Horses.)
posted by dobbs at 8:42 PM on April 16, 2022
Also, some Canadian libraries (like Toronto) allow you to have free access to Kanopy, which has a lot of great shows and movies. You might want to check it out.
Oh, and not at all spies, but if you have the Criterion Channel, I would suggest Le Trou, a French prison movie. I would wager you'd love it. (I do and am also enjoying Slow Horses.)
posted by dobbs at 8:42 PM on April 16, 2022
I used to love MI-5 (original BBC title “Spooks”).
posted by matildaben at 10:12 PM on April 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by matildaben at 10:12 PM on April 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't know if this is available in Canada, but Un Village Français is amazing. Small French town occupied by Nazi Germany. Lots of intrigue. There is both a Gaulliste Resistance and a Communist Resistance. There are humorous moments but I wouldn't call it funny.
posted by basalganglia at 3:24 AM on April 17, 2022
posted by basalganglia at 3:24 AM on April 17, 2022
Seconding MI-5/Spooks, although it only seems to be streaming on BritBox at the moment...
posted by genehack at 12:10 PM on April 17, 2022
posted by genehack at 12:10 PM on April 17, 2022
I don't know if available on your listed streaming services in Canada but the French series The Bureau.
posted by numberstation at 3:09 PM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by numberstation at 3:09 PM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: These suggestions are maybe more spy-adjacent than traditional Le Carre fare, and I don't know about Canadian access, but:
You should check out Patriot, on Prime. Very unusual tonally, a bit surreal, but very well done. Nobody seems to have watched it, don't know why, I thought it was great.
Also on prime, a german import, Beat was an interesting variation on the spy thing: a house music promoter gets recruited by secret service types.
If you can do historical, Babylon Berlin is set in 1920's Germany, between the wars, with lots of undercover intrigue between various factions leading up to the rise of Hitler; was on Netflix. (Here's the theme song / trailer)
Bodyguard, also on Netflix, was pretty solid (but mostly minus the humor, iirc).
posted by Bron at 3:54 PM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
You should check out Patriot, on Prime. Very unusual tonally, a bit surreal, but very well done. Nobody seems to have watched it, don't know why, I thought it was great.
Also on prime, a german import, Beat was an interesting variation on the spy thing: a house music promoter gets recruited by secret service types.
If you can do historical, Babylon Berlin is set in 1920's Germany, between the wars, with lots of undercover intrigue between various factions leading up to the rise of Hitler; was on Netflix. (Here's the theme song / trailer)
Bodyguard, also on Netflix, was pretty solid (but mostly minus the humor, iirc).
posted by Bron at 3:54 PM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
Older, but Burn Notice? Just make sure you watch more than one, Fiona's atrocious accent disappears after episode 1.
posted by magnetsphere at 6:04 PM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by magnetsphere at 6:04 PM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: "New Tricks" is an older series but focuses on retired police officers solving cold cases. It's cool in that it flashes back to when the officers were younger, working on the case to present day. There is some humor as well.
"The Outlaws" is a new series about a group of strangers who come together during community service. The characters are little eccentric, but if you can get past that, there is humor and a case to be solved. Christopher Walken is really good in it too.
Tokyo Vice, Reacher, Suspicion, are also in the crime-genre as well.
posted by BerlinBerlin at 6:56 PM on April 17, 2022
"The Outlaws" is a new series about a group of strangers who come together during community service. The characters are little eccentric, but if you can get past that, there is humor and a case to be solved. Christopher Walken is really good in it too.
Tokyo Vice, Reacher, Suspicion, are also in the crime-genre as well.
posted by BerlinBerlin at 6:56 PM on April 17, 2022
Love spy TV, and have recently enjoyed two Israeli shows featuring Moussad agents: “Tehran” on Apple TV is brilliant, as is “Fauda” on Netflix. Both with diverse (if implausibly sexy) casting, great soundtracks, high-octane teamwork and double-crossing scenarios, clever dialogue and realistic, nuanced character development. Both shows are not funny exactly, but definitely don’t take themselves as seriously as some UK and US spy shows I’ve seen. Personally I found “The Americans” a bit earnest somehow.
In a similar genre I recommend “Undercover” on Netflix which is a Belgian-Dutch production and has all the qualities listed above.
posted by Weng at 10:22 PM on April 17, 2022
In a similar genre I recommend “Undercover” on Netflix which is a Belgian-Dutch production and has all the qualities listed above.
posted by Weng at 10:22 PM on April 17, 2022
You should check out Patriot, on Prime. Very unusual tonally, a bit surreal, but very well done. Nobody seems to have watched it, don't know why, I thought it was great.
Seconding this. It's great and weird and I agree with Bron, very unusual tonally, very directorially attentive and the acting is great. A few people you'd recognize and many you wouldn't. Wraps up nice, kind of. Main cast is mostly not diverse (many members of a single family), extended cast definitely is and I feel like they make an effort in this regard.
I also assume you've seen US or UK House of Cards, it's more political intrigue than spycraft but there's a lot of intelligence gathering and double-crossing so it feels similar.
posted by jessamyn at 11:39 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding this. It's great and weird and I agree with Bron, very unusual tonally, very directorially attentive and the acting is great. A few people you'd recognize and many you wouldn't. Wraps up nice, kind of. Main cast is mostly not diverse (many members of a single family), extended cast definitely is and I feel like they make an effort in this regard.
I also assume you've seen US or UK House of Cards, it's more political intrigue than spycraft but there's a lot of intelligence gathering and double-crossing so it feels similar.
posted by jessamyn at 11:39 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Another vote for Rubicon. Very solid choice if you can access it.
posted by sl1ce at 5:34 AM on April 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by sl1ce at 5:34 AM on April 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
I also loved Patriot and their not renewing for a 3rd season is one of the reasons I left Prime.
How about Occupied on Netflix?
posted by dobbs at 9:28 AM on April 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
How about Occupied on Netflix?
posted by dobbs at 9:28 AM on April 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Lives of Others on Criterion (might also be on Kanopy in Canada).
posted by dobbs at 9:29 AM on April 21, 2022
posted by dobbs at 9:29 AM on April 21, 2022
There was a show years ago that was similar called Rubicon that's on AMC.
I thought Rubicon was cancelled after only one season because I was the only person watching it! No one I know has ever even heard of it.
I also enjoyed the first season of Berlin Station, which had a John le Carré kind of feel to it, but unfortunately I don't remember it being too light or humorous. I somehow seem to have missed that there are two new seasons out.
Full disclosure: I haven't watched Slow Horses yet, but it's near the top of my list, right after Severance.
Fun post, it looks like there is a bunch of good stuff that I need to check out!
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:33 PM on April 21, 2022
I thought Rubicon was cancelled after only one season because I was the only person watching it! No one I know has ever even heard of it.
I also enjoyed the first season of Berlin Station, which had a John le Carré kind of feel to it, but unfortunately I don't remember it being too light or humorous. I somehow seem to have missed that there are two new seasons out.
Full disclosure: I haven't watched Slow Horses yet, but it's near the top of my list, right after Severance.
Fun post, it looks like there is a bunch of good stuff that I need to check out!
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:33 PM on April 21, 2022
Response by poster: So far I've managed to stream Spies of Warsaw on Prime, which I enjoyed, though it doesn't hit the tone I'm looking for (more focused on individuals than a team and a bit slow and serious). I'll keep watching these suggestions as I'm able to, though, because they are really good. And even though I've watched lots of the ones suggested already, I think they're great recommendations for people who haven't seen them yet.
I'm shocked how different the Canadian/non-Canadian streaming options are on the same platforms. There are so many of these that sound GREAT but I can't access them. However, it does look like I can access The Outlaws, Undercover, New Tricks, Beat, and Patriot, and Tehran so I'll be checking these out.
We watched Suspicion right when it came out and can confirm it is a great match for Slow Horses. And Occupied! Yes. We binged that pretty hard.
(Also, I have to heartily endorse dobbs' suggestion of The Lives of Others. Nothing light or amusing about it whatsoever, but it is an excellent movie that has stayed with me ever since I saw it in the theatre many years ago. I think the ending made me cry, actually.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:29 PM on April 22, 2022
I'm shocked how different the Canadian/non-Canadian streaming options are on the same platforms. There are so many of these that sound GREAT but I can't access them. However, it does look like I can access The Outlaws, Undercover, New Tricks, Beat, and Patriot, and Tehran so I'll be checking these out.
We watched Suspicion right when it came out and can confirm it is a great match for Slow Horses. And Occupied! Yes. We binged that pretty hard.
(Also, I have to heartily endorse dobbs' suggestion of The Lives of Others. Nothing light or amusing about it whatsoever, but it is an excellent movie that has stayed with me ever since I saw it in the theatre many years ago. I think the ending made me cry, actually.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:29 PM on April 22, 2022
Response by poster: Currently watching and enjoying The Outlaws—it’s really close to what I am looking for.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:00 AM on May 19, 2022
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:00 AM on May 19, 2022
Collateral (2018)
The Worricker Trilogy, starring Bill Nighy:
Page Eight (2011)
Turks & Caicos (2014)
Salting the Battlefield (2014)
posted by kirkaracha at 1:44 PM on February 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Worricker Trilogy, starring Bill Nighy:
Page Eight (2011)
Turks & Caicos (2014)
Salting the Battlefield (2014)
posted by kirkaracha at 1:44 PM on February 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Mid at 3:31 PM on April 16, 2022 [3 favorites]