5 Best British Spy Shows, Ranked

James Bond might be the most famous spy in the world, but some of Britain’s best spy shows actually rely on subverting expectations regarding the likes of MI5 and MI6 for the modern era. Because 007’s adventures on the big screen are always loud, bombastic, and rake in millions at the box office, it would be easy to assume that every single spy story has to do the same. But that’s not exactly the case. 

Surveillance, espionage, and intelligence gathering is often a much quieter affair — which makes the spy genre perfect for the limitations of the small screen. In the last few decades, British audiences have been treated to some truly binge-worthy TV shows about spies, featuring ambitious storytelling, major stars, and jaw-dropping twists.

While many British spy shows sport numerous seasons and episodes, the BBC’s “Bodyguard” is a miniseries, with just six tense episodes led by “Game of Thrones” star Richard Madden. Madden plays David Budd, a police officer and army veteran who gets promoted to being a close protection officer for a controversial MP when he foils a terrorist attack on a train. This is where life becomes difficult for him, as Budd starts a risky affair with the woman he’s protecting.

It sounds slick and sexy, but “Bodyguard” turns Budd’s life upside down as a result of the affair, putting him at the center of a conspiracy against the government. What follows is a thrilling white-knuckle race to prove his innocence — although the show’s attempt at commentary on PTSD and shady British politics is very messy. Still, creator and writer Jed Mercurio wound the tension so tight that it’s impossible to look away. It’s also refreshing that Budd isn’t a perfect person, and makes infuriating mistakes throughout the series. Basically, “Bodyguard” is a very easy binge-watch.

“Killing Eve” was revolutionary when it first debuted on the BBC back in 2018. The series follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), who joins a secret division of MI6 tasked with taking down a formidable assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer), and the mysterious organization she works for. Eve’s investigation puts her on a collision course with the killer, and the pair become obsessed with each other. The first two seasons revel in their will-they-won’t-they dynamic, and the chemistry between Oh and Comer is superb. 

The idea of the pair even considering some kind of relationship is fascinating, especially when their obsessions start blurring the lines of their respective jobs. It’s unfortunate that Season 3 and Season 4 nosedive in quality, as storylines become muddled the further it gets into “The Twelve” — the secret organization which uses Villanelle as a hitwoman. Ultimately, “Killing Eve” started with a bang, but ends with a disappointing whimper, which is why it doesn’t climb the same heights as other amazing British spy shows.

Netflix’s “Black Doves” delivered a grimy Christmas binge-watch back in 2024. The series stars Kiera Knightley as Helen, an agent for a private intelligence company called the Black Doves. Helen has been strategically placed into a relationship with the U.K.’s Secretary of Defence, but has been having an affair with Jason (Andrew Koji), a government employee, on the side. When Jason turns up dead, Helen sets out for revenge with the help of her best friend and mentor Sam (Ben Whishaw). From there, the brutally efficient duo take a magical mystery tour through London’s gritty underbelly in search of the truth. 

Kiera Knightley and Ben Whishaw’s chemistry is second-to-none, as their balletic insults and banter make every scene flow perfectly. Much of the atmosphere in “Black Doves” relies on people in long coats looking shady on the streets of the U.K. capital, but when it dishes out a fight scene, the show goes surprisingly harder than audiences might expect. One scuffle between Helen and a would-be assassin in her kitchen is a highlight, as they try to duel quietly so they don’t wake up her children upstairs. Moments like this inject a streak of dark humor into “Black Doves” that always feels like a treat.

“MI-5,” or “Spooks” if you’re in the U.K., was one of the BBC’s longest running shows, lasting almost a decade from 2002 to 2011. It presented a semi-realistic version of what it was like to be a working operative in a post-9/11 world, while dealing with changes in technology, social media, and extremism. With 10 seasons, 86 episodes, and a movie, “Spooks” was the gold standard for spy stories on the small screen. Not only was it crammed full of twists and turns, it was never afraid to shock audiences with brutal violence to show what the agents were up against. 

“MI-5” made its name in Episode 2 when the team tried to stop race-riots across the country by taking down a racist group. Its leader tortured young agent Helen Flynn (Lisa Faulkner) by holding her hand inside a deep fat fryer, before later plunging her head in it. This risky gamble caused controversy in the U.K., but proved the BBC could deliver an edgy show which wasn’t afraid to take things as far as they needed to keep its audience on tenterhooks.

Apple TV’s “Slow Horses” isn’t just the best British spy show, it’s the best spy show, period. That might be a bold claim, but anyone who has seen Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) munch his way through Chinese food while unravelling a nefarious conspiracy against MI5 knows it’s the truth. “Slow Horses” revolves around the MI5 team at Slough House, a dumping ground for agents that the organization doesn’t know what to do with. The show mainly follows River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) as he’s demoted to Slough House to do menial, boring intelligence work — only to end up trying to untangle a far-right militia in the U.K. 

“Slow Horses” masterfully balances humor and espionage storytelling in equal measure, subverting the typical cool and sexy idea of what a spy should be with something more realistic. In case it wasn’t clear, Lamb is one of the greatest modern TV characters of the 21st century. Oldman has a blast playing the slobbish head of Slough House, who’s far more capable than the rest of MI5 thinks. Critics love it, audiences love it, and you will too.