Apple TV clearly has no intention of sending Jackson Lamb and his dysfunctional crew out to pasture. Fresh off another Emmy win, Slow Horses has officially been renewed for Season 8, with Gary Oldman returning as the wonderfully unpleasant MI5 veteran.
Production on the eighth season is expected to begin shortly, and the story will adapt Mick Herron’s ninth Slough House novel, Clown Town. The renewal arrives just as Season 6 is set to premiere, while Season 7, based on Herron’s Bad Actors, has already been announced.
Basically, there’s a whole lot more Jackson Lamb headed our way. Season 8 will put Lamb on a collision course with Diana Taverner, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, in what Apple describes as their most explosive confrontation yet.
A failed attempt to blackmail the Park sends Taverner on the offensive, forcing Lamb to dig into one of MI5’s darkest secrets and find a way to shut the whole mess down for good.
That’s exactly the kind of nasty espionage situation where Lamb thrives, usually while insulting everyone unfortunate enough to be standing nearby.
Apple TV Creative Director, International Jay Hunt said of the renewal: “Slow Horses continues to charm audiences all around the world and I’m delighted that Jackson Lamb and his gang of lovable misfits will be back for an eighth season. Their acerbic take on the high-octane world of espionage is completely unique,”
The series also stars Jack Lowden and Jonathan Pryce, and it continues to pick up major awards attention. At the latest Emmys, Saul Metzstein won for Drama Directing, while Apple had a strong night overall, including Widow’s Bay setting a record for the most comedy wins.
Keeping Slow Horses moving at its current pace has required some effort. Oldman recently explained that it has been a “struggle and a fight” to prevent the series from falling into the years-long gaps that have become increasingly common with major streaming shows.
So far, that fight appears to be paying off. With Season 6 arriving, Season 7 already confirmed and Season 8 preparing to enter production, Slow Horses remains one of Apple TV’s most reliable ongoing series.
Slow Horses is produced for Apple TV by See-Saw Films, which is part of the Mediawan group. Season 8 will be adapted for television and executive produced by Ben Vanstone, with Adam Randall returning to direct.
Eight seasons is a hell of a run for any streaming series, and Slow Horses has earned it. The combination of sharp spy storytelling, a terrific cast and Oldman shambling around as one of television’s most entertaining disasters of a human being continues to work.
Now we know Lamb and the Slough House crew have at least two more seasons of MI5 chaos ahead of them.
