“Slow Horses” Season 6 could feel very different from its predecessors.
That’s because, for the first time in the show’s history, it will be without its head writer. That man is Will Smith, who departed after Season 5.
“I don’t want to leave,” Smith tells /Film, “but it was also like, I couldn’t get the scripts ready, they couldn’t meet the schedule, so it was with great sadness on both sides.”
Smith was a key writer on Apple TV’s award-winning spy drama across all five seasons, which first aired April 1st, 2022. Now, he’s making “a practical decision” to move on after citing “the looming need for scripts for series 6.”
Smith continues, “I was doing so much work on series 5 that there was no way I was going to be able to do that.”
In Smith’s defense, “Slow Horses” has an intensive shooting schedule. Apple TV films two seasons back-to-back in order to release one season per year. That means creatives must shoot and edit one season while working on the next.
While the reason for Smith’s reluctant exit boils down to a workload clash, the writer says he’s leaving at a good time.
“In terms of my contribution, I feel it does conclude certain arcs that were started in series one. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but it feels like a nice place to exit. The show is in a good position, I hope, creatively.”
‘Slow Horses’ Season 5 Ending
In the finale of “Slow Horses” Season 5, Taverner takes up a position at First Desk after Jackson Lamb forces Claude Wheelen’s resignation. Meanwhile, River Cartwright saves Taverner from a terrorist plot.
Lastly, it’s confirmed via a bombshell twist that Lamb was previously captured and tortured while on a spy mission, largely explaining his prickly demeanor.
Will There Be a Season 7 of ‘Slow Horses’?
Yes, there will be a Season 7 of “Slow Horses.” In fact, Apple TV’s flagship drama doesn’t stop there, with many more seasons expected.
According to former head writer Will Smith, “The show is going to go on to even bigger and better things, and Mick [Herron] has just released the ninth book, and I’m sure there’ll be a 10th, 11th, 12th.”
Prince William totally got Gary Oldman cracking up during his knighting ceremony! But what did Wills say??
In case you didn’t hear, the 67-year-old actor was awarded knighthood by the royal family for his services to drama on Wednesday. The huge honor came with a lavish ceremony, of course. But William apparently couldn’t keep his cheeky remarks to himself! While chatting to iTV post-ceremony, Gary said the Prince of Wales told him he was a “fan” of his Apple TV+ show Slow Horses, and added:
“I just want to give you a good wash [every time I see you on screen].”
LOLz!!
FYI, in the series, Gary plays the role of Jackson Lamb, who’s known for being a slob.
In response to the Prince’s quip, the actor hit back:
“Well, I think I’ve scrubbed up okay today.”
Ha! And he certainly did! He and his wife Gisele Schmidt looked amazing for the occasion!
In a video on Instagram, Gary described the knighthood moment as “very emotional” despite the giggles:
“We spoke for a minute, but I almost couldn’t find my voice. I think I feel very honored, very humbled and flattered, I think in equal measure. It compares to nothing else. It’s a singular event, that is what it is. I thought the Oscar was a big deal. No disrespect to the academy, but it sort of pales in comparison to this. It’s just been wonderful.”
Clockwise from top left: The Night Manager, A Spy Among Friends, Killing Eve, Slow Horses. Photo-Illustration: Vulture ; Photos: Des Willie/The Ink Factory/AMC, MGM, Jack English/Apple TV+, Nick Briggs/BBC-America/Everett Collection
This list was originally published on April 26, 2018. We’re not so covertly republishing it now to mark the premiere of Slow Horsesseason five.
The small-screen British spy genre is packed with some of the most tonally diverse marvels under the sun — pick one show, and you’ll bear witness to a beautiful assassin stabbing a man to death with a needle. Pick another, and a guy is giggling his way through the silliest MI-5 training imaginable. Whatever your taste, there are spy gadgets, thrilling chases, secret identities, and twisty betrayals throughout this list of good ol’ fashioned espionage shows for your (incognito) browsing pleasure.
Made up entirely of disgraced MI-5 agents, the team of “slow horses” working at Slough House aren’t considered London’s best and brightest, but time and again these spies prove themselves to be more capable than their more glamorous and well-funded counterparts. Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a crude but talented legend of the field, who leads the ragtag bunch as they work to uncover conspiracies and fiendish schemes while keeping Britain safe. Despite the title, the Apple TV+ series operates at full speed, keeping viewers hooked by escalating the tension each episode until the season ends in a suspenseful, twisty, action-packed crescendo. —Tolly Wright
Available to stream on Apple TV+
Deception — both deceiving others and catching adversaries in their lies — is considered a key part of the job when you’re a spy, but Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service was still caught flat-footed when it was discovered that one of its own, Kim Philby (played here by Guy Pearce), was a double agent working for the KGB. Based on Ben Macintyre’s 2014 book of the same name, A Spy Among Friends depicts one of the most embarrassing episodes in British espionage history by focusing on the long friendship between Philby and fellow spy Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis). —T.W.
Available to stream on MGM+
Poor Adam. As soon as the young MI-6 deputy (played by Charlie Cox) is promoted to acting chief of the agency, his daughter is kidnapped and he learns that his meteoric rise might have been the work of a Russian spy with her own agenda. In this twisty miniseries, Adam runs afoul of allies and foes alike as he works to untangle himself from quite a quagmire and in the process uncovers some suspicious behavior within MI-6’s upper ranks. —T.W.
Available to stream on Netflix
All hail Sandra Oh! It took three decades to secure the Grey’s Anatomy star a leading role worthy of her talents, and this engrossing cat-and-mouse thriller by Phoebe Waller-Bridge checks all the boxes. Oh plays Eve, a deskbound MI-5 agent who longs to be a spy in the field, a dream that is soon realized when a mutual obsession develops between her and a sadistic, sociopathic assassin (Jodie Comer) who always evades capture. —Devon Ivie
Stream on AMC+ and the Roku Channel
This miniseries proved to be a smash sensation back in 2016, and it’s pretty easy to understand why. A mélange of A-list talent aside — hello, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie! — the slow burn of a narrative about an ex-soldier infiltrating the inner circle of an extraordinary evil weapons dealer is wickedly compelling, especially when you factor in the gorgeous, international settings. Whether he’ll be successful with his spy mission, though, is another story. —D.I.
Available to stream on BritBox and Roku Channel
The epitome of an opposites-attract narrative, London Spy revolves around a hedonistic young clubgoer (Ben Whishaw) who ends up falling for a high-ranking member of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service — only because he believed the guy dabbled in investment banking, and not, you know, espionage. When his lover disappears, our fella gets embroiled with the terrifying underbelly of the capital’s crime and spy scene, all so he can discover what truly happened. If that’s not true love, then we don’t know what is. —D.I.
Available to purchase on YouTube
Not to be confused with the rapper or those other TV shows, this Cold War–set period drama is all about the aftermath of a young MI-5 operative who tries to defect to the Soviet Union — for love! — but massively fails and then returns to MI-5. His boss seems unusually chill with the deception, mostly because this lad might be helpful for sniffing out other moles and double agents in their field. Oh, and stopping the Soviets from annihilating the world. —D.I.
Available for purchase on Prime Video and iTunes
Here are four words to tickle your fancy: “French spy David Tennant.” (Swoon!) Tennant, a secret Deuxième Bureau agent posing as an army officer, finds himself circling around Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris in the years leading up to World War II, becoming increasingly convinced that a devastating war is on the horizon. Too bad his French counterparts don’t believe him — so he’ll instead bed women and drink fine Cointreau until they finally come to their senses. —D.I.
Available to stream on Prime Video
Consider this your classic accidental-spy sitcom in the same vein as NBC’s Chuck. The protagonist, an affable but unmotivated computer store employee, decides to quit his job to pursue new opportunities to better support his son and divorced wife. But when he discovers the standard “computing exam” given to him at a job center was actually an exam for MI-5, the chaps at the secret agency are so chuffed that they decide to keep him around for spy activities. Realistic? Nah. But positively delightful? Obviously! —D.I.
Available to stream on Pluto TV and Tubi
If you want a long-running procedural about the inner workings of Britain’s premiere counterterrorism unit, Spooks was created with you in mind. Encompassing just about every spy-centric story line you can think of over ten seasons, it follows MI-5 employees as they prevent the country from imploding. (Handsome British faves such as David Oyelowo and Matthew Macfadyen also starred on it for quite some time.) It’s mostly dramatic, but moments of levity shine through. —D.I.
Available to stream on BritBox
Before Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans paraded around the big screen with the superhero Avengers, this ’60s series of the same name was a master class in sexy espionage — a suave secret agent travels the world to catch the most dangerous murderers and assassins, always with a badass woman by his side. Like Doctor Who, there are many rotations and eras in the show, and you’ll find yourself choosing your favorite sidekick-and-spy combination real quick. (The answer, of course, is Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg.) —D.I.
Slow Horses, Apple TV+’s critically superlative series highlighting the exploits of a group of castoff MI5 agents, returns for a 5th season today. If you’re saying to yourself, “Wait a minute, didn’t they just wrap up Season 4?” Then that’s probably the Netflix conditioning talking. For unlike most streaming series, Slow Horses has hewed to an almost traditional, network TV-style release schedule, with this most recent season dropping less than a year after the conclusion of the last.
Once this season ends, that will mark five full “series” (to use England-speak) since 2022. Meanwhile, the fifth season of Stranger Things (remember Stranger Things?) is set to drop in November, *nine and a half years* after its debut.
Slow Horses’ lightning fast production schedule not only satisfies audiences eager for the next installment of Mick Herron’s intelligence rejects (Season Five adapts London Rules) but also makes it much easier to remember past details. The premise is simple: Slough House is a dumping ground for Security Service personnel the powers that be wants shelved, whether because of public mistakes (nominal series lead River Cartwright, played by Jack Lowden) or because they’ve outlived their usefulness (Gary Oldman’s Cold War relic and head of Slough House, Jackson Lamb).
The fact that none of them will ever return to active duty is one that eventually dawns on all the castoff agents, but is especially galling for Cartwright, since 1) the aforementioned cock-up wasn’t really his fault, and 2) his grandfather David (Jonathan Pryce) is a retired MI5 legend.
This latest season, however, turns the spotlight away (somewhat) from Cartwright to shine it on a character not very beloved of either the denizens of Slough House or viewers: resident hacker Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung). Ho’s biggest contribution to past escapades has consisted largely of timely phone traces and GPS fixes, always provided with the maximum reluctance possible.
Ho’s primary infraction at MI5 was being such an obnoxious asshole that no one wanted him around, and thus has a mostly antagonistic relationship with the rest of Slough House. So when this emotionally stunted dork — whose only prior onscreen relationship turned out to be with a bot (in Season 4) — suddenly lands a gorgeous, intelligent girlfriend, his co-workers are as suspicious as Ho is oblivious.
It’s not much of a spoiler to say his fellow Slow Horses are correct in their assumptions, or that Tara (Hiba Bennani), if that’s her real name, is more than she seems. Whether she’s connected to shocking crime committed in the first episode, one seemingly directed at London’s mayor (Nick Mohammed), currently in a reelection campaign against a far right activist, is something Cartwright, Lamb, and the rest will have to figure out.
Unusually (for her) interested in Ho’s comings and goings is Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), whose own shaky background renders her less than trustworthy in the eyes of her fellow agents. Happily, those same spooks are not without skills. For all the caustic comments Lamb may make about Catherine’s (Saskia Reeves) alcoholism, J.K.’s (Tom Brooke) apparent sociopathy, or River’s unrealized potential, they’re actually pretty good at their jobs.
But we shouldn’t forget about the “proper” Security Service. Second Desk Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) is back, simultaneously attempting to unravel a white nationalist plot, keep tabs on Lamb, and outmaneuver newly appointed First Desk Claude Whelan (James Callis). If you’re wondering who might not be on the up and up down MI5 way, it never hurts to look at the guy who played Gaius Baltar.
Slow Horses has already been renewed for two more seasons, with number seven getting the go-ahead back in July. By filming multiple seasons back-to-back, showrunner Will Smith keeps his cast locked in and ensures the viewing public never wholly forgets about it.
The first two episodes of of Slow Horses season five drop on Apple TV+ today.
This week’s streaming lineup is stacked with powerhouse performances, Houston connections, and stories that move from the shadowy corners of espionage to the glittery mess of family drama. Whether you’re looking for thrillers, courtroom battles, or binge-worthy scandal, here are four series you’ll want to press play on.
Slow Horses (Season 5)
A standout returning this week is Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. Based on Mick Herron’s acclaimed spy novels, the series follows MI5 operatives who’ve made mistakes significant enough to be exiled to “Slough House”—the dumping ground of British intelligence. Written off as useless, the so-called “slow horses” are left to push papers and fade away… except things never stay quiet for long.
At the center is Jackson Lamb, the flatulent, rude, unkempt, yet razor-sharp leader of Slough House, played with brilliant bite by Gary Oldman. Known for roles like Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, Oldman has found his longest-running role yet in Slow Horses.
When I caught up with Oldman ahead of the Season 4 premiere, he reflected on how unusual this role has been for him. “I’ve experienced Cinematically. I’ve experienced a sort of recurring character. I was a Gordon for three Batmans and I came back as Sirius Black in the Potter Series,” he said. “But I have always been a fan of long form TV and would look on it somewhat enviously thinking, wouldn’t that, oh, I would love to do that and come back with a recurring character, the same group of people.”
He went on to describe the camaraderie that’s developed on set: “What I’ve discovered is really that we are like a family, and to the credit of the show, we’ve had the same dp, Danny Cohen, and we’ve had the same sound operator and we have the same sound, makeup, costume, and of course the actors. So now we are four years in. We are a very sort of close-knit family. That side of it I have really enjoyed. It’s almost like being in the same experience that one might have with a theater company.”
Season five (yes, the show’s momentum is that strong) debuts September 24 on Apple TV+.
The Savant
Next up, Also on Apple TV+ is The Savant, starring Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain. The series introduces us to Jodi Goodwin, better known as “The Savant,” an undercover investigator whose job is to infiltrate online hate groups and prevent domestic extremist attacks before they happen. Inspired by the 2019 Cosmopolitan article “Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?,” the series is rooted in real-life reporting and takes viewers inside the dangerous, hidden world of extremist networks.
Chastain leads the cast alongside Nnamdi Asomugha as her husband, Charlie Goodwin, with Cole Doman (Sharp Stick), Jordana Spiro (Ozark), and Trinity Lee Shirley (Swagger) rounding out the ensemble. When I spoke with Chastain ahead of the series premiere, she explained that the most important part of playing this character was protecting the real person she’s based on.
Chastain said that “important thing when playing this character was to keep her safe, which meant kept keeping her identity a secret in private. So, we spoke on the phone, but I didn’t want to use anything in playing her that would identify her and open her and her family up to danger.”
She went on to say that while she avoided details that might expose her subject, she “definitely took inspiration from her interior life, her emotional life. I asked her a lot of questions about what it was like this balancing act, but then I also asked simple questions. What’s your favorite music? What’s your favorite food? What do you do when you’re stressed out? And that helped as well. But I had to kind of build from scratch in order to not put her in danger.”
The first two episodes debut on Apple TV+ September 26, followed by weekly installments in the eight-episode season.
Beauty in Black (Season 2)
If you like drama, mess, and tea served hot, look no further than Beauty in Black, returning to Netflix for its second season. Created by Tyler Perry, the series follows Kimmie, an exotic dancer whose life becomes deeply intertwined with a wealthy and dysfunctional cosmetics family. At the heart of the family empire is Mallory, played by Houston’s own Crystle Stewart—Miss USA 2008.
When I asked Stewart whether she saw parts of herself in Mallory, she laughed and admitted there were some similarities. “Yeah, she’s that girl,” Stewart told me. “So, I think her business savviness, her business acumen that’s similar to mine, her assertiveness, her love for fashion, her philanthropic efforts.” But she went on to point out where she and her character differ: “She can be nice in public, but I think that’s more of a tactic versus personality trait. I think I’m nice in person, so there’s some similarities, but on the other end, her nastiness and her willing to do anything to keep that control in the business, I think that’s where we differ.”
The show was one of Netflix’s most-watched dramas during its first season, and season two doubles down on the crime, glamour, and betrayals fans loved.
Part 1 of the new season is streaming now, with Part 2 dropping later this month.
Reasonable Doubt (Season 3)
Finally, Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt returns for its third season, bringing more drama both inside and outside the courtroom. From executive producers Kerry Washington and Larry Wilmore, the series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as Jax Stewart, a defense attorney balancing high-stakes cases with life as a single mother of two.
The show cleverly takes inspiration from Jay-Z’s 1996 debut album of the same name and even names its episodes from some of Hov’s most well-known records—borrowing titles like “99 Problems” and “Can’t Knock the Hustle” in Season 1, “Can I Live?” in Season 2, and continuing the theme this year with episodes called “Run This Town” and “No Church in the Wild.”
Created by Scandal writer Raamla Mohamed, the series has built a passionate fan base for its mix of sharp writing, stylish direction, and layered characters. Season 3 also features Houston’s own Angela Grovey as Krystal Walters. When I spoke with Grovey about stepping into this season, she shared what to expect.
“With Jax and Louis, they’re navigating the sticky situation we left you with in Season 2 involving a baby, and then we really shake things up in the office.” She continued about some new additions to the cast, “Joseph Kore is joining us as Bill Sterling this year, and he really stirs things up at the firm. There are some power dynamics and struggles going on at our law office that play a big role this season.
After premiering with two episodes, the series continues with “Run This Town” on September 25.