3 ms·

Highly recommend watching The Americans, an incredible show about Soviet spies pretending to be a regular American family. Based somewhat on real people, and ve

Highly recommend watching The Americans, an incredible show about Soviet spies pretending to be a regular American family. Based somewhat on real people, and very well-researched.

victorbjorklund 2y ago
Fun show but hardly anything realistic (other than russia having spies that work the long game pretending to be normal citizens)
slowmotiony 2y ago
I can recommend the french show "Le Bureau des Legends". It's written with the help of various consultants from the intelligence community and tries to be as realistic as possible, with most actual spies in the show being regular university students, office workers, psychologists, or even cafeteria staff. It's a fantastic show, although not very hollywood, so don't expect explosions or shootouts.
- walterbell 2y ago
  2005-2006 Canadian series Intelligence, at the intersection of organized crime, law enforcement and intelligence is also good, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845746/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845746/. Elsewhere on the Möbius loop lies the madcap 2009-2024 animated series Archer, with a string of award nominations and blink-and-you-will-miss-it references, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486217/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486217/ The 2014-2017 series Turn dramatized New York farmers and shopkeepers who comprised the first US spy ring, including Benedict Arnold storyline, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543328/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543328/
- pseingatl 2y ago
  IRL intelligence from a potential informant was disregarded because a similar story was told in Le Bureau so the authorities presumed the informant just got the information from the show. He didn't. There were other hostages. Not to mention the captagon warehouses. Or the Syrian intelligence network. But what can you do when their minds are made up and they don't want to listen? All info vetted by retired CIA, btw.
- oska 2y ago
  I differ on this recommendation. I watched some of it and found the show very mediocre and what 'help there was from the intelligence community' would have been provided to put a positive spin on the work done by Western intelligence agencies, which is mostly to protect Western corporate interests and neo-colonialism. It's naive to think that any mass entertainment portrayal of intelligence agencies gives any real idea of how these agencies really function and what kind of work they actually do.
sgt 2y ago
And Slow Horses on Apple TV+
- petesergeant 2y ago
  Slow Horses is some of the best TV ever made, but note that it’s about the Security Service, not the Secret Intelligence Service: they’re more FBI than the CIA.
  - sgt 2y ago
    I don't think that's entirely accurate though. MI5 operates both domestically and outside the country as well, as long as it pertains to national security (or threats to their citizens). Hence why MI5 operated in Berlin during the Cold War, for instance.
    - petesergeant 2y ago
      FBI and MI5 are definitely slightly different beasts, in that the FBI has a far larger scope, and also incorporate the roles of various UK agencies like the NCA, Special Branch, etc. That said, my understanding is that the FBI absolutely had a presence in Berlin during that time
      - sgt 2y ago
        That's interesting! Who knows, maybe they'll at some point make a movie about that (FBI in Berlin). I'm sure there was plenty of intrigue.
- walterbell 2y ago
  Season 4 released in Sept 2024! https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-tv-plus-free-trials https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-tv-plus-free-trials
mdhb 2y ago
If you’re looking for the IRL version of that story the guy you’re looking for is Jack Barsky.
edu 2y ago
I’ll add to the list The Spy (2019) with Sacha Baron Cohen about Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s, and with a deep focus on the human cost for the spy itself.
Aachen 2y ago
Not currently on Netflix, for anyone else wondering. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_americans https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_americans For Amazon Prime it says "subs" which I take to mean it's included in the subscription; everywhere else it says you can only buy it
- romanhn 2y ago
  It's currently available for streaming on Hulu.

Highly recommend watching The Americans, an incredible show about Soviet spies pretending to be a regular American family. Based somewhat on real people, and very well-researched.

victorbjorklund 2y ago

Fun show but hardly anything realistic (other than russia having spies that work the long game pretending to be normal citizens)

slowmotiony 2y ago

I can recommend the french show "Le Bureau des Legends". It's written with the help of various consultants from the intelligence community and tries to be as realistic as possible, with most actual spies in the show being regular university students, office workers, psychologists, or even cafeteria staff. It's a fantastic show, although not very hollywood, so don't expect explosions or shootouts.

walterbell 2y ago
2005-2006 Canadian series Intelligence, at the intersection of organized crime, law enforcement and intelligence is also good, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845746/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845746/. Elsewhere on the Möbius loop lies the madcap 2009-2024 animated series Archer, with a string of award nominations and blink-and-you-will-miss-it references, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486217/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486217/ The 2014-2017 series Turn dramatized New York farmers and shopkeepers who comprised the first US spy ring, including Benedict Arnold storyline, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543328/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543328/
pseingatl 2y ago
IRL intelligence from a potential informant was disregarded because a similar story was told in Le Bureau so the authorities presumed the informant just got the information from the show. He didn't. There were other hostages. Not to mention the captagon warehouses. Or the Syrian intelligence network. But what can you do when their minds are made up and they don't want to listen? All info vetted by retired CIA, btw.
oska 2y ago
I differ on this recommendation. I watched some of it and found the show very mediocre and what 'help there was from the intelligence community' would have been provided to put a positive spin on the work done by Western intelligence agencies, which is mostly to protect Western corporate interests and neo-colonialism. It's naive to think that any mass entertainment portrayal of intelligence agencies gives any real idea of how these agencies really function and what kind of work they actually do.

sgt 2y ago

And Slow Horses on Apple TV+

petesergeant 2y ago
Slow Horses is some of the best TV ever made, but note that it’s about the Security Service, not the Secret Intelligence Service: they’re more FBI than the CIA.
- sgt 2y ago
  I don't think that's entirely accurate though. MI5 operates both domestically and outside the country as well, as long as it pertains to national security (or threats to their citizens). Hence why MI5 operated in Berlin during the Cold War, for instance.
  - petesergeant 2y ago
    FBI and MI5 are definitely slightly different beasts, in that the FBI has a far larger scope, and also incorporate the roles of various UK agencies like the NCA, Special Branch, etc. That said, my understanding is that the FBI absolutely had a presence in Berlin during that time
    - sgt 2y ago
      That's interesting! Who knows, maybe they'll at some point make a movie about that (FBI in Berlin). I'm sure there was plenty of intrigue.
walterbell 2y ago
Season 4 released in Sept 2024! https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-tv-plus-free-trials https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-tv-plus-free-trials

mdhb 2y ago

If you’re looking for the IRL version of that story the guy you’re looking for is Jack Barsky.

edu 2y ago

I’ll add to the list The Spy (2019) with Sacha Baron Cohen about Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s, and with a deep focus on the human cost for the spy itself.

Aachen 2y ago

Not currently on Netflix, for anyone else wondering. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_americans https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_americans For Amazon Prime it says "subs" which I take to mean it's included in the subscription; everywhere else it says you can only buy it

romanhn 2y ago
It's currently available for streaming on Hulu.