The Best TV Shows Every James Bond Fan Should Watch
The darker, smarter side of the spy genre Bond only hints at
There’s a moment early in Bait where Shah Latif (Riz Ahmed), a struggling British Pakistani actor, freezes mid-audition for James Bond and fumbles the line, only to be quietly called out on his excuse by the director; it plays as comedy, but it also lands as the show’s entire thesis in miniature. As the series follows Shah through the fallout of that failed audition leaking into the world, his life quickly spirals under the weight of public scrutiny, family pressure, and the internet’s projections.
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What the show keeps returning to is the idea of Bond as an impossible ideal, and the cost of chasing that version of yourself when you were never built to fit it. Which is pretty subversive if you ask me. Bond-inspired television has been taking the same world of espionage and stripping away the fantasy for years now (not counting the Kingsman movies, though). Which is where these shows come in. If Bond sells the image, these shows are far more interested in what it takes to survive it.
Slow Horses
At Slough House, a dumping ground for disgraced MI5 agents, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) runs a team of screw-ups who stumble into a real conspiracy when a far-right group kidnaps a student and plans to execute him live. River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) pushes beyond orders, uncovering how MI5 itself may be complicit in letting the situation escalate for political gain. The show thrives on internal sabotage, not just external threats.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Homeland
Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), a CIA officer with bipolar disorder, becomes convinced that Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a U.S. Marine rescued after years in captivity, has been turned by terrorists. What follows is a slow-burn psychological war as Carrie tries to prove Brody is planning an attack on U.S. soil, while he navigates political power and his own fractured loyalties.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
The Diplomat
Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), a blunt U.S. diplomat, is suddenly made ambassador to the UK amid an international crisis after a British warship is attacked. As she tries to identify who’s behind it, she’s also dealing with her husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), a former ambassador whose influence complicates both the investigation and her credibility.
Where to watch: Netflix
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan (John Krasinski), a CIA analyst, tracks suspicious financial transactions that lead him to Suleiman (Ali Suliman), a rising extremist planning coordinated attacks across continents. Ryan is pulled from his desk into active field missions, where intelligence theory crashes into real-world chaos.
Where to watch: Prime Video
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MI-5
This follows Section D of MI5, led initially by Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfadyen), tackling threats ranging from terrorist cells to Russian operatives embedded within the UK. The show doesn’t hold back on consequences — agents die, operations fail, and political pressure constantly interferes with intelligence work.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Chuck
Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi), a regular tech guy, accidentally downloads a government database into his brain, turning him into a walking intelligence asset. CIA agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and NSA agent John Casey (Adam Baldwin) are assigned to protect him, leading to missions where Chuck must rely on instincts instead of training.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Night Manager
Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), a hotel manager and former soldier, is recruited by intelligence officer Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). Pine builds trust within Roper’s network, risking exposure as he gathers evidence on illegal weapons deals.
Where to watch: Prime Video