Best espionage shows, documentaries and movies streaming?

Berlin Station is excellent. It's on Amazon Prime now.

FWIW... I'm not a fan of pulpy stuff. Killing Eve is so over the top and ridiculous its critical acclaim baffles me. Though nowhere nearly as ridiculous, I found London Spy, Little Drummer Girl and The Night Manager a bit too soapy and lurid as well. Fine actors, terrible writing, questionable direction.

Another one I really enjoyed (mostly the first season) was the British series The Hour.

Obviously, I especially enjoy the Cold War stuff, but open to any period. So, what else ya got?

Thanks, R1, didn't have that one on my radar. Adding it to my list now!

MI-5 a/k/a Spooks is a great series with some excellent actors in the cast. Be advised, the writers weren't afraid to kill off audience favorites.

I enjoyed the Gary Oldham version of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" as well. On Netflix or Amazon.

The Spy, starring Sacha Baron-Cohen is very well done. I'd heard of Eli Cohen before (but had thought it was pronounced ee-lie). He's legendary. Watching the series was nail biting though I already knew the finale. You get some hints of Israeli prejudices against Sephardim and how that might have motivated Cohen. Alexander Siddig is also in the cast and is pretty scary. It's on Netflix.

Reilly, Ace of Spies was good, starring Sam Neill of uncertain origin (was he Russian or what?) as a British spy playing the great game. Based on a real person. Acorn TV

My favorite in years was the miniseries The Honourable Woman with Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Babylon Berlin is a combination of a detective series and an espionage series, and is also excellent.

And I loved The Night Manager.

r8 - oh, yes, The Honorable Woman is another good one. I guess I've seen too many of them. Thanks, I'll check out Babylon Berlin. I have a feeling nothing's going quite scratch this itch until the Deutschland 89 premieres.

[italic]Spies of Warsaw[/italic] was disappointingly tepid. I finished the series because I'd read the novel by Alan Furst, but David Tennant was not convincing as a heterosexual leading man.

The International Spy Museum in Washington, DC is a garden of delights for anyone interested in real life spycraft, and their YT channel is pretty awesome, too.

The International Spy Museum in Washington, DC is a garden of delights for anyone interested in real life spycraft, and their YT channel is pretty awesome, too.

Alec Guinness in Smiley’s People and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spu is must viewing.

I love this genre.

Deep State. Mark Strong is in this. he's only in the 1st season.

Condor. Max Iron is the lead, son of Jeremy Irons. Based on the novel and also there was a movie in 1975 starring Robert Redford.

Homeland

I enjoyed Berlin Station too. can't believe they cancelled it!

The Little Drummer Girl, based on spy novel by John le Carré. Alexandar skarsgard is in this.

Jack Ryan on amazon prime. John Krasinski is the lead.

Syriana with George Clooney

Enemy of the State with Gene Hackman ( movie also mentions 9-11).

The American (George Clooney)

The Tourist (not as bad as some critics claim)

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The International (Clive Owen)

Based on what you've said in R2, I'm sure it would be too silly for you, but I will always love Alias.

The Bureau on Amazon Prime is very good.

R18 Alias was great until it went off the rails with the Rimbaldi plot.

I just finished the first season of Deep State, with Mark Strong. Didn’t realize until I checked IMDb that one of the characters is played by the actor who was Gendry on GoT.

I’ve watched and enjoyed most of the series mentioned here. Really loved Reilly Ace of Spies. I missed the first few episodes when it aired so it was extra crazy trying to figure out what was going on. Pepita Bobadilla is one of my favorite names.

The Bodyguard with Richard Madden, not really espionage but a conspiracy thriller.

Collateral with Carey Mulligan, ditto.

Hanna is also pretty interesting. The 2nd season just came out. Joel Kinnaman, Mireille enos, Esme Creed-miles. good cast.

La Femme Nikita, the french movie is also interesting. they made an American version as well starring Bridget Fonda but I prefer the french one.

Counterpart,starring J. K. Simmons is another series I enjoyed.

"The Bureau" is excellent. And vaguely based on the real operations of DGSE, the French version of CIA. It is also far more believable than, say, "Homeland".

Topaz by Hitchcock - This is not his very best; however, the cast includes Roscoe Lee Browne, one of my favorites. It's worth watching at least through his encounter at the hotel. I don't want to spoil the plot for you. It's available to rent streaming. I'm pretty sure I got this from the library, though, at no cost.

R22 - How did I not know about this? Amazon should really learn a thing or two from Netflix about PR? I always find that I'm aware of dozens of Netflix shows I haven't seen yet, but Amazon, maybe it's just one or two that seem to be part of the general consciousness. I LOVED 'The Killing' had no idea that Joel Kinnaman, and Mireille Enos were reunited for Hanna. Will definitely check it out. Thanks!

Thanks for all the other recommendations, guys. BTW, any documentaries or docuseries to recommend?

I enjoyed THE HUNTERS and it got picked up for a second season.

I third the The Bureau. Halfway through the second season and it’s even better than the first. I enjoy that it’s in french as it forces me to pay attention and not be distracted by my phone.

OP, I liked LONDON SPY.

But it sounds like you need to watch BRIDGE OF SPIES.

OP should also keep an eye out for Benedict Cumberbatch in THE COURIER, which has been moved to October.

It’s the true story of a British industrialist going into Soviet Russia as a spy and it’s excellent. I saw it at Sundance.

R28 / R29 - Thanks! More for the watchlist!

R30 - Yeah, London Spy was just too pulpy for me. I couldn't get past the second or third episode. I can't remember which. I guess I prefer things a little less soapy and over the top. I just found it badly written and questionably directed. Shame, as I would have LOVED to have a show in this genre featuring a gay lead that I enjoyed.

R31 - That sounds so good!

A fourth for The Bureau (Le Bureau des Légendes). The most accurate depiction of Near/Middle East mentality and tribal politics by a Western series. The first three seasons are riveting. It's available for free streaming with subtitles for the French-challenged. Stock up on popcorn and have a binge.

Not exactly typical espionage, but from a corporate entity, Sci Fi Orphan Black is about cloning and Tatiana Maslany acts a tour de force in the role of nearly twenty different versions of the female clones.

Orphan Black had some plotting/pacing issues but her acting and the editing were seamless.