London Spy starts on BBC Two - Monday 9 November - 9pm

[sadwidow28]

A new 5-part thriller is starting on BBC 2, 9th November at 9pm

A romance between an MI6 code genius and an ordinary man promises happiness. But tragedy strikes when the spy dies in suspicious circumstances, forcing his lover to pursue the truth behind his death.

Have a look at the trailers and write-ups and see if you fancy watching it and joining in this MN thread.

''You might be the most innocent person I know'' - This is a clip from episode 1: On a walk by the sea, Danny flirtatiously questions whether Alex did background checks on him before going on their date.

TV review: London Spy, BBC Two

An elegant but occasionally soporific portrayal of love, paranoia and secrets

We first meet Danny as he prepares for a night out at a London club before emerging worse for wear and wandering by the Thames as daylight threatens to break. His ordinary life is about to end when he stumbles upon a mysterious stranger out jogging. But is Alex (Edward Holcroft) all that seems? Well, obviously not: we’ve already discussed the ‘London’ bit of the title; so one of these two chaps must be in the espionage business to fulfil the other half of the drama’s name.

The opening episode does take an interminable amount of time building up to the moment when life turns 360 degrees for Danny when he loses the man he has fallen in love with. How does he lose him? Well, it wouldn’t be worth facing the Wrath of Beeb to say too much about this, except to note that Whishaw does a wonderful line in fear, anger, distress, anxiety and worry as it appears that he could be in the middle of a conspiracy where he is being framed good and proper.

Full Introductory Review from THE LIST, 4th November 2015

London Spy is a thriller that starts with a chance romance between two people from very different worlds - one from the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, the other from a world of clubbing and youthful excess.

Danny (Ben Whishaw) – down on his luck, broke, working a dead end job, falls for the anti-social, enigmatic and brilliant Alex (Edward Holcroft). Just as the two of them realize that they're perfect for each other, Alex is found dead in circumstances that Danny is sure have been staged.

The series follows Danny’s descent into the dangerous world of global espionage - a world for which he’s hopelessly ill equipped. He must decide whether he's prepared to fight for the truth, or whether the risks to his own life are too great.

London Spy is written by Tom Rob Smith, produced by Guy Heeley and directed by Jakob Verbruggen. Executive producers are Tom Rob Smith, Juliette Howell, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title Television, and Polly Hill, Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, and Hilary Salmon, Head of Drama, England, for BBC Two.

Commissioned by Janice Hadlow, former Controller of BBC Two, and Polly Hill, Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, London Spy is produced by Working Title Television for BBC Two.

Official Media Release, BBC Two

Interview: Ben Whishaw swaps James Bond for new spy drama

The Scotsman, 3rd November 2015

Trailer watch: Ben Whishaw drops the Bond gadgets for London Spy

The Guardian, 27th October 2015

Ben Whishaw discusses Tom Rob Smith’s BBC Two spy drama London Spy

SEENIT, 3rd November 2015

BBC Two Unveils Trailer For ‘London Spy’

TV WISE, 28th October 2015

If you're that keen on spies you should apply to the MI6 advert.

howtorebuild If I told you what my job was before I retired I might have to kill you

I saw an ad for this on TV last night. I do love a good spy thriller.

I'm just leaving my towel on my seat while I pop back to the Unforgotten thread:)

Signing in! Thanks for starting the thread :)

Looking forward to this, I particularly want to see Charlotte Rampling as I loved her in Broadchurch.

As usual will most likely not be watching 'live' so it'll be added to my list of things to watch on catch up! I'm sad that River and Unforgotten are nearly over.

A reminder that London Spy starts tonight.

Not sure about it so far. I will watch next weeks and see how it goes.

Love Ben Wishaw.

The chemistry between Ben Wishaw and Edward Holcroft was perfect. I'm hooked.

omg omg watch it - perfect indeed

I loved it. I love Ben W - he is excellent in everything.

Maybe we'll bet more steamy scenes in flashback?

Zebra we can only hope so. Long, lingering flashbacks...

So upset when he was bumped off so early in the series.

Just as they were though, they don't need to employ any of that toy cupboard though.

Ok, poss some rope. But that is IT.

He was ace too, the dead one. I've googled him - I didn't recognise him from Wolf Hall!

Enthralling and yes EH was too beautiful to leave after 1 episode, hopefully lots of appearances as flashbacks....hopeful

Really - in Wolf Hall? How could I miss that?

And yes - definitely without the pvc and equipment

Ben Wishaw and spies - perfect combination for me. I think I'm really going to enjoy this, it kept me enthralled. Is Jim Broadbent all he seems??? (am loving his performance too).

And as an aside, a promo for 'The Bridge' came on afterwards - I just love Saga Noren - all my winter telly dreams are coming true

When's part two?

Random question and I promise I'm not a troll but was the sex an accurate portrayal? I was watching trying to work out how flexible you'd have to be to be able to perform anal on someone facing you.

That went through my mind too, Banning...

I felt it was a bit slow to start it am looking forward to the next episode.

I was glad I wasn't watching it with either of my teen boys due to that toy cupboard scene... That is not a conversation I want to have with either of them!

I'm a 20-something but was watching it with my dad thinking it was going to be spooks-esque... I will never be old enough to watch something involving gimp masks with my father.

But the other toys were fine...? :o