Major Hollywood storytellers and top international spies join host Rory Bremner to break down what we see on screen, to separate the fact from the fiction and shine a light on extraordinary characters and skills.

Joe Weisberg, the Emmy Award-winning creator of The Americans and a former CIA operative, meets Jack Barsky, who was a genuine Soviet "Illegal" operating undercover inside the United States. Host Rory Bremner hears about the amazing real-life inspiration for The Americans, why Joe’s life as an agent was cut short and what happened to Jack when the FBI moved in next door.

Philippe Sands, leading international law and human rights barrister, Professor of Law at UCL and presenter of The Ratline, is joined by Dave Butler BEM, a former British spy active in Berlin during the Cold War. In an episode that covers Nazi plots, the redrawing of boundaries and incursions over enemy lines, we also hear from the Spymaster himself, David John Moore Cornwell, AKA John le Carré, thanks to archive audio recorded by his neighbour Philippe.

The American Spy author Lauren Wilkinson, hailed by none other than President Obama, talks to former Jihad supporter turned undercover Canadian counterterrorism operative Mubin Shaikh. Host Rory Bremner hears about everything from how to foil a terrorist plot and AK-47 envy to the moment you realize you’ve made a terrible error of judgment.

Former presidential close protection officer and medal of valor recipient Evy Poumpouras is joined by Jed Mercurio the man behind Line of Duty, Bodyguard, Trigger Point and Bloodlands. Rory Bremner hosts a deep dive into the reality behind protecting high-profile targets, from mind games and meticulous planning through to the importance of how to get off the ‘X’.

Nadav Schirman is the multi-award-winning filmmaker behind The Green Prince, The Champagne Spy and April 7, 1980. She is joined by the former Mossad agent Gad Shimron who was part of Operation Moses, otherwise known as The Red Sea Diving Resort plot, which led to the rescue of thousands of Ethiopian Jews via Sudan. Presenter Rory Bremner hears about the psychology behind human intelligence and gets a crash course in the powers of persuasion. 

Former clandestine CIA operative Amaryllis Fox and screenwriter, producer, and director Simon Kinberg, the man behind The 355, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and the Sherlock and the X-Men franchise, talk about gender representation in spy fiction. They also discuss the real-life pitfalls of sex and special agents. Host Rory Bremner hears about what motivates spies to do their work, where to smuggle audio recordings, and what it is really like working with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Jessica Chastain.

The Spy and the Traitor author Ben Macintyre meets former Russian FSB officer turned whistle-blower Janosh Neumann to discuss the truth behind the Cold War spies and life inside Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In an episode recorded before the crisis in Ukraine, host Rory Bremner hears about everything from nuclear secrets hidden in a suburban shed and the Salisbury poisonings, to life-or-death escapes over international borders.

How closely do the silver screen and the spying game overlap? Alistair Petrie, star of Deep State, Star Wars Rogue One, The Mark of Cain, and The Night Manager, meets former field agent and CIA chief of disguise Jonna Mendez. Presenter Rory Bremner hears it all, from Jonna’s recollections of the real Argo operation, to the spy tactics used to protect props on Star Wars and how The Planet of the Apes helped the CIA go full Ethan Hunt. 

Ben Macintyre - author of Operation Mincemeat - meets former British Intelligence Operative Julian Fisher as they unpack the real story behind the Netflix movie Operation Mincemeat, starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, and Kelly Macdonald. Presenter Rory Bremner uncovers a world of daring do, bluff, and bluster which featured some of the biggest names in spy history including an early outing for James Bond author Ian Fleming. 

Alex Rider, James Bond and Sherlock Holmes author Anthony Horowitz meets former DIA Intelligence Officer Shawnee Delaney. Rory Bremner presents.