If you’re in the mood for some espionage, Apple TV+ has great news for you. Slow Horses, a new thriller series that follows operatives from the British intelligence, has gotten itself a release date. Across its six episodes, the series will chronicle the work of agents who operate on a “dumping ground” for MI-5. The series is led by Academy Award winner Gary Oldman.
The “dumping ground” part means that the Slough House – the nickname of the espionage department – is a home for disgraced spies who dropped the ball at some point in their careers and are sent there to live out the rest of their professional life without causing trouble or ruffling any feathers. The problem is, when you put a bunch of misfits together, they are bound to do exactly the opposite of what you’d expect.
The first-look images unveiled by Apple reveal what we can expect in terms of tone and cast in the upcoming series. Like most spy stories, the plot will probably follow a group that works into the night and spends long hours inside the office obsessing about clues and connections. They will all be led by Jackson Lamb (Oldman), an incredibly intelligent but moody leader who understands that none of them wants to be in the Slough House pushing papers. So they’ll find a way to spring back into action.
By the cast alone we can tell that Slow Horses is gearing up to become one of 2022’s must-watch series. Oldman is joined by a star-studded ensemble that features Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (Darkest Hour), Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes), BAFTA Scotland Award winner Jack Lowden (Dunkirk), and Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal).
Slow Horses is based on a series of best-selling novels by author Mick Herron. Season 1 is based on the first book in the series, so depending on how Apple TV+ subscribers respond to the story, we could be looking at multiple season orders, since the literary series is comprised of eight volumes (plus two novellas), with the latest book set to be released in May 2022.
The novel series was adapted for television by two-time Emmy winner Will Smith – not the actor, the writer from Veep, Avenue 5, and Paddington 2. All six episodes are directed by James Hawes, who has helmed episodes from several gritty series like Black Mirror, Penny Dreadful, Snowpiercer, and Raised by Wolves. Based on the choice of writer and director, we can probably expect to see a story that isn’t afraid to get into the down and dirty of the espionage world, but also mixes it with a bit of dark humor for our amusement.
Apple TV+ premieres the first two episodes of Slow Horses globally on April 1. After that, the following four episodes will premiere weekly every Friday. You can check out the first-look images and the official synopsis below:
Here is your first look at the upcoming spy drama series, #SlowHorses starring #GaryOldman , Olivia Cooke, Jonathan Pryce and Kristin Scott Thomas which will premiere April 1, on #AppleTV+ pic.twitter.com/CDIdFbiImV
— TV+Updates (@TVPlusUpdates) February 4, 2022
Slow Horses” follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – Slough House. Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career ending mistakes.
via Collider