Television series

Traitors

Name: Traitors
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Espionage
Released: 2019
Cast: Luke Treadaway, Emma Appleton, Keeley Hawes, Brandon Bell, Benjamin Walker

A taut 1945 espionage drama following Feef Symonds, a young woman who infiltrates post-war Labour's Civil Service as an American spy. Stylishly paranoid and psychologically intricate, it explores Cold War ideology through intimate betrayal and the cost of divided loyalties. For those who love moral ambiguity wrapped in period intrigue.

TVMaze rating

3.1

If you liked this

The Crown2016

Similarly examines power, duty, and personal conviction within postwar British institutions, with extraordinary performances and production that elevate institutional drama into genuine tragedy.

But Spans decades across multiple seasons, demanding real commitment. Can feel slow if you're impatient with political nuance.

The Night Manager2016

A miniseries espionage thriller with gorgeous cinematography, moral complexity, and the same sense that everyone's playing a game with different rule books and hidden agendas.

But More action-oriented and less psychologically claustrophobic than Traitors; some find it style over substance.

Slow Horses2022

British intelligence work filtered through character study and paranoia. Smart, funny in dark ways, and obsessed with how institutions chew up idealists and cynics alike.

But Deliberately paced and requires attention. The puzzle matters less than the people, which isn't everyone's preference.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Traitors

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Phantom Thread2017

Both are fascinated by how seduction and ideology intertwine, and how personal relationships become instruments of espionage between two people with competing agendas.

Obsessive psychological drama set in 1950s London fashion world. Minutely controlled, darkly funny about power dynamics and the question of who's really manipulating whom.

But Glacial pacing and deliberately ambiguous morality. Not a plot but a power struggle, which frustrates viewers seeking narrative clarity.

The Americans2013

Soviet spies posing as ordinary Americans explore the same territory: divided loyalty, the erosion of self, and whether you can compartmentalize betrayal indefinitely.

But Emotionally exhausting and bleaker than Traitors. Long commitment over six seasons; the middle sags.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy2011

Cold War espionage where paranoia is the plot. Glacial, elegant, and absolutely committed to moral murkiness and the idea that everyone serves someone.

But Glacial is the operative word. If you need plot momentum or clear answers, this will feel like watching paint dry in an archive.

Our Kind of Traitor2016

John le Carré adaptation about ordinary people thrust into espionage webs. Character-driven, concerned with conscience and complicity, British to its bones.

But Moderate stakes and a wandering second half dilute its themes. Feels smaller and safer than it intends.

A Spy Among Friends2022

Miniseries examining real MI6 mole Kim Philby. Meticulous, intimate look at ideological conversion and how betrayal rewires identity over decades.

But Based on nonfiction; less dramatically satisfying than fiction. Philby's motivations remain deliberately opaque, which some find frustrating.

Spooks2002

Ten seasons of MI5 procedural where every mission carries moral weight and no victory feels clean. Paranoid, propulsive, and genuinely interested in institutional toxicity.

But Starts strong but dilutes as it chases ratings. Later seasons become more plot-heavy and less character-driven than early episodes.

The Gray Man2022

Both examine how ordinary people are recruited and weaponized by governments in wartime, and both suggest that survival sometimes means becoming complicit with your own corruption.

Wartime spy thriller told with darkly comic swagger. Fast, clever, and genuinely funny while taking espionage seriously—it's what happens when a scrappy American operative plays games with Nazis.

But Tonal whiplash for modern viewers; pivots between comedy and genuine menace. Special effects are primitive and occasionally unintentionally funny.