Television series

Undercovers

A married couple, pulled back into the spy game after years of retirement, navigate globe-trotting missions while trying to keep their relationship intact. Undercovers is energetic and playful—it treats espionage as an excuse for banter and chemistry rather than grim realism. Built around the genuine warmth between its leads, it's for anyone who wants action without angst, and romance that actually feels like partnership rather than complication.

TVMaze rating3.0

If you liked this

Mr. & Mrs. Smith2005

Assassins-turned-spouses rediscover each other through action and flirtation. It has the same premise—marriage as both strength and complication—executed with tremendous style and humour.

But The 2005 chemistry between Pitt and Jolie is obviously different territory; the film is glossier and more cynical about commitment.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith poster

Alias2001

A spy series genuinely interested in how the work affects relationships and identity. Inventive, surprising, and anchored by a lead who carries the emotional weight without ever losing the fun.

But It ran five seasons and sometimes tangles itself in mythology; early episodes are strongest, and the tone shifts as it goes.

Alias poster

White Collar2009

A con artist and FBI agent form an unlikely partnership based on genuine respect and witty sparring. It understands that chemistry between leads is the engine—plot is secondary to watching them work together.

But Episodic structure means cases resolve neatly; if you need serialized stakes and darkness, this will feel too breezy.

White Collar poster

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Spy Game2001

Both explore partnership as the real subject of espionage—not the missions themselves, but how two people survive each other under pressure.

A mentor and protégé trace their relationship backward through interlocking flashbacks—how trust builds, how it breaks, and what each owes the other. It's structured like a puzzle; watching the pattern emerge is the whole point.

But The framing device undercuts tension since you know the outcome. Also: Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, generational pairing, might feel dated now.

Spy Game poster
More like this (8)

Mission: Impossible - Fallout2018

Lean, propulsive spy action that prioritises clarity and fun. No bloat, no self-seriousness. Just skilled people doing impossible things against the clock.

But It's the sixth film in a franchise; you need some familiarity with the characters to fully enjoy it.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout poster

Covert Affairs2010

Annie Walker is a CIA officer with charm and agency. Early seasons especially nail the balance of danger, humour, and actual affection between characters.

But Pacing can drag in the middle seasons; the love triangle plotting grows repetitive if you're looking for smarter relationship writing.

Covert Affairs poster

The Americans2013

Two Soviet KGB officers pose as an American couple. It's a masterclass in how marriage and espionage corrode each other—tense, intimate, devastating.

But It's serious and often bleak; the opposite register from Undercovers. This is what happens when the partnership fractures.

The Americans poster

Burn Notice2007

A spy burned by the CIA improvises in Miami. Sharp dialogue, clever problem-solving, and genuine warmth among the team. It makes resourcefulness look like fun.

But Seven seasons means it sometimes repeats itself; the format becomes predictable if you binge it.

Burn Notice poster

Knight and Day2010

A charming spy tangles an ordinary woman into his world; equal parts action comedy and romance. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz genuinely seem to enjoy each other.

But It's unambiguously fluffy; if you want stakes or complexity, this will feel like cotton candy.

Knight and Day poster

Proof2015

A doctor grieving her father finds unexpected connection with an opponent. It's intimate and surprising, proving that emotional depth doesn't require genre trappings.

But Only two seasons before cancellation means the story doesn't reach where you'd hope; it ends mid-arc.

Proof poster

The Skin I Live In2011

Both pivot on the question of whether two people can truly know each other, but this one answers it brutally.

A Spanish psychological thriller about obsession, identity, and what one person will do to another in the name of love. Visually stunning, morally unsettling, and completely unlike anything you'll predict.

But It's in Spanish with subtitles, and thematically dark—possession and violation, not partnership. A slow burn that rewires what you thought the story was.

The Skin I Live In poster

Our Man Flint1966

Undercovers inherits its DNA—the belief that spies can be stylish and fun rather than tortured, and that a good marriage survives adventure.

A 1960s spy romp where suave confidence and absurd gadgetry are the whole point. It's campy and joyful and knows exactly what it is—perfect if you want spy-fi without apology or irony.

But Tone is pure 1960s camp; if you're watching for plausible action or modern sensibilities, you'll be annoyed instantly.

Our Man Flint poster

People

Cast

Writing

Production

Recommended by