The spy genre is closely and irrevocably entwined with the name James Bond. Having been portrayed by seven different actors in an official total of 25 movies over the last 40-plus years, author Ian Fleming’s MI6 agent has become the undisputed face of espionage in pop culture.
Yet, devoted fans of these suspense stories might argue that, while 007 is the big screen’s top agent, the real action is on the small screen. There are plenty of James Bond movies that some would say pale in comparison to many of the most acclaimed spy TV shows of all time.
24 Is A Gritty, High-Stakes Ticking Time Bomb
Before Daniel Craig took over as a more brutish Bond in 2006’s Casino Royale, critics and audiences struggled to take the 007 movies seriously amid the launch of the more realistically gritty Jason Bourne franchise.
Of course, the precursor to the Matt Damon-led Robert Ludlum adaptations is the hit series, 24. Kiefer Sutherland gives a two-time Emmy-winning, career-defining performance on Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran’s long-running Fox drama as Jack Bauer, a federal counterterrorism agent who will go to unimaginable lengths to achieve justice.
Further enhancing the excitement is its unique real-time narrative structure. It keeps the suspense tight between episodes and even between seasons, keeping fans on the edge of their seats throughout.
The Night Manager Perfectly Realizes John le Carré’s Suspenseful Novel
Among the most celebrated spy fiction authors not named Ian Fleming, John le Carré stands firmly near the top of the list. One of the late English writer’s most acclaimed and notable works is his 1993 novel, The Night Manager, which was adapted into a six-episode television event in 2016.
Marvel’s Loki actor Tom Hiddleston earned a Golden Globe for his role as British soldier-turned-Cairo hotel overseer Jonathan Pine, as did Hugh Laurie as Richard Roper, the sadistic arms dealer Jonathan is recruited by Angela Burr (fellow Golden Globe winner Olivia Colman) to help bring down.
A decade later, the perfectly paced and deliciously suspenseful The Night Manager received a second season on Amazon Prime Video that has also been met with critical acclaim.
Burn Notice Puts Its Spy Protagonist In The Hot Seat
Among James Bond’s most admired signature characteristics are his rebellious methods of operation and defiance of authority, as demonstrated by his tendency to go rogue, especially during the Daniel Craig years. However, what if 007 had no choice but to work on his own after being left to his own devices?
Such is the case for Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) on Burn Notice, in which the international spy is suddenly discredited and relocated to Miami, where he utilizes his skills for smaller-scale situations with help from his former flame (played by Gabrielle Anwar) and an ex-Navy SEAL (played by Bruce Campbell).
The dramedy, which ran for seven seasons on the USA Network, even takes a fun do-it-yourself approach to its storytelling, with Michael’s voice-over narration practically serving as a poor man’s guide to espionage.
Slow Horses Tramples The Suave Spy Trope
For the same reason that some comic book readers tend to grow bored with a perfect, indestructible being like Superman, it would be perfectly understandable if a spy movie fan grew tired of James Bond’s daring heroics and unmatched charm. It might be even more interesting to see an agent, or a whole team of operatives, who struggle to get the job done.
Those curious to see that kind of story should check out what some call the current best spy show on streaming, Slow Horses, the series adaptation of Mike Herron’s Slough House novels, which follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents who are sacked with organization’s more mundane tasks, yet somehow tend to stumble onto some of the most dangerous cases occurring in Britain.
Academy Award winner Gary Oldman is a delight as the second-class crew’s grizzled, hilariously rude leader, Jackson Lamb, on the Apple TV hit that has a sixth and seventh series on the way.
Homeland Brilliantly Encapsulates Post-9/11 Fears
It has become more apparent, especially in a post-9/11 atmosphere, that most James Bond adventures, especially from the Sean Connery and Roger Moore eras, more accurately reflect a child’s perception of a career in espionage than the sort of actual dangers that come with the job.
As a result, most modern-day audiences would long for a spy thriller that sets itself in the real world and received their wish in the form of Homeland. Inspired by the Israeli series Prisoners of War and developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, the Emmy-winning Showtime original drama follows CIA operative Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and her investigation of a decorated Marine (played by Damian Lewis) whom she is convinced poses a threat to the United States.
Homeland also sets itself apart from other series of the like by portraying Mathison as a flawed protagonist who, unlike Bond, uses her sexuality as a tool and whose bipolar disorder often gets in the way of her work.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Is A Believable Blend Of Romance And Espionage
There is not a single straight, cisgender male fan of the James Bond movies who can deny that he admires 007 for his unbroken winning streak with the ladies, yet another trope Daniel Craig broke by introducing a recurring love interest in his films. Before then, however, there must have been a fan or two who wondered what would happen if the spy genuinely fell in love with a female colleague.
It might have turned out something like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a reimagining of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-led 2005 action-comedy starring co-creator Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as spies whose faux marriage blossoms into real love, which complicates their increasingly hazardous assignments.
The Amazon Prime Video original, with a second season starring Mark Eydelshteyn and Sophie Thatcher on the way, offers a refreshingly grounded depiction of an otherwise slick, stylish espionage tale, enhanced by a relatable approach to its central love story.