In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dig into Apple TV+’s latest London-based spy series, “Slow Horses.” Based on the Mick Herron novel of the same name, the show follows Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the slovenly, irascible, insubordinate leader of Slough House —a destination for all of British Intelligence’s misfits and career f*ck-ups. In the series, the derogatorily dubbed “Slow Horses” find themselves wrapped up in a political kidnapping plot that may have more to it than meets the eye (read our review here).
At the top of the episode, our hosts profess their love of the first six episodes of the series, the dirty John le Carré-esque nature of the show, and the terrific performances from Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden.
After the conversation, stars of the show, Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Olivia Cooke, and Saskia Reeves, stop by to discuss putting a new spin on the British spy genre.
“The series is based on these books by Mick Herron. And he has taken a genre that we know and that we’re familiar with, but he’s sort of turned it on its head and filled it with this wit and humor and a bunch of misfits who I think the audience can really connect with. It’s not that sort of spy fantasy world of James Bond.” Oldman said.
Cooke is not wrong, the series features a cracking wit, and it’s written by U.K. comedian Will Smith, a member of the Armando Iannucci stable known for work on “Veep,” “The Thick Of It,” “Avenue Five” and “Paddington 2.”
“They’re all sort of people that you would tolerate in the workplace,” Lowden added. “It’s a very brave thing to do, but a mark of how good the writing is. Almost all of the characters, he makes them pretty much unlikable, but challenges you to like them and feel for them and understand why they’re all like that.”
The first episode of “Slow Horses” debuted on Apple TV+ on April 1, with new episodes coming on Fridays through April. You can listen to the entire podcast below:
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