A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis, introduces a world of dinner suits and bow ties, of gentlemen’s clubs and treachery, in the true story of Russia’s most notorious double agent.
Based on the life of upper-crust Brit turned secret Soviet spy Kim Philby, the ITV drama is a glamorous yet gritty tale of betrayal and mystery.
Philby was Britain’s most scandalous spy, fleeing to Moscow in 1963.
So who is in the cast, how many episodes are there, and where can you watch it?
Here’s everything you need to know about A Spy Among Friends on ITVX…
What is the plot of A Spy Among Friends?
ITV tells us that the new series dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends.
We’re told: “Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history.
“This is a story of intimate duplicity; of loyalty, trust and treachery.
“Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence.”
The series is an espionage thriller.
It begins in England in 1963, when Nicholas Elliott is working for MI6 as an intelligence officer.
However, he is left in turmoil when he learns his close friend and colleague Kim Philby has been secretly working as a double agent for the KGB and has defected to the Soviet Union.
Is A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis a true story?
A Spy Among Friends is based on a true story, but does include some invented scenes and characters.
Investigator Lily Thomas, played by Anna Maxwell Martin, was created for the drama and did not exist in real life.
A Spy Among Friends is adapted from the New York Times bestselling non-fiction book of the same name, by Ben Macintyre.
He thoroughly researched Kim Philby and tells the story through Philby’s friendship with fellow spy Nick Elliott.
Who was Kim Philby?
British special agent Kim Philby was one of the most notorious spies in British history.
He passed secrets to the Russians from the 1930s to the early 1960s – all through the Second World War. Dozens of British agents died as a result of his actions.
During the 1950s, MI5 suspected Philby of spying. But they couldn’t make the charges stick.
Later, in 1963, they had enough evidence to unmask him as a Soviet double agent.
By then, Philby was working as a journalist in Beirut.
His friend Nicholas Elliott offered to travel there and confront him.
He felt it was the gentlemanly thing to do – and that Philby would play ball.
He offered Philby full immunity from prosecution and a new life in the country with his family, in exchange for a full confession of everything he’d done for the KGB.
But Philby defected to Russia – without giving up any significant information.
MI5 refused to give details of what happened – leading some historians to believe Elliott was involved in his escape.
Others refute this completely.
Who is in the cast of A Spy Among Friends alongside Damian Lewis?
Damian Lewis plays British spy Nicholas Elliott.
Nicholas is horrified to discover his close friend of 23 years and British secret agent Kim Philby is a Communist secretly working for the KGB.
The betrayal runs deep, leaving Elliott devastated.
Of course, TV viewers know Damian for his roles in Homeland, Band of Brothers, and Billions.
Neighbours star Guy Pearce takes on the role of defector and secret Russian agent Kim Philby. Cambridge-educated, he is very upper-crust and evades detection for years.
Guy is known for his roles in L.A. Confidential, Memento, Iron Man III, and The King’s Speech.
He was brilliant as Richard Ryan in Mare of Easttown.
While Philby and Elliott are real people, Anna Maxwell Martin’s character, MI5 debriefer Lily Thomas, is fictional. Her job is to question Elliott and find out if he helped Philby to flee.
Lily’s a down-to-earth Northerner who is a fish out of water in posh Elliott’s world of gentlemen’s clubs.
Anna is known for her roles in Motherland, Line of Duty, and Hollington Drive.
The Pact and EastEnders actor Adrian Edmondson plays Sir Roger Hollis, Director-General of MI5, who wants Elliott’s role in Philby’s defection investigated.
Hotel Portofino actress Lucy Ackhurst plays Elliott’s devoted wife Elizabeth.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Rowe – who played Sir John ‘Jock’ Colville in The Crown – stars as the Queen’s cousin Sir Anthony Blunt.
Sir Anthony Blunt was another Soviet double agent and suspected recruiter for the spy ring.
The Handmaid’s Tale star Stephen Kunken plays James Jesus Angleton, a rising star in the CIA who detests communism.
How many episodes are there in A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis?
There are six episodes in A Spy Among Friends.
Each episode is an hour long.
A Spy Among Friends start date
All the episodes will be on ITVX as a boxset on Thursday December 08 2022.
ITVX is a free streaming service which will replace the ITV Hub on that date.
The series will also air on ITV1 in 2023.
Is A Spy Among Friends based on a book?
A Spy Among Friends is based on the bestselling novel of the same name.
Ben Macintyre wrote A Spy Among Friends: Philby and the Great Betrayal, which was published in 2015.
The Observer described the book as “riveting, astounding, an unputdownable postwar thriller”.
The Sunday Times called it “irresistibly readable”.
Meanwhile, the Guardian said it was “worthy of John le Carré at his best”.
The author of the book Ben Macintyre also wrote the book which inspired the current BBC One hit SAS Rogue Heroes.
Homeland writer Alexander Cary adapted the book A Spy Among Friends for TV.
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A Spy Among Friends airs on ITVX from Thursday December 08 2022.
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