15 Best Spy TV Shows to Watch After The Americans

1. Homeland (2011-2020)

Here's some juicy CIA drama. Carrie Mathison, a brilliant but bipolar CIA officer, believes that Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Sergeant held captive by Al-Qaeda, has turned against his country. So, she unofficially surveils him. Plot twist: They fall in love. Yeah, it's complicated. Over eight seasons, Carrie takes on everything from drone strikes to Russian interference. This is modern espionage at its finest.

2. Spooks (2002-2011)

Also known as MI-5 in the U.S., this British drama is all about the men and women of Section D in MI-5. Take Tom Quinn, for example, who fakes his death and starts a new life only to get roped back in. These guys combat terrorism, stop assassinations, and manage to look good in suits while doing it. It's got 10 seasons, so plenty to sink your teeth into. Fun fact: David Wolstencroft, the creator, got the idea from real MI-5 recruitment ads!

3. 24 (2001-2010, 2014)

Jack Bauer, people. Ever wanted to experience a day in the life of a Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) agent? This show's real-time format means you're along for the ride—every ticking second of it. From presidential assassination attempts to biological warfare, Jack's got his hands full. Kiefer Sutherland's intensity alone is worth the watch.

4. Alias (2001-2006)

Enter Sydney Bristow, a college student by day and a kick-ass spy for a covert branch of the CIA by night. Plot thickens when she learns her employer is actually an enemy organization. Revenge time, anyone? She becomes a double agent, working to bring them down from the inside. Think Mission Impossible but with more wigs and mommy issues. And Jennifer Garner absolutely slays, both literally and metaphorically.

5. Person of Interest (2011-2016)

Created by Jonathan Nolan (yes, Christopher Nolan's brother), this one's got a techie twist. Harold Finch invents a supercomputer that predicts crimes before they happen. Ex-CIA agent John Reese teams up with Finch to stop these crimes. Initially, it's all about the "number of the week", but as government conspiracy unfolds, it's clear there's a bigger game afoot. The show's use of AI surveillance was groundbreaking for its time.

6. Burn Notice (2007-2013)

Michael Westen is your run-of-the-mill superspy until he gets "burned", effectively blacklisted from all government operations. Stuck in Miami, he becomes a freelance problem solver while trying to find out who burned him. He's joined by Fiona, his ex-girlfriend and an ex-IRA operative, and Sam, an old spy buddy. The show gives you a quirky mix of action, humor, and useful spy tips—what's not to love?

7. The Night Manager (2016)

Based on John le Carré's novel, this British series involves hotel manager Jonathan Pine going undercover to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper. It's a sleek operation—luxury hotels, beautiful locales, and heaps of treachery. Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie deliver brilliant performances, and there's enough suspense to keep your heart racing.

8. Deutschland 83 (2015-2020)

Let's take a trip to Cold War-era Germany, shall we? Martin Rauch, an East German border guard, is recruited by his aunt to go undercover in West Germany. His mission? Steal NATO secrets. The series delves deep into the cultural and political divide of 1980s Germany, offering a riveting account of espionage activities during the Cold War. It's the German answer to The Americans, and it's freaking fantastic.

9. Killing Eve (2018-2022)

Think James Bond but with two strong female leads. Eve Polastri, an MI5 officer, becomes obsessed with catching Villanelle, a psychopathic assassin. Their cat-and-mouse chase across Europe is exhilarating, disturbing, and weirdly charming? Created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag fame, this show is as stylish as it is violent.

10. Fauda (2015-present)

Time to jet off to Israel for this one. Doron, a retired Israel Defense Forces operative, is dragged back into service after learning that a terrorist he supposedly killed is very much alive. The show provides an intense, ground-level view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and doesn't shy away from showing the personal costs of espionage. It's gritty, realistic, and raises some serious moral questions.

11. Counterpart (2017-2019)

Howard Silk is just a low-level bureaucrat in a Berlin-based UN agency. Imagine his surprise when he learns the agency is guarding a crossing to a parallel Earth. His counterpart from the other side is a badass spy, and they must navigate an inter-dimensional espionage war. Howard's dull life takes a backseat as he's thrown into a world of covert operations, assassinations, and espionage on a literally universal scale.

12. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)

This is the granddaddy of spy series, based on John le Carré's classic novel. George Smiley, a retired MI6 officer, is brought back to uncover a Soviet mole within the agency. Smiley methodically narrows down the suspects through a series of investigations, meetings, and decoding secret messages. It's an oldie but a goodie; don't expect fast-paced action, but do expect a tension-filled, intellectual game of cat and mouse.

13. The Bureau (Le Bureau des Légendes) (2015-present)

This French series gives us a peek into the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), France's external intelligence agency. Guillaume "Malotru" Debailly is a master spy who returns to Paris after six years undercover in Syria. The catch? He can't shake off his alias and continues to live a double life. As he's pulled deeper into covert ops involving ISIS and the CIA, the lines between his two identities blur dangerously.

14. Covert Affairs (2010-2014)

Cute but lethal—Annie Walker is a CIA trainee suddenly promoted to field operative. Why? Because she speaks a dozen languages and is good at nearly everything, that's why. Over the seasons, Annie evolves from a rookie making cutesy errors into a full-blown, no-nonsense spy dealing with Russian mobsters and rogue agents. And all this while handling an on-and-off romance with her handler, Auggie.

15. Turn: Washington's Spies (2014-2017)

Based on true events, this AMC series centers around Abe Woodhull, a farmer in Revolutionary-era America who forms a spy ring to help George Washington defeat the British. The stakes? Only the birth of a new nation. The series masterfully weaves personal drama, like Abe's strained relationship with his Loyalist father, into the broader political struggle.