Slow Horses season 7: Release date speculation and latest news

*Warning - contains spoilers for all six episodes of Slow Horses season 6.*

The sixth season of Slow Horses, which turned out to be one of the most dramatic and action-packed runs of the spy drama yet, has now come to an end, leaving things on a shocking cliffhanger.

Thankfully, we already know that a seventh season is on the way, meaning we won't be left wondering just what happened for too long.

Season 7 will be based on the next novel in Mick Herron's acclaimed series of books, Bad Actors, and will once again star Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb. But when will the new episodes arrive on Apple TV, what will they be about and who else will return to star?

Read on for everything you need to know about Slow Horses season 7.

When might Slow Horses season 7 be released?

We don't yet know for certain when Slow Horses season 7 will be released, but the show has slipped into a clear pattern in the past few years.

Seasons 4, 5 and 6 have all been released in September one year apart, meaning it seems likely that season 7 will arrive in September 2027. At the moment this is just speculation, but it's a reasonable bet.

We will make sure to update this page once we have a confirmed release date.

Season 7 was first confirmed in July 2025, and has already completed filming. An eighth season has also been confirmed beyond that, which is filming currently and will be based on Mick Herron's most recent Slough House novel, Clown Town.

What could happen in Slow Horses season 7?

Slow Horses season 7 will adapt the eighth book in Mick Herron's series of novels, Bad Actors.

The synopsis for season 7 says: "In season 7, Lamb and his Slow Horses are on the hunt to find and neutralise a mole at the heart of British Government before they can bring down the state."

Meanwhile, we can also look to the blurb of the book for some sense of what will happen, although as is always the case, we expect there to be some changes made in the adaptation process, so this can't be relied on entirely.

The blurb of Bad Actors says: "In MI5 a scandal is brewing and there are bad actors everywhere. A key member of a Downing Street think-tank has disappeared without a trace.

"Claude Whelan, one-time First Desk of MI5's Regent's Park, is tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads straight back to Regent's Park HQ itself, with its chief, Diana Taverner, as prime suspect. Meanwhile her Russian counterpart has unexpectedly shown up in London but has slipped under MI5's radar.

"Over at Slough House, the home for demoted and embittered spies, the slow horses are doing what they do best: adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation.

"In a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing is the norm, bad actors are bending the rules for their own gain. If the slow horses want to change the script, they'll need to get their own act together before the final curtain."

Who could return to star in Slow Horses season 7?

A first-look trailer at the end of the season 6 finale of Slow Horses confirmed a number of returning stars for season 7, including Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung and Aimee-Ffion Edwards.

Meanwhile, a host of newcomers have been confirmed as joining the cast, including Varada Sethu, Ethan Moorhouse, Tuppence Middleton, Merab Ninidze and Joshua McGuire. The trailer appears to confirm that McGuire is playing the key book character of Anthony Sparrow, while Ninidze would appear to be playing Vassily Rasnokov, who he voiced briefly in season 6.

James Callis has also been confirmed to reprise his role as Claude Whelan - which makes sense given his character's crucial role in the plot of Bad Actors. Lucian Msamati could also be back as Oliver Nash, although this has not been confirmed.

Less certain are the returns of characters like Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy and Joanna Scanlan as Moira Tregorian. Their characters returned for season 6, but both now seem to have left Slough House behind them.

Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that Jonathan Pryce, Ruth Bradley or Tom Brooke would be back, after their characters bit the dust in season 6, while it is also uncertain whether Jack Lowden and Olivia Cooke will return.

Last we saw them, Cooke's character Sid was staying at River's grandfather's house, while River tried to surprise her. However, his fate looked up in the air at the very end of the season, and neither character was seen in the season 7 teaser.

For now, here are the characters who are either confirmed or we are particularly expecting to see in season 7:

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
• Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
• Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish
• Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander
• Olivia Cooke as Sidonie Baker
• James Callis as Claude Whelan
• Lucian Msamati as Oliver Nash
• Joshua McGuire as Anthony Sparrow
• Merab Ninidze as Vassily Rasnokov
• Varada Sethu as TBC
• Ethan Moorhouse as TBC
• Tuppence Middleton as TBC

Is there a trailer for Slow Horses season 7?

There is, but as is standard for the series, it has thus far only aired at the end of season 6 episode 6, and has not been released online.

We would expect a season 7 trailer to arrive online closer to release, but for now you can check out the footage by returning to the season 6 finale.

Slow Horses season 7 will be released on Apple TV, while seasons 1-6 are available to stream now. You can sign up to Apple TV for a seven-day free trial.

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