BBC unveils first look at Spooks legend as iconic spy George Smiley alongside Monster star in new espionage drama

To mark the end of filming on a brand new BBC drama, adapted from the works of John le Carré, called Legacy of Spies, a set of two first-look images has been unveiled.

The images give us our first glimpses of Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks) as iconic spymaster George Smiley and Charlie Hunnam (Monster) as the embattled, world-weary agent-runner and field operative, Alec Leamas.

The eight-part drama will be adapted from le Carré's book The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and will draw on additional material from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies. It was filmed principally in the Czech Republic, with locations in the UK and Germany also used.

As was previously announced, other stars set to feature in the drama include Daniel Brühl as Josef Fiedler, Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu as Doris Quinz, Agnes O'Casey as Liz Gold, Felix Kammerer as Hans-Dieter Mundt and Dan Stevens as Bill Haydon.

Jake Dunn, Anjana Vasan, Charlotte Ritchie, Joe Alwyn and Hugh Laurie round out the cast, playing Peter Guillam, Connie Sachs, Ann Smiley, Jim Prideaux and Control respectively.

The synopsis for the series says: "When Alec Leamas, a highly experienced Circus field operative, recruits Doris Quinz (Islamoğlu), a young and dynamic East German woman, to smuggle high-value Stasi documents into the West, it sets in motion a series of events that threaten to explode in the crucible of Cold War Berlin.

"Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler (Brühl) and Hans-Dieter Mundt (Kammerer), two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other."

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The synopsis continues: "Pulled into the action is Liz Gold (O’Casey), an idealistic young woman whose courage and conviction force Leamas to navigate a world where loyalties fracture and betrayal is inevitable.

"Behind the scenes, the brilliant and taciturn spymaster George Smiley orchestrates operations while the elusive Soviet mastermind Karla looms in the shadows, setting the stage for a conflict that will define a generation. Personal lives become collateral in a ruthless intelligence war, and as the lines between duty and love begin to blur, every emotion becomes a weapon."

The series, which is produced by The Ink Factory, is the latest le Carré adaptation for the BBC, after the second season of The Night Manager aired at the start of this year.

Legacy of Spies will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.