10 TV Shows Like Pony That You Should Watch in the Future.
The impeccable atmosphere of that era is the highlight of the Peacock series “Pony,” a spy show starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson. They play two housewives living in Moscow with their CIA agent husbands—at least until their spouses die under mysterious circumstances. To get to the bottom of the situation, they convince the Moscow station chief that they themselves could be useful as agents. He thinks, “Well, who would suspect two secretaries?” You can watch “Pony” on Peacock , and then check out other stories about unlikely spies.
The Americans (2013–2018)
Created by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg, The Americans is set in the 1980s during the Cold War. The series follows Soviet KGB agents Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) as an American couple living in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and raising their American-born children. This critically acclaimed (and popular) series draws heavily on its historical context and central conflict, which pits the two spies in the heart of American suburbia while simultaneously attempting to undermine the Reagan-era government under which their children will grow up. Watch The Americans on Disney+ and Hulu .
Cleo (2022 – )
This German series is a Cold War-era spy thriller interspersed with moments of deeply dark comedy. Jella Haase plays Cleo Straub, a ruthless East German Stasi assassin who was framed for treason a couple of years before the series begins in 1989 and is now free to exact brutal revenge. Sven Petzold (Dimitri Schaad), meanwhile, is a hapless police officer who links Cleo to a murder he was investigating and pursues her until he realizes he’s in a very difficult situation.Watch Cleo on Netflix .
Black Doves (2024 – )
This film, which combines elements of various genres, became a real hit for Netflix—so much so that it was renewed for a second season. Keira Knightley plays Helen Webb, the wife of the British Secretary of Defense and a secret spy working for the eponymous spy ring. She learns from her handler (Sarah Lancashire) that her lover has been murdered, potentially exposing her identity, but luckily, she has a hitman best friend (Ben Wislaw) to help her. The whole thing is intentionally filmed in a pulp style, with a wry, self-deprecating undertone that softens the tone.Watch Black Doves on Netflix.
Homeland (2011–2020)
The series begins with CIA operative Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) suspecting that Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a decorated Marine sniper recently rescued from an al-Qaeda safehouse, has defected and is planning a terrorist attack on the United States. Because Mathison has bipolar disorder, her suspicions are dismissed by her superiors, triggering a cat-and-mouse game: who is he—or isn’t he? Both leads won Emmy Awards for their roles, and the series won Outstanding Drama Series in its first year. Watch Homeland on Hulu andNetflix .
The Sympathizer (2024)
A superb miniseries that reminds us that even guys can be spies. Based (partially) on a true story, the series tells the story of a captain (we know him only by that title), a member of the South Vietnamese army during the lead-up to the fall of Saigon in 1975, played by Hoa Xuande. However, he has a rather big secret: he’s a spy for the communist North, and when he’s evacuated to the United States, he becomes a double agent. His new life in sunny Southern California becomes very complicated as he struggles with his old loyalties and his new life. With touches of dark humor, superb performances, and brilliant direction from showrunner Park Chan-wook ( Oldboy , Another Choice ), this is an impressively unconventional spy story set in a historical context. Watch The Sympathizer on HBO Max .
Rookie (2022–2025)
This entertaining “unbelievable spy thriller” series tells the story of Owen Hendricks, an unremarkable young CIA lawyer played by Noah Centineo. He discovers an extortion threat from a former CIA agent in some boring documents. This discovery sets off a series of whirlwind adventures around the globe for which Hendricks is completely unprepared—he always knows more than he needs to, but it’s never enough to avoid trouble. It’s more of an adventure series than a thriller, and that makes it quite engaging.Watch “The Recruit” on Netflix.
Killing Eve (2018–2022)
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer play opposite sides of one of television’s greatest cat-and-mouse stories. Oh plays Eve Polastri, a bored MI5 analyst who becomes obsessed with finding the ruthless and infamous assassin known only as Villanelle. At first, it’s a professional obsession, but it quickly becomes personal: Eve and Villanelle begin to toy with each other, and it soon becomes clear that the attraction is mutual—as with Pony , it’s a rare spy drama starring two women. Watch Killing Eve on Prime Video , Paramount+ , Britbox, Tubi, and Netflix.
Mr and Mrs Smith (2024 – )
Mr. & Mrs. Smith , which surpassed the film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, follows a pair of spies tasked with posing as a married couple, coordinating (and sometimes competing) on missions. Each episode focuses on a different mission in a different location, complicating the characters’ relationships and gradually raising the stakes until the season finale, where they find themselves face to face. The series has been renewed for a second season, but its release has been delayed, and it’s unclear whether Glover and Erskine will return or if there will be a new season of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Prime Video .
Day of the Jackal (2024 – )
This cinematically ambitious new series based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel benefits from a brilliant cast: Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal, a steely international assassin pursued by MI6 agent Bianca Pullman, played by Lashana Lynch (drawing on her experience as the new 007 in No Time to Die ). I’m not sure there’s anything new here that we haven’t seen in countless other spy thrillers (including, of course, the 1973 and 1997 adaptations), but the acting and production values are top-notch, with each episode unfolding like a tense mini-movie. Watch The Day of the Jackal on Peacock .
Road to the Cemetery (2025 – )
This series (based on the works of Mick Herron, author of the more spy-focused Slow Horses series) straddles the spy and detective genres, starting as a murder mystery and gradually escalating into a vast government conspiracy. Emma Thompson stars as Zoe Boehm, a hard-drinking private investigator who is hired by Sarah Trafford, a married art restorer played by Ruth Wilson. No one takes her seriously (including and especially her husband), even when she becomes interested in the fate of a young girl whose family was (presumably) killed in a nearby gas explosion. The girl, whose parents were killed, disappears, and no one seems to care until Sarah hires Zoe and her husband to investigate. It turns out both women have gone too far, as the missing girl points to a much larger conspiracy. Thompson and Wilson are a brilliant but completely mismatched pair, and their performances more than justify the price of admission. Watch Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV+ .