10 TV Shows Like Lioness That You Should Watch in the Future.
For Lioness, super producer Taylor Sheridan teamed up with Oscar winner Zoe Saldanha to create a thrilling spy thriller—and it’s no surprise the series has become a hit. Saldanha plays Joe McNamara, a senior CIA officer who heads a program that almost exclusively recruits women as undercover agents. The series, which just wrapped its third season, is on track for renewal… if the producers can secure Saldanha and her team. While we eagerly await news, enjoy other thrillers with original takes on crime and espionage. Some of them starring men!
Black Doves (2024–)
Keira Knightley plays Helen Webb in this unusual film, the wife of the British Secretary of Defense and a secret spy for the Black Doves, the mercenary organization that gives the series its name. 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 film is intentionally shot in a pulp style, with a wry, self-deprecating undertone that softens the tone. Season two will premiere in late 2026.Watch Black Doves on Netflix.
Day of the Jackal (2024– )
This new series, based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel in a cinematic style, benefits from a brilliant cast: Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal, a cold-blooded and fearless international assassin pursued by MI6 agent Bianca Pullman—played by Lashana Lynch, who skillfully puts her experience as the new 007 to good use 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. The series has been renewed for a second season. Watch The Day of the Jackal on Peacock .
Marshals (2026–)
“Lioness” is the rare Taylor Sheridan series that isn’t directly related to “Yellowstone,” but don’t worry… “Marshals” takes us back to the West, into the arms of the Dutton family. Luke Grimes reprises his role as Casey Dutton, a former cattle agent turned… you guessed it… U.S. Marshal, protecting Montana from all manner of criminals and cattle rustlers. The “case of the week” format is more reminiscent of police procedurals than spy dramas, but the action-packed atmosphere is similar. Watch “Marshals” on Paramount+ .
Homeland (2011–2020)
After the first few seasons of Homeland , the focus shifts somewhat, but the series begins with CIA operative Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) suspecting that decorated Marine sniper Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), recently rescued from an al-Qaeda safehouse, has been re-infiltrated and is planning a terrorist attack on the United States. Because Mathison has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, her superiors dismiss these suspicions, setting off a cat-and-mouse game between them, set against the backdrop of one of television’s most acclaimed spy dramas. Both leads won Emmy Awards for their roles, and the series won Outstanding Drama Series in its first year. Watch Homeland on Hulu andNetflix .
Quantico (2015–2018)
Priyanka Chopra plays Alex Parrish, who, after graduating from the FBI Academy, becomes the prime suspect in the terrorist attack on New York’s Grand Central Station. The series begins with Alex’s attempts to prove her innocence while on the run and her training at the academy. In the second season, she goes undercover for the FBI as a CIA agent (get it?) under mysterious circumstances, and in the third, she tries to catch an international arms dealer and rescue a fellow agent. Watch Quantico on Hulu.
The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
South Korean director Park Chan-wook ( Leave, No Other Choice ) directed this series, based, like The Night Manager , on a John le Carré novel, bringing the undeniably sexy style of the era to the table. Florence Pugh plays Charlie, a young actress recruited by Mossad chief Martin Kurtz (Michael Shannon) to infiltrate a Palestinian terrorist group, while being manipulated by an Israeli intelligence officer (Alexander Skarsgård). Crucially, like the book, the series offers multifaceted characters on different sides of the conflict, treating individuals as pawns of state policymakers. Buy The Little Drummer Girl on Prime Video .
The Night Manager (2016–)
Another series based on a John le Carré novel, the origin of many modern spy sagas, The Night Manager’s success (based on the 1993 novel) is no surprise—though the cast, led by Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman, certainly didn’t hurt. Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine, working the night shift at a luxury hotel in Switzerland when he encounters an unexpected guest: arms dealer Richard Roper (Laurie). A former army veteran, Pine previously dealt with Roper in Cairo, and Foreign Secretary Angela Burr (Colman) persuades the reluctant night manager to infiltrate the criminal organization. In the first season, Pine is presented as an ordinary guy who almost accidentally becomes involved in espionage, and in the second season, he becomes more experienced. A third season is on the way. Watch The Night Manager on Prime Video .
Night Agent (2023–)
“The Night Agent” is a suspenseful drama with a touch of spy thriller. Gabriel Basso plays Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent working nights in the White House basement, monitoring a phone that never, ever rings. Until… it doesn’t. Peter receives a call from Rose Larkin, a cybersecurity expert whose aunt and uncle have just been murdered and, unbeknownst to her, were also government agents. Rescuing Rose draws Peter into a web of conspiracy and official corruption. (This is why I never answer the phone.)Watch “The Night Agent” on Netflix.
SEAL Team (2017–2024)
David Boreanaz plays Jason Hayes, a senior special operations specialist (apparently his title) and the commander of a U.S. Navy SEAL team. The series features plenty of combat and undercover operations, as you’d expect, but the action begins after the unexpected death of a team member, setting the stage for the show’s unexpected focus on the aftermath of combat and how service and loss impact lives and families. Watch SEAL Team on Paramount+ andNetflix .
Dark Hearts (2023–)
At the beginning of the series, during the 2016 Mosul operation, we find ourselves at the epicenter of an elite French special forces unit in Iraq, despite France’s official presence in the conflict. Their mission is to evacuate the child of a prominent ISIS leader, who offers assistance and cooperation only if the French fulfill their end of the bargain. For the women and men involved, this is an extremely complex (and frankly, confusing) situation, with impossible decisions being made that may only make matters worse. The atmosphere is reminiscent of The Hurt Locker . Watch Dark Hearts on the Roku Channel.