TV - A Spy Among Friends

With the full series dropping on ITVX on 8th December, find out a bit more about the real story of MI6 officer, Nicholas Elliott & traitor Kim Philby in this BTS chat with stars Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce...

Press Release

Cold war drama A Spy Among Friends is a series based on the New York Times best-selling book written by Ben Macintyre. The six-episode series dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends. Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. This is a story of intimate duplicity; of loyalty, trust and treachery. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence.

From the producers of Homeland, this espionage thriller dramatises the illustrious, and true story, set at the height of the Cold War, of Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce) — two spies and lifelong friends, one of whom was betraying the other all along.

In Episode 1, entitled Boom-ooh-yatatatah: In the wake of Kim Philby’s escape to Moscow, his closest friend in Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (also known as MI6.), Nicholas Elliott, is under investigation by Mrs. Lily Thomas from the Security Service (MI5): Did he facilitate Philby’s escape because he’s also a traitor working for the Russians, or is it just that his judgement was clouded at a critical moment by their twenty-three year friendship? Or maybe, just maybe, he in fact had the last laugh having manipulated Philby to run to the bosom of the KGB for foreign intelligence purposes.

Alongside Pearce and Lewis, cast members include Anna Maxwell Martin, Adrian Edmondson and Stephen Kunken.



In collaboration with Sony Pictures Television, ITV Studios and Veritas Entertainment Group, the series produced in the UK stars Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winning actor, Damian Lewis (Homeland, Billions) and Emmy® Award-winner, Guy Pearce (Jack Irish, Mare of Easttown). Lewis will also serve as executive producer.

Stream A Spy Among Friends from 8 Dec on ITVX.