Spy City

Last updated

Spy City
Genre Spy fiction
Created by William Boyd
Written byWilliam Boyd
Directed by Miguel Alexandre  [ de ]
Starring
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • William Boyd
  • Dominic Cooper
  • Thomas Augsberger
  • Bill Block
  • Michael Schuld
  • Sven Philipp
  • Wolfgang Feindt
  • Annika Schmidt
Producers
  • Mischa Hofmann
  • Britta Meyermann
  • Ann-Kathrin Eicher
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)

Spy City is a television miniseries created by William Boyd about spies in 1961 Berlin, during the Cold War. The series first aired in Germany, and AMC+ picked up the rights to stream in the United States at MIPTV.

Contents

Synopsis

A British spy is sent to Berlin in 1961 to uncover a mole in the United Kingdom's Embassy or among the Allies, shortly before the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Cast and characters

Episodes

No.TitleDirected by  [1] Written by  [1] Original release date  [2]
1"Operation Beethoven" Miguel Alexandre  [ de ] William Boyd December 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)
In March 1960, British intelligence agent Fielding Scott narrowly evades an attempt to kill him in Berlin by an assailant whom Scott kills in self-defence. The assailant turns out to be Haldane, another British agent, and Scott is suspended from duty as a result while an investigation is carried out as to the circumstances. One year later, Scott is reinstated to duty by senior intelligence official Ian Stuart-Hay and sent back to Berlin to work under British station chief Aldous Petrie, who resents Scott's presence as Haldane had been a friend of his. Scott also reunites with Severine Bloch, a French agent and a former lover of his, and Conrad Greer, an American agent whom Scott served with during the Second World War. The three agents work on a joint operation to extract Manfred Ziegler, a German scientist working on top-secret rocket technology for the Soviets, from the Soviet-controlled East Berlin into the American sector of West Berlin. Scott liaises with Ziegler to plan his defection operation and kills a Stasi agent who caught the pair together, forcing Scott and Bloch to act quicker than planned to extract Ziegler and his family. However, they are too late and find Ziegler and his family dead in their home after a visit from Stasi agents. Meanwhile, Scott's secretary and covert Stasi spy, Eliza Hahn, comes under increasing pressure from her Stasi superiors to provide intelligence on Scott and is threatened with the arrest of her boyfriend Reinhardt if she doesn't comply.
2"Out of the Past"Miguel AlexandreWilliam BoydDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)
3"My Enemy's Enemy"Miguel AlexandreWilliam BoydDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)
4"The Flower Market"Miguel AlexandreWilliam BoydDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)
5"Dark Imaginings"Miguel AlexandreWilliam BoydDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)
6"The Wall"Miguel AlexandreWilliam BoydDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)

Production

Spy City entered development in 2014, when Boyd created and began writing the show. It was initially planned to be a ten-episode series. [3] In 2019, Dominic Cooper was cast in the lead role. [4] The series was shot in Roudnice nad Labem, Plzeň, Prague in Czech Republic, from 27 August to 30 November 2019, subbing for Berlin in 1960s. [5] The series was co-produced by H&V Entertainment GmbH, ZDF, Seven Stories (UK) and Wilma Film (Czech Republic) and was supported by FFF Bavaria, Nordmedia, German Motion Picture Fund and Czech Film Fund. [6]

Release

Originally, all episodes were released in Germany on 3 December 2020 to the Magenta TV streaming service. [2] The series will be broadcast in Germany on ZDF in Fall 2021. ViacomCBS Global Distribution has the international distribution rights, and at MIPTV, AMC Networks purchased the rights for the United States for AMC+. [7] AMC+ is releasing the episodes on a weekly basis starting 15 April 2021. [8] Britbox aired the series in the UK on 23 December 2021.

Reception

The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 70% approval rating, based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. [9] Metacritic, calculated a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10]

Related Research Articles

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Together, the show and the comic book series form the core of The Walking Dead franchise. The series features a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies known as "walkers". With the collapse of modern civilization, these survivors must confront other human survivors who have formed groups and communities with their own sets of laws and morals, sometimes leading to open conflict between them. The series is the first television series within The Walking Dead franchise.

<i>The Killing</i> (American TV series) 2011 American crime drama television series

The Killing is an American crime drama television series that premiered on April 3, 2011, on AMC, based on the Danish television series Forbrydelsen. The American version was developed by Veena Sud and produced by Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment. Set in Seattle, Washington, the series follows the various murder investigations by homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.

The Walking Dead is an American zombie apocalypse media franchise centered on a number of television series based on the comic book of the same name. Set in one fictional shared universe, the franchise has developed into six live-action television series, with two additional series in development. The franchise also includes eight web series that tie into the first two television series. The series all air on AMC and AMC+.

<i>Low Winter Sun</i> (American TV series) American television drama series

Low Winter Sun is an American crime drama television series that aired on AMC from August 11 to October 6, 2013, for one season consisting of ten episodes. The series was developed by Chris Mundy and starred Mark Strong and Lennie James. It is based upon the 2006 British two-part miniseries of the same name which also starred Strong in the same role. Filmed and set in Detroit, Michigan, the series follows detectives Frank Agnew and Joe Geddes after they murder a corrupt cop and attempt to cover it up, and explores organized crime in Detroit. The series received generally mixed reviews and AMC announced in December 2013 that it had canceled the series.

<i>Turn: Washingtons Spies</i> American historical drama TV series

Turn: Washington's Spies is an American period drama television series based on Alexander Rose's book Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring (2007), a history of the Culper Ring. The series originally aired on the AMC network for four seasons, from April 6, 2014, to August 12, 2017.

<i>Preacher</i> (TV series) American television series developed for AMC

Preacher is an American supernatural adventure television series developed by Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen for AMC starring Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun and Ruth Negga. The series is based on the comic book series Preacher created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The series was officially picked up on September 9, 2015, with a ten-episode order which premiered on May 22, 2016. The series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on August 4, 2019 and concluded on September 29, 2019.

<i>The Making of the Mob</i> American TV series or program

The Making of the Mob is an American television docu-series detailing the emergence of organized crime in 20th-century America. The series premiered on June 15, 2015, on AMC, and is narrated by actor Ray Liotta. The series also features intercuts within each episode of archival footage and interviews with historians, authors, actors, law enforcement personnel, and family members. On July 31, 2015, AMC renewed the series for a second season of eight episodes, which premiered on July 11, 2016.

<i>Damascus Cover</i> 2017 political thriller film

Damascus Cover is a 2017 political thriller film, directed by Daniel Zelik Berk, from a screenplay by Berk and Samantha Newton. It is based upon the 1977 novel of the same name by Howard Kaplan. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Olivia Thirlby, Jürgen Prochnow, Igal Naor, Navid Negahban and John Hurt. This proved to be Hurt's final film appearance before his death. The film was dedicated to his memory.

Sherman's Showcase is an American comedy television series created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle. The series premiered on July 31, 2019, on IFC. An hour long "Black History Month Spectacular" aired on June 19, 2020, and that same month a six-episode second season was confirmed, set to air on both IFC and AMC+ in 2022.

<i>Berlin, I Love You</i> 2019 anthology romantic drama film

Berlin, I Love You is a 2019 anthology romantic drama film starring an ensemble cast. A joint German and U.S. production, it serves as an installment of the Cities of Love, series created by Emmanuel Benbihy.

<i>Creepshow</i> (TV series) American horror anthology television series

Creepshow is an American horror anthology streaming television series that was released on Shudder in 2019. The series serves as a continuation of the 1982 film of the same name and features seventeen episodes with two horror stories per episode. The series premiered on September 26, 2019.

<i>The Peripheral</i> (TV series) American science-fiction drama television series

The Peripheral is an American science fiction television series created by Scott B. Smith. Produced by Amazon, it is loosely based on the 2014 book of the same name, written by William Gibson. Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serve as executive producers, along with Athena Wickham, Steve Hoban, and Vincenzo Natali. Set roughly a decade in the future, with new technology that has changed society in subtle ways, a gamer is delivered a connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.

<i>Invasion</i> (2021 TV series) American science fiction television series

Invasion is an American science fiction television series created by Simon Kinberg and David Weil. It premiered on Apple TV+ on October 22, 2021. The series has received a mixed critical response, praising the acting, music and pacing, but criticizing the underuse of the aliens. It is shown in English, Japanese, Pashto language. In December 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 23, 2023. In December, 2023, Apple renewed the series for a third season, with filming scheduled to begin February 12, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

<i>Pride</i> (American TV series) American TV series or program

Pride is an American documentary television miniseries revolving around LGBT rights in the United States decade-by-decade. It consists of 6 episodes and premiered on May 14, 2021, on FX.

<i>FUBAR</i> (TV series) American action-comedy television series

FUBAR is an American action-comedy television series created by Nick Santora for Netflix. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first leading role in a scripted live-action television series and is produced by Skydance Television and Blackjack Films. The series premiered on May 25, 2023. In June 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.

<i>Ragdoll</i> (TV series) Thriller television miniseries

Ragdoll is an internationally co-produced thriller series based upon the novel of the same name by Daniel Cole. In the United States, it premiered on AMC+ on November 11, 2021, and in the United Kingdom, it premiered on Alibi on December 6, 2021.

<i>Tales of the Walking Dead</i> American horror drama television series

Tales of the Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama anthology television series created by Scott M. Gimple and Channing Powell. The fourth television series within The Walking Dead franchise, it is a spin-off to The Walking Dead, which is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.

<i>The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon</i> American post-apocalyptic drama television series

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, or simply Daryl Dixon, is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series created by David Zabel for AMC, based on The Walking Dead character of the same name. It is the fifth spin-off and overall sixth television series in The Walking Dead franchise, sharing continuity with the other series and set after the conclusion of the original The Walking Dead television series.

<i>Rabbit Hole</i> (TV series) American spy thriller television series

Rabbit Hole is an American spy thriller television series created by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra for Paramount+. The series stars Kiefer Sutherland as a private espionage agent framed for murder. The series aired from March 26 to May 7, 2023. In October 2023, the series was cancelled after one season.

Moonhaven is a dystopian sci-fi series produced by AMC+ that premiered on July 7, 2022. The series depicts a quasi-utopian community set on a part of the Moon, intended to develop the technical and cultural means to save a ravaged Earth. The first episode begins with a murder, and the first season develops around a pivotal event for this project on the Moon, called the Bridge, when the first generations of Mooners, as the people from this community are called, will go back to Earth to teach the Earthers a way to overcome their ecological and economic crisis.

References

  1. 1 2 Bonaime, Ross (23 March 2021). "Dominic Cooper Delivers '60s Swagger in First Images From AMC+ Espionage Drama 'Spy City'". Collider .
  2. 1 2 "Spy City: Drama-Serie mit Spionage-Charakter | Telekom". telekom.de (in German). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (10 October 2014). "Gaumont TV France Set To Produce William Boyd's 'Spy City' With Pascal Chaumeil Set To Direct". Variety . Penske Media Corporation.
  4. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (11 July 2019). "Dominic Cooper To Star In Miramax-H&V-ZDF Series 'Spy City'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation.
  5. ↑ "Spy City". Czech Film Commission. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "Spy City". Odeon Film. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (12 April 2021). "MIPTV: AMC+ Takes 'Spy City'". The Hollywood Reporter .
  8. ↑ "Shows A-Z – Spy City on AMC Plus | TheFutonCritic.com". Futon Critic . Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Spy City". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Spy City – Series Overview". Metacritic . Red Ventures . Retrieved 18 April 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.