The story
In 1963, British intelligence officer Nicholas Elliott learns that his close friend and colleague Kim Philby has been secretly working for the KGB since the 1930s. Elliott travels to Beirut to confront him, and the drama picks through a friendship forged inside the intelligence service, asking how one man could fool the other so completely, and for so long.
Why it matters
A Spy Among Friends was one of the prestige dramas held back for ITVX, its UK debut moved to line up with the streamer's delayed December 2022 launch, with ITV1 viewers waiting until July 2023. Starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, it earned a BAFTA nomination for best miniseries, a sign of the weight ITV put behind its streaming launch.
Born online
Its UK release was tied to the launch of ITVX, moving from 1 November to 8 December 2022 when the streamer's debut was delayed. Free-to-air ITV1 viewers did not see it until July 2023; abroad it went to Amazon Prime Video in Canada and MGM+ in the US.
Notable facts
- It is adapted from Ben Macintyre's book of the same name by Alex Cary, with Nick Murphy directing. (source)
- It was nominated for best miniseries at the 2023 British Academy Television Awards. (source)
- Filming took place in London and Romania and finished in spring 2022. (source)