For a review of an even newer spy reality show, click here.
Everyone has their guilty pleasures and one of mine is reality TV. When spies and reality TV mix, how can I resist?
SPY was a BBC show that aired back in 2004 and spun out of the success of the show MI-5. 8 regular folks were given spy-like training and sent on psuedo-spy missions. 3 real ex-spies were their trainers and taught them how to act as an agent in the field while also critiquing their performance. I found their points about tradecraft to be interesting and, although I’m sure real intelligence operatives would roll their eyes, for the outsider it’s informative. I know I would have jumped at the chance to learn some of those skills and try and put them into action.
Here’s the opening –
Although it only lasted a season it was fun and made you think about how well you would do in a similar situation. All the episodes are now on YouTube and if you’re up for a little reality tv drama and a bit of cheesiness, it’s worth the time of a spy fan.
They’ve recently rebooted this show with a new trainers and a slicker look. It aired back in January but being in the US, I haven’t been able to see it. I’ll admit to being curious as to how they compare.
You can find the first episode of the 2004 version below –
Was this the one that was in the U.S.? Same concept. Challenges based around real spycraft and eliminations for who ever didn’t meet objective. The season prize was a couple of steps for a job skipped into the FBI’s field agency.
No, this one was based in the UK. I don’t think they were related.
Pingback: Secret Agent Selection: WW2 / Churchill’s Secret Agents: The New Recruits – Spy Reality Review – Spy Write