Joe Barton, the mind behind Giri/Haji, returns with Black Doves—a spy series that boldly merges the high-stakes intensity of espionage drama with the warmth and sentimentality of a holiday movie. This unique tonal blend sets Netflix’s Black Doves apart, carving a place for itself alongside modern espionage hits like Slow Horses and The Agency. With its emotionally complex characters and intrigue-laden narrative, the series signals a renaissance of the spy thriller genre in television. Set against the shimmering backdrop of a Christmastime London, Black Doves follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a former honeytrap operative turned housewife, whose life unravels when her lover is assassinated. Her thirst for revenge draws her back into the shadowy world of international espionage, putting her at odds with her handler, Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire), and entangling her with Sam (Ben Whishaw), a morally ambiguous triggerman haunted by a failed mission from his past.
If you, like me, were bowled out by just how well everything works in Black Doves and, for once, want to commend Netflix for greenlighting the right show, here are 6 other shows that you might wanna check out if you liked it.
1. The Night Manager
Based on John le Carré’s novel, The Night Manager stars Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, a former British soldier recruited by intelligence operatives to infiltrate a secret arms trade network led by the charming yet sinister Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). The story centers on Pine who now works as the night manager at a luxury hotel in Cairo. His life takes a turn when a guest, Sophie Alekan, entrusts him with sensitive documents exposing the dealings of Roper.
After Sophie is murdered, Pine is consumed by guilt and anger. He is approached by intelligence operative Angela Burr (played by Olivia Colman), who recruits him to infiltrate Roper’s inner circle and bring him down. Pine assumes a new identity and dives into the dangerous world of espionage, deception, and betrayal, gaining Roper’s trust while navigating the risks of being exposed.
Like Black Doves, The Night Manager is a tension-filled narrative that focuses on the personal toll espionage takes on individuals. Fans of complex narratives and luxurious, danger-filled settings will find this series irresistible.
2. Killing Eve
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Killing Eve follows the cat-and-mouse game between two compelling women. Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) – a security officer at MI5 who becomes obsessed with tracking down a mysterious and highly skilled female assassin. Her fascination with the assassin’s methods and motivations takes over her professional life, making her both a determined investigator and a woman on the edge of obsession. On the other side is Villanelle (Jodie Comer) – a psychopathic and glamorous assassin who works for a secretive organization. Villanelle is lethal and unpredictable, yet she has a strange charisma that makes her incredibly captivating.
With its dark humor, sharp dialogue, and unconventional characters, Killing Eve shares Black Doves’ knack for blending drama with unexpected moments of levity. Both shows delve into the psyche of their protagonists, offering viewers a fresh take on traditional spy narratives.
3. Bodyguard
Bodyguard is a British political thriller series that aired on Netflix in 2018. The show follows David Budd (played by Richard Madden), a former soldier suffering from PTSD, who is now working as a Specialist Protection Officer (SPO) for the UK’s Home Office. Budd is tasked with protecting the highly influential and controversial Home Secretary, Julia Montague (played by Keeley Hawes), a politician whose policies on national security are at odds with many.
As Budd becomes increasingly involved in protecting Montague, he finds himself caught between his duty and his personal moral compass. His troubled past, dealing with the trauma of his time in the army, complicates his relationship with Montague, and tensions rise as he grapples with conflicting allegiances. Meanwhile, Montague’s political ambitions put her in dangerous situations, making her a prime target for assassination.
As far as shows like Netflix’s Black Doves are concerned, Bodyguard thrives on taut pacing, psychological complexity, and moments of explosive action. It’s a must-watch for fans of suspense and morally intricate characters.
4. The Americans
Set during the Cold War in the early 1980s, The Americans centers on two Russian spies, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, who are living undercover as a married American couple in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. While they appear to be an ordinary suburban family with two children, they are, in reality, highly trained KGB operatives tasked with gathering intelligence and carrying out covert missions on U.S. soil.
Elizabeth and Philip have been planted in America for years, posing as loyal Americans and raising their children—who are unaware of their true identities. Their lives become complicated when they begin to work with and against both the KGB and the FBI. The show also introduces Stan Beeman, an FBI agent and neighbor to the Jennings family, who is investigating the very espionage activities that Elizabeth and Philip are involved in, unaware that they are the culprits.
The series delves into themes of deception, identity, and the sacrifices made in the name of loyalty. Much like Black Doves, The Americans is one of those shows that offers a character-focused narrative with layered protagonists caught between duty and desire.
5. Slow Horses
Based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron, Apple TV+’s Slow Horses follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents who have been relegated to the agency’s dead-end department, Slough House. These agents, referred to as “slow horses,” have either failed in their assignments or made serious mistakes, causing them to be pushed out of the agency’s more prestigious branches.
The main character, Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman), is a gruff, cynical, and often abrasive MI5 operative who leads the group. Lamb is a brilliant but unconventional spy who seems to have given up on the system, and he manages the slow horses with a mixture of disdain and reluctant mentorship. Despite their fall from grace, these agents still find themselves involved in high-stakes cases, often with no choice but to prove their worth.
Even though Slow Horses is more comedic than thrilling, Fans of Black Doves will find the character work nuanced and well-written. Both shows sort of complement each other because somewhere they have the same wit, sharpness, and internal conflict.
6. Hanna
The show follows Hanna (played by Esme Creed-Miles), a young girl who has been raised in the remote wilderness of Eastern Europe by her father, Erik (played by Joel Kinnaman). From a young age, Hanna is trained to be an extraordinary assassin, possessing heightened physical and mental abilities due to a secret government experiment called “Utrax.” The program aimed to create super-soldiers by genetically enhancing children, and Hanna was one of its subjects.
As the series progresses, Hanna’s life is turned upside down when she escapes from a CIA-run facility and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about her past, her origins, and the organization that created her. This leads to a cat-and-mouse chase between her and the forces trying to hunt her down, including the ruthless CIA operative Marissa Wiegler (played by Mireille Enos), who has a mysterious connection to Hanna’s upbringing.
With its gripping action sequences and a coming-of-age storyline wrapped in espionage, the series offers the same adrenaline-pumping thrills and emotional stakes that make Black Doves so compelling – thus finding a place in this list of TV shows to watch if you liked Netfix’s Black Doves.
