Cold War TV shows have a long and storied history on television, and there’s a reason why audiences haven’t gotten tired of exploring this era. Thebest movies about the Cold Warhave been highly influential in film history, buttelevision shouldn’t be overlooked for its contributions to the genre.Many of the most popular contemporary espionage action movies have roots in older spy TV shows. While not every TV series about spies was set during the Cold War, it was because of this conflict that such a large number of stories about this period appeared.
In recent years, shows likeThe Americanshave renewed interest in this genre and brought attention back to the classic series from decades past. Of course,the 1960s and 1980s were two of the biggest decades for series about the Cold War,as the conflict was a large part of the cultural conversation during this time. It’s interesting to see the difference between shows that touch upon counter-intelligence and action versus those that take a closer look at the everyday lives of people affected by the international implications of the conflict.
101983 (2018)
A Polish drama that explores a potential alternate history
Netflix released the Polish series1983in 2018,and though only one season has aired, it’s worth watching for its contributions to Cold War media. Set in Poland in the early 2000s,1983takes place in a world where the Iron Curtain never fell, and the Cold War is still in full swing due to a series of terrorist attacks that impacted Poland in 1983. The series follows Kajetan (Maciej Musiał) and Anatol (Robert Więckiewicz) as they dig through history to find out the true cause of these attacks.
Though there are elements of the world in1983that are recognizable, the series does a great job of making this alternate timeline alien to the viewer.
Though there are elements of the world in1983that are recognizable, the series does a great job of making this alternate timeline alien to the viewer. Simultaneously, the audience never loses the feeling that this reality could’ve easily occurred thanks to the immersive writing and vivid production design. Even though things are bleak for Kajetan and Anatol, they find sparks of revolution that keep them fighting. While1983isn’t the only Cold War show that introduces a parallel reality, it’s one of the strongest.
1983 (2018)
Though most Cold War TV shows and movies take their subject matter very seriously,Get Smarthelped to pave the way for comedy and lighthearted themes within the genre.The series follows Maxwell Smart, AKA Agent 86 (Don Adams), and Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) as a pair of spies who go up against the evil organization KAOS. A satirical take on the spy genre that pokes fun at the tropes found in popular movies like theJames BondseriesGet Smart was a hilarious addition to the TV landscape.
Many of thebest spy comedy moviesdraw inspiration fromGet Smart, as it was one of the earliest examples of a parody of the enormously popular spy genre.Gadgets play a significant role inGet Smart,as the series plays with the concept of the suave hero, allowing Smart to make mistakes and look silly while fighting crime. Though the show isn’t in direct conversation with the Cold War, it drew inspiration from the stories that touched upon the tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
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Spy/Masteris a Romanian drama set in 1978and follows the disastrous chain of events after the defection of a Romanian political leader to the West. Alec Secăreanu plays Victor Godeanu, the former director of the Romanian Ministry of External Affairs, who attempts to make a deal with the Americans in exchange for entrance into the U.S. and extraction from Romania for his daughter. The stakes are high inSpy/Master, and complications arise through the negotiations between rival governments that take center stage.
Godeanu’s loyalties are consistently in flux throughoutSpy/Master, as his allegiance to his former government and new allies is easily swayed.
Godeanu’s loyalties are consistently in flux throughoutSpy/Master, as his allegiance to his former government and new allies is easily swayed. However, Godeanu is merely the centerpiece of this story, as his defection spurs a series of events he never imagined. The Romanian government swiftly sends agents after Godeanu as the American agents attempt to uncover his motivations. As these events unfold,Spy/Mastertouches upon other major political conflicts that intertwine with Godeanu’s story.
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7The Sleepers (2019)
This Czech series grapples with the tenuous final years of the Cold War in Europe
The lesser-known Czech drama,The Sleepers, takes place in the wake of the Velvet Revolutionin what was formerly Czechoslovakia in 1989. This was a series of demonstrations that led to the end of the Communist Party’s reign in Czechoslovakia. Tatiana Pauhofová plays Marie, a returned political exile who sets off in search of Viktor (Martin Myšička) after he disappears. The thrust of the story sees Marie attempt to determine if Viktor’s disappearance is an omen that she’s being targeted by the government.
From there,the viewer follows Marie on her perilous journeyand sees her step up and become something of a spy in her own right. It’s a compelling addition to the genre and takes place during an interesting period, as the power of the Soviet Union was fading and the Cold War was coming to an end. However, this doesn’t make Marie’s life any easier or less dangerous, as the fallout of the regime change left many people uncertain about their futures.
Many years after the series first premiered,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spywas made into a well-received film, but the 1979 miniseries is just as gripping. Made during the height of the conflict, the BBC’sTinker Tailor Soldier Spyhas been cited as one of the best-written representations of tensions of the Cold War.Alec Guinness led the cast as George Smiley, the protagonist ofTinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and received universal acclaim for his performance, earning him the award for Best Actor at the British Academy Television Awards.
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A tight seven-episode miniseries,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spymore than earns its runtime, slowly building the tense atmosphere that culminates in an unforgettable ending. Though many pieces of media made about the Cold War revolve primarily around the U.S. and Soviet Union,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyfocuses on British Intelligence, providing an interesting new window into the relationships between nations.Based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré,the series is considered a faithful adaptation of his work.
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The division of East and West Germany and Berlin was a major source of tension, conflict, and espionage throughout the Cold War, andDeutschland 83is in direct conversation with this part of the era.Starring Jonas Nay as Martin Rauch, an East German spy who goes undercover in West Germany,Deutschland 83is an immersive look at this period and corner of the world. Martin’s life as a spy and personal assertions are at war inDeutschland 83, which makes the series easy to compare toThe Americans.
In the years after the first installment premiered, it was followed byDeutschland 86andDeutschland 89, quickly becoming an international hit. However,Deutschland 83was the story that started it all and arguably the best of the trilogy. Nay anchors the series as Martin, giving the viewer insight into a piece of history so often shrouded in mystery and miscommunication. Blending humor and absurdity into its serious story,Deutschland 83will be remembered as a pivotal piece of Cold War media.
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Robert Vaughn is Napoleon Solo, and David McCallum is Illya KuryakininThe Man From U.N.C.L.E., a revolutionary TV show that puts rival spies together. Solo is an American secret agent, while Kuryakin hails from the Soviet Union, making them supposed enemies on paper. However, they come together for the sake of dire missions of international importance and prove themselves to be quite the team. The chemistry between McCallum and Vaughn was a large part of what propelled the series over the years.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.boasts contributions fromJames Bondwriter Ian Fleming, giving the series authority and a firm place within the spy canon.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.boasts contributions fromJames Bondwriter Ian Fleming, giving the series authority and a firm place within the spy canon. Today, the series is well-remembered for its high-stakes storylines and the many gadgets that can be seen throughout the episodes. Even thoughThe Man From U.N.C.L.E.movie makes changes to the original show, the movie was a strong continuation of the show, faithfully expressing the style and themes of the series.
When audiences hearMission: Impossibletoday, it’s likely that the blockbuster film franchise starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt is what comes to mind. However, this series wouldn’t exist without the original TV showMission: Impossiblefrom 1966. Though the Impossible Mission Force, the show’s expert team of spies, weren’t explicitly fighting the Soviet Union in every episode,most of their missions were in conversation with the contemporary conflicts the U.S. was engaged in.The characters typically intervened in corrupt governments and international criminal affairs.
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WatchingMission: Impossibletoday is still thrilling and fun, as even though the effects and stunts aren’t as complex by today’s standards, they still communicate the risks and intensity of the characters' situations. Seeing the IMF pull off daring heists and escape just in the nick of time never gets old, no matter how many times the viewer sees this happen inMission: Impossible. It originally ran for seven seasons andremains highly influential on the spy genre as a whole, not just the movies that followed it.
One side of the Cold War that’s sometimes overlooked by films and TV shows is the importance of the space race and how much the U.S. and Soviet Union saw this as a representation of their power and influence. InFor All Mankind, the series posits thatif the Soviet Union had been the first country to land on the moon, the space race would still be going ontoday.For All Mankindlooks at the lives of astronauts training to go to space and how the Soviet Union’s victory shook NASA to its core.
SinceFor All Mankindspans so many decades of history, each season presents a new opportunity for the show to expand upon the effects of the alternate Cold War.
As the series progresses, it takes different pieces of history and alters them to fit the new trajectory of the world. Issues like nuclear power and social movements are infused into the fabric of the story. InFor All Mankind, tensions with the Soviet Union shift and evolve but remain an essential piece of the narrative and a motivating factor for many of the characters. SinceFor All Mankindspans so many decades of history, each season presents a new opportunity for the show to expand upon the effects of the alternate Cold War.
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The Americanshelped bring about a resurgence in cultural conversations about the Cold Warfollowing the story of two KGB agents living outside Washington, D.C. The series is set during the early to late 1980s. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as the married couple, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, who use their relationship and children as a cover for their mission to infiltrate the U.S. government. From the first season,The Americanswas quickly singled out as one of the best shows on television.
Exploring the intensity of their jobs and loyalty to the Soviet Union while navigating Elizabeth and Philip’s personal relationships and marriage,The Americanslooked at the large and small themes in the story with equal weight. Though it’s set during the height of the Reagan administration and focuses on the tensions at this time, many parts ofThe Americansfeel so vivid and immediate that the show could be set today. Though the international implications ofThe Americansare a major source of tension, the personal sacrifices and conflicting identities are just as impactful.
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