The Ultimate Spy Movie & TV Guide — Inside Spies on Screen with Paul Burke

Paul Burke joins Spybrary hosts Shane Whaley and Michael Huie to discuss his new book, Spies on Screen, an ambitious guide to more than 900 spy films and television series.

From James Bond and John le Carré to Slow Horses, The Bureau, The Americans and forgotten spy thrillers, Paul explores how espionage on screen has evolved from glamorous secret agents to damaged, morally complex intelligence officers.

Along the way, the trio debate which Bond actor is closest to Ian Fleming's original creation, why The Spy Who Came in from the Cold remains one of the great adaptations, what makes The Day of the Jackal such an enduring classic, and which overlooked spy films and TV series deserve to be rediscovered.

Paul also explains why many of the best spy stories are really anti-spy stories, how streaming has transformed the genre, and why international espionage dramas are becoming more important than ever.

Plus, stay to the end for the Spybrary quick-fire round, where Paul reveals his picks for best Bond, best spy film, best spy TV series, most underrated espionage movie and more.

If you love spy films, spy TV shows and discovering hidden gems, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• The evolution of spy films and TV
• James Bond, Timothy Dalton and Ian Fleming
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
• The Day of the Jackal
• Slow Horses
• The Bureau
• The Americans
• Forgotten Cold War spy films
• Underrated espionage TV
• The future of spy stories on screen

Spies on Screen by Paul Burke is out now.

Visit Spybrary for more spy books, films, TV, interviews and intelligence history.