Netflix’s Addictive 6-Part Crime Thriller Is Perfect for ‘Slow Horses’ Fans

Spy content is more popular than ever as an escapist genre, often removing espionage from reality. Legends is based on an incredible true story that was kept under wraps for decades by the British government, and it focuses on an ordinary group of people called on to do extraordinary work to curb the spread of drugs.

The series traces a real program developed in 1990, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sought a public relations victory as addiction became a pressing issue. After the Home Secretary (Alex Jennings) tasks Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise with finding a way to infiltrate dealers, spymaster Don Clarke (Steve Coogan) recruits Customs officers from secretarial, clerical, and administrative posts to go undercover.

That these recruits lack MI6 training distinguishes Legends from other spy shows and makes it a more relatable thriller. Tom Burke’s Guy, a security checkpoint officer, wants to prove his potential, while Don risks his own livelihood to push the operation forward.

United Kingdom

netflix, legends, crime thriller, spy thriller, slow horses, margaret thatcher, drugs, customs officers, steve coogan, tom burke