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Poster for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

TV series

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

One of Britain's master spies is working for the enemy. Can George Smiley beat him at his deadly game?

1979 · 1 season · 7 episodes

Created by John Irvin and John le Carré

7.6

TMDB audience score
131 votes, out of 10

Trailer Where to watch

Synopsis

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a seven-part BBC2 spy drama written by Arthur Hopcraft, adapted from John le Carré's eponymous 1974 novel. The serial, which stars Alec Guinness, Alexander Knox, Ian Richardson, Michael Jayston, Bernard Hepton, Anthony Bate, Ian Bannen, George Sewell and Michael Aldridge, was broadcast from 10 September to 22 October 1979. George Smiley, the ageing master spy of the Cold War and once heir-apparent to Control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the Circus. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the Circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis Karla 'The Sandman' of the KGB and reveal the identity of the mole before he disappears.

About 5h 50m to watch every episode. An estimate: 7 episodes at the typical episode runtime of 50 minutes.

Where to watch

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Trailer

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Main cast

  • Alec Guinness
    George Smiley
    7 episodes

  • Michael Jayston
    Peter Guillam
    7 episodes

  • Anthony Bate
    Sir Oliver Lacon
    7 episodes

  • George Sewell
    Mendel
    7 episodes

  • Bernard Hepton
    Toby Esterhase
    6 episodes

  • Robert MacNeil
    Self – Host (uncredited)
    6 episodes

  • Ian Richardson
    Bill Haydon
    5 episodes

  • Hywel Bennett
    Ricki Tarr
    5 episodes

  • Michael Aldridge
    Percy Alleline
    5 episodes

  • Terence Rigby
    Roy Bland
    5 episodes

  • Ian Bannen
    Jim Prideaux
    4 episodes

  • Alec Sabin
    Fawn
    4 episodes

  • Beryl Reid
    Connie Sachs
    3 episodes

  • Alexander Knox
    Control
    3 episodes

  • Duncan Jones
    Roach
    3 episodes

  • Daniel Beecher
    Spikely
    3 episodes

  • Frank Compton
    Bryant
    2 episodes

  • Frank Moorey
    Lauder Strickland
    2 episodes

Seasons