Cambridge Spies is a four-part BBC television drama, broadcast on BBC Two in May 2003, concerning the lives of the best-known quartet of the Cambridge Five Soviet spies, from 1934 to the 1951 defection of Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean to the Soviet Union.[1] The series was written by Peter Moffat and directed by Tim Fywell.[2] The complete series was released on DVD on 2 June 2003.[3] Viewing figures for the series averaged at 2 million per episode.[4]
Cambridge Spies | |
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Genre | Historical drama |
Written by | Peter Moffat |
Directed by | Tim Fywell |
Starring | Tom Hollander Toby Stephens Samuel West Rupert Penry-Jones |
Composer | John Lunn |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 4 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Laura Mackie Gareth Neame Sally Woodward Gentle |
Producer | Mark Shivas |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Distributor | BBC |
Release | |
Original network | BBC Two |
Picture format | 16:9 |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 9 May (2003-05-09) – 30 May 2003 (2003-05-30) |
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | British air date | UK viewers (million) | |
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1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Fywell | Peter Moffat | 9 May 2003 (2003-05-09) | 2.80 | |
While at Cambridge University in 1932, Philby and Maclean are approached by intelligence officers and requested to spy. It does not take Philby too long to realise that it is not the British intelligence services who want them, but the Soviets. They agree to spy for the Soviets and once the university year ends, Philby is sent on assignment to Vienna, where he marries committed Communist Litzi Friedman. Once back in England, Philby's runner, Blunt, tells him that the marriage is not in the interests of the mission and Philby has to end it. | ||||||
2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Fywell | Peter Moffat | 16 May 2003 (2003-05-16) | N/A | |
Burgess gets a job at the BBC. | ||||||
3 | "Episode 3" | Tim Fywell | Peter Moffat | 23 May 2003 (2003-05-23) | N/A | |
With the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the spies find themselves working for the Allies. | ||||||
4 | "Episode 4" | Tim Fywell | Peter Moffat | 30 May 2003 (2003-05-30) | N/A | |
The Soviets detonate an atom bomb. |