Podcast
With Rory Bremner
Major Hollywood storytellers and top international spies break down what we see on screen, to separate the fact from the fiction and shine a light on extraordinary characters and skills. Hosted by Rory Bremner.
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THE TARGETER
Nada Bakos takes Vanessa Kirby on the controversial hunt for one of the Iraq War's deadliest terrorists. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a two-bit criminal until the US government named him as one the world's most dangerous insurgents. His presence in Iraq was part of the justification for the invasion - but did the facts stack up? As one of the CIA's senior targeting officers, it was Nada's job to find out. Could YOU find out the truth?
THE REAL BLACK KLANSMAN
Vanessa Kirby meets Ron Stallworth, the black Colorado cop who fooled the USA's most notorious racists. In 1979, Ron and a white colleague infiltrated a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Posing as two sides of the same alter-ego, they led a double-pronged attack on the group, even gaining the trust of the Klan's leader, David Duke. Could YOU take that risk?
BLACKBIRD
Colonel Buz Carpenter puts Vanessa Kirby in the cockpit of his legendary SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. In 1979, two Gulf nations were on the brink of war. To negotiate peace, the US needed detailed military intelligence on both sides. Buz shares the amazing (and awkward!) details of his dangerous secret mission to the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Could YOU match his nerve?
N IS FOR NOVICHOK
Vanessa Kirby gets Christo Grozev, a modern Sherlock Holmes, to share the secrets of how he solved one of the most notorious assassination attempts of the 21st century - the poisoning of retired Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal, hospitalized by a mysterious nerve agent on British soil. Would YOU have the skills to do the same?
THE MAN FROM THE GETTY
Vanessa Kirby and Charles Hill share the inside story of an iconic art theft. Hill went undercover to retrieve ‘The Scream' by Edvard Munch after it was stolen from Norway’s National Gallery. Posing as an agent for the Getty Museum, Charles drew the dangerous thieves out of the shadows. What would YOU do in Charles's position?
THE SPY WHO SAID NO
Hayley Atwell meets ex-spy Katherine Gun and journalist Martin Bright, who tried to derail the course of history. On the brink of the Iraq War, Katherine leaked a top-secret memo which exposed a US plot to secure support for the invasion through blackmail. Would you have done the same?
THE SURVIVOR
Hayley Atwell meets Marthe Cohn, the brave 100-year-old French spy who, posing as a German nurse, fed German secrets to the Allies during WWII. Operating behind enemy lines, under the nose of the Nazis, her courage and cunning saved countless lives. Could you be so brave?
THE BILLION-DOLLAR SPY
Hayley Atwell tells the story of how Soviet engineer Adolph Tolkachev became one of the Cold War's most prolific turncoats. For nearly a decade, CIA Operations Officer David Rolph was tasked with keeping the information flowing, right under the nose of the KGB. What would YOU do in David's position?
Joana Vasconcelos: War Games
For the Portuguese artist and sculptor, Joana Vasconcelos, a troubling inheritance of deceit lay lurking in wait in her late grandparents’ apartment. Here, she and host Alice Loxton discuss the dark journey that her discovery sent her on – and the powerful work of art it inspired.
THE PURPLE BATHROBE
Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of Mexican drug lord El Chapo, with former FBI undercover agent Michael McGowan. To trap this murderous gangster, Michael had to convince him that he was in the same business. What would you do in Michael's position?
UNDERCOVER JIHADI
Hayley Atwell relates the story of Mubin Shaikh, a Muslim extremist who became a spy for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Undercover as a member of the terrorist group that would be known as the Toronto 18, Mubin was told that his cover was blown.
SHADOW GAMES
Hayley Atwell shares the secrets of an elite clandestine unit, Special Forces Berlin, with the help of former operative James Stejskal. Stationed in West Berlin but deployed wherever their skills were needed, they found themselves at the centre of the Tehran Hostage Crisis, but no-one could know they were there. What would you do in their position?
TRUE NARCOS
DEA agents Javier Peña and Steve Murphy helped locate and capture Pablo Escobar, the most infamous ‘narco’ in history. Escobar's cartel terrorized Colombia and shipped cocaine worth tens of billions of dollars to the USA. As easily identifiable 'gringos', Peña and Murphy were in constant danger in Colombia. What would you do in their position?
THE ART OF DISGUISE
Jonna Mendez was chief of disguise at the CIA’s Office of Technical Service. During decades of undercover service, Mendez fabricated highly deceptive disguises for agents and colleagues in some of the world’s most hostile locations. What would you do in Jonna’s position?
THE ROOKIE AND BIN LADEN
Tracy Walder was a CIA officer in the Counterterrorism Center, assuming aliases and pursuing terrorists in the aftermath of 9/11. After her role at the CIA, Tracy became a Special Agent at the FBI, specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations. What would you do in Tracy’s position?
THE SPYCATCHER
As former Deputy Director of the Office of Counterintelligence, Robert Booth was tasked with investigating individuals within the department who were recruited as spies for foreign governments. What would YOU do in Robert’s position?
THE ILLEGAL
'Jack Barsky' was a New York computer programmer for a well-known insurance firm. In real life, he was Albrecht Dittrich, a highly-trained Soviet sleeper agent dropped behind enemy lines in 1970s America. When the KGB recalled him to Europe, Barsky had a difficult choice to make: Should he leave his wife and 18-month-old baby behind or betray his country?
FAIR GAME?
The identity of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame was leaked during President George W. Bush’s administration. Overnight, the operations she had worked on, searching out intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, were put at risk. What would YOU do in Valerie’s position?
GRAY SUIT & THE GHOST
Eric O’Neill describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen, who he was tasked with catching. Eric needs to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isn’t there and Hanssen is getting suspicious. What would you do in O'Neill's position?
OPERATION BROTHERS
Former Mossad operative Gad Shimron ran a fake diving resort on the Red Sea to rescue Ethiopian refugees. The operation involved arrest and interrogation, running roadblocks, and a gunfight at sea, all to save the lives of others. What would YOU do in Gad’s position?
Ten Episodes Not To Miss
Ready to unlock the secrets of the spying game? Here's a quick intro to our True Spies series.
Howard Hunt Unleashed, Part 1: The CIA & Animal Farm
In this special two-part True Spies miniseries, Daisy Ridley presents a dramatized encounter with Everette Howard Hunt Jr, based on our own historical research and Hunt's own writings. In Part 1, Hunt explains his role in one of the CIA's most unusual PsyOps - the backing of 1954's animated version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.
HAVANA SYNDROME SPECIAL
Debilitating neurological symptoms have affected US officials worldwide. Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos has been suffering since 2017 - he joins Russia expert and former CIA Station Chief John Sipher, and Dr. James Giordano to analyze Havana Syndrome.
GRAY SUIT & THE GHOST
Eric O’Neill describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen, who he was tasked with catching. Eric needs to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isn’t there and Hanssen is getting suspicious. What would you do in O'Neill's position?
THE ILLEGAL
'Jack Barsky' was a New York computer programmer for a well-known insurance firm. In real life, he was Albrecht Dittrich, a highly-trained Soviet sleeper agent dropped behind enemy lines in 1970s America. When the KGB recalled him to Europe, Barsky had a difficult choice to make: Should he leave his wife and 18-month-old baby behind or betray his country?
INSIDE NAMBLA
Bob Hamer had a colorful career as an undercover FBI agent but nothing prepared him for infiltrating Nambla, the North American Man/Boy Love Association. If he was going to put the pedophiles behind bars, Bob would have to hide his hatred and disdain - even if it ripped at the very fabric of his being. (Warning: This episode contains graphic details.)
WHITE TRAITOR
Sue Dobson was a white woman who wanted to spy for the African National Congress - making her a minority within a minority in apartheid-era South Africa. Dobson spent seven months training in the USSR to learn her tradecraft. Now she wasn’t just a traitor, she was a turncoat with the training to kill.
PSYCHIC SPIES
Dr. Edwin May is an unusual scientist, a physicist who researches psychic phenomena. For decades he worked with psychics who believed they could ‘foresee’ events like potential terrorist attacks, which raised an interesting question: If you can see the future, are you condemned to experience it?
THE SOCIOPATHIC SPY
Working as a lawyer is one path to success, but Jim Lawler wanted adventure. He ditched his job in Texas and joined the CIA. On his first tour abroad, Jim had to recruit a spy working for a hostile government knowing she’d be killed if her cover was blown. That’s when Jim realized he was born with the type of sociopathic personality that would ensure success.
ME AND THE MULLAH
Shawnee Delaney was a key part of the US team hunting Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11. One of her contacts was a Mullah with close ties to al-Qaeda but how could she win his trust? There was a language barrier and the Mullah refused to accept money for intelligence. This was shaping up to be Shawnee’s most challenging assignment yet.
THE IRISHMAN
Sean Hartnett grew up in Ireland during the 'Troubles'. His family was Republican so they were shocked when Hartnett talked about joining the British Armed Forces. In fact, Hartnett went a step further. He joined the British Army’s most secretive covert counterterrorist unit in Northern Ireland, Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland aka ‘The Det’.
And, if you're into covert operations and intelligence gathering, check out these episodes:
EPISODE 71
RISE AND KILL FIRST
Ronen Bergman is an investigative journalist specializing in the dark arts of espionage and Mossad. In the early ‘80s, he stumbled on the scoop of a lifetime involving PLO chairman Yasser Arafat.
TEAM ALPHA PART 1: THE TIP OF THE SPEAR
October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, eight CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts, and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that al-Qaeda does not strike again.
EPISODE 87
STALIN'S ROMEO SPY
As a young Soviet journalist, Emil Draitser stumbled on a story that changed his life. He was summoned by Dmitri Bystrolyotov to hear the deep secret that he was a ‘Stasi Romeo’ spying on Germany for Moscow, taking advantage of vulnerable women to steal state secrets. It was a fascinating tale, but it could also land Draitser in prison.
ALDRICH AMES PART 1: THE ULTIMATE DOUBLE AGENT - SELLING SECRETS
The CIA is only as strong as the weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames.
EPISODE 43
PUTIN'S PALACE?
Former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released a film in 2021 that sent shockwaves through the country. Part exposé, part-psychological portrait, his investigation claimed to reveal a culture of corruption within the Kremlin - with President Putin at its heart. The Kremlin and Putin deny everything.
LISTEN TO ALL TRUE SPIES EPISODES Find us on Apple Podcasts
See all episodes here
Spy SistersSee all episodes here
CIA SecretsSee all episodes here
FBI SecretsSee all episodes here
Russian SecretsEpisode 9
The Real Americans
Joe Weisberg, the Emmy Award-winning creator of The Americans and a former CIA operative, meets Jack Barsky, who was a genuine Soviet "Illegal" operating undercover inside the United States. Host Rory Bremner hears about the amazing real-life inspiration for The Americans, why Joe’s life as an agent was cut short and what happened to Jack when the FBI moved in next door.
Episode 8
Hiding In Plain Sight
Philippe Sands, leading international law and human rights barrister, Professor of Law at UCL and presenter of The Ratline, is joined by Dave Butler BEM, a former British spy active in Berlin during the Cold War. In an episode that covers Nazi plots, the redrawing of boundaries and incursions over enemy lines, we also hear from the Spymaster himself, David John Moore Cornwell, AKA John le Carré, thanks to archive audio recorded by his neighbour Philippe.
Episode 7
The Enemy Within
The American Spy author Lauren Wilkinson, hailed by none other than President Obama, talks to former Jihad supporter turned undercover Canadian counterterrorism operative Mubin Shaikh. Host Rory Bremner hears about everything from how to foil a terrorist plot and AK-47 envy to the moment you realize you’ve made a terrible error of judgment.
Episode 6
The Bodyguard: How to Protect the Lives That Matter
Former presidential close protection officer and medal of valor recipient Evy Poumpouras is joined by Jed Mercurio the man behind Line of Duty, Bodyguard, Trigger Point and Bloodlands. Rory Bremner hosts a deep dive into the reality behind protecting high-profile targets, from mind games and meticulous planning through to the importance of how to get off the ‘X’.
Episode 5
Double Agents in the Middle East
Nadav Schirman is the multi-award-winning filmmaker behind The Green Prince, The Champagne Spy and April 7, 1980. She is joined by the former Mossad agent Gad Shimron who was part of Operation Moses, otherwise known as The Red Sea Diving Resort plot, which led to the rescue of thousands of Ethiopian Jews via Sudan. Presenter Rory Bremner hears about the psychology behind human intelligence and gets a crash course in the powers of persuasion.
Episode 4
Sex and Special Agents
Former clandestine CIA operative Amaryllis Fox and screenwriter, producer, and director Simon Kinberg, the man behind The 355, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and the Sherlock and the X-Men franchise, talk about gender representation in spy fiction. They also discuss the real-life pitfalls of sex and special agents. Host Rory Bremner hears about what motivates spies to do their work, where to smuggle audio recordings, and what it is really like working with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Jessica Chastain.
Episode 3
From Russia with... Love?
The Spy and the Traitor author Ben Macintyre meets former Russian FSB officer turned whistle-blower Janosh Neumann to discuss the truth behind the Cold War spies and life inside Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In an episode recorded before the crisis in Ukraine, host Rory Bremner hears about everything from nuclear secrets hidden in a suburban shed and the Salisbury poisonings, to life-or-death escapes over international borders.
Episode 2
Hooray for Hollywood
How closely do the silver screen and the spying game overlap? Alistair Petrie, star of Deep State, Star Wars Rogue One, The Mark of Cain, and The Night Manager, meets former field agent and CIA chief of disguise Jonna Mendez. Presenter Rory Bremner hears it all, from Jonna’s recollections of the real Argo operation, to the spy tactics used to protect props on Star Wars and how The Planet of the Apes helped the CIA go full Ethan Hunt.
Episode 1
A Question of Deception
Ben Macintyre - author of Operation Mincemeat - meets former British Intelligence Operative Julian Fisher as they unpack the real story behind the Netflix movie Operation Mincemeat, starring Colin Firth. Presenter Rory Bremner uncovers a world of daring do, bluff, and bluster which featured some of the biggest names in spy history including an early outing for James Bond author Ian Fleming.
Preview Episode
Anthony Horowitz & Shawnee Delaney
Alex Rider, James Bond and Sherlock Holmes author Anthony Horowitz meets former DIA Intelligence Officer Shawnee Delaney. Rory Bremner presents.
Preview Episode
Anthony Horowitz & Shawnee Delaney
Episode 1
A Question of Deception
Released May 11, 2022
Episode 2
Hooray for Hollywood
Released May 18th
Episode 3
From Russia with... Love?
Released May 25th
Episode 4
Sex and Special Agents
Released June 1
Episode 5
Double Agents in the Middle East
Episode 6
The Bodyguard: How to Protect the Lives That Matter
Episode 7
The Enemy Within
Episode 8
Hiding In Plain Sight
Episode 9
The Real Americans
www.spyscape.com/podcast/the-real-americans
Spying Game: Teaser
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