Secrets of the Spies - Season 1

Deception is at the heart of what it means to be a spy – what kind of person becomes a spy, and what qualities do the very best possess?

For some of the most notorious spies in British history in both fact and fiction, we look at their methods, techniques, and crucially their character, from Polish double agent Roman Czerniawski, who played a major role in the Allied deception prior to the D-Day landings, to the infamous case of Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five and onto the more recent incredible story of former Al-Qaeda member turned MI6 spy Aimen Dean..

The inside story of the secret world of espionage told first hand by the spies themselves. A look at the deadliest form of covert operation: the targeted elimination of the enemy. 

Focusing on assassination attempts and the targeted elimination of the enemy, including the poisoning of British agent Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and the attempt on the lives of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018. 

There's also a look back at one of the most iconic British crime stories of all, which took place in 1978 on Waterloo Bridge, when Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was spiked with the tip of a poisoned umbrella and died shortly afterwards.

The new frontier of cyber spycraft and warfare, and how whistle-blowers and leaks have become more prevalent, with figures such as Edward Snowden seeking to expose the manipulation and state of play of modern espionage. 

From false papers to fake news, this episode explores the art of disinformation, blackmail and exploitation to deceive the enemy, and the changing threats and tactics employed by terrorists and spies in the late 20th century onwards.