How to watch A Spy Among Friends, the gripping new drama starring Damian Lewis

Wondering how to watch A Spy Among Friends? Here's everything you need to know about the brand new show that everyone's talking about

A Spy Among Friends.
(Image credit: ITVX)

If you're wondering how to watch A Spy Among Friends, the gripping new drama starring Damian Lewis, then look no further because woman&home has everything you need to know about the highly anticipated series.

As winter creeps in, curling up on the sofa with a new TV addiction is just about the most perfect thing one could imagine. Maybe you've exhausted the Netflix secret code, finished a favorite series, or are on the hunt for a new watch - A Spy Among Friends should be on your radar.

The brand new series tells the story of a rogue double agent at the heart of the British establishment whose actions lead to chaos within the ranks. It's the flagship series of ITV's new streaming platform ITVX and is one of the most anticipated drama series of winter 2022.

Is A Spy Among Friends a true story?

This is one of those instances where truth really is stranger than fiction, because this unbelievable story actually happened. A Spy Among Friends is a Cold War drama based on the New York Times best-selling book written by Ben Macintyre, which tells the real-life story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends. 

Their worlds are sent into chaos - for very different reasons - as Kim is exposed as a double agent. His subterfuge, as the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history, led to the gutting of British and American Intelligence. 

The series, from the producers of the hit show Homeland, has a stellar cast including a who's who of contemporary acting talent and more recognizable faces than you could shake a stick at.

A Spy Among Friends cast

A Spy Among Friends.

(Image credit: ITVX)

Guy Pearce, known for roles in The King's Speech and The Hurt Locker, plays double agent Kim Philby. Damian Lewis, best known for starring in the hit series Homeland, plays his unsuspecting friend Nicholas Elliott.

Anna Maxwell-Martin, who crime drama fans will recognize from Line of Duty, stars as Lily Thomas - a fictional character who works for MI5, investigating the crime.

Adrian Edmonson, whose dramatic turn is a far cry from his legendary funnyman roles in Bottom and The Young Ones, plays Sir Roger Hollis, who was the Director General of MI5 from 1956 to 1965. Actor Stephen Kunken, who you may know from The Handmaid's Tale season 5, portrays James Jesus Angleton, who was the CIA's chief of counterintelligence from 1954 to 1974.

A Spy Among Friends TV series: Where to watch

A Spy Among Friends

(Image credit: ITVX)

A Spy Among Friends is set to be one of the flagship TV shows streaming on the launch of ITVX - the brand new streaming service from UK TV network ITV, which launches on December 8, 2022.

Other series due to stream on the platform are Tell Me Everything, The Confessions of Frannie Langton, and Plebs: Soldiers of Rome. These exclusive series will also be accompanied by 250+ stellar films and 200+ series available at launch, bringing over a whopping 10,000 hours of free programming to your screens.

Unfortunately, it's only available in the UK, but luckily you can use a VPN.  Our sister brand Tech Radar suggests ExpressVPN service, an easy-to-use and efficient way to watch location-sensitive streaming platforms from anywhere in the world.

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Ranked among one of the fastest VPN providers, this risk-free service is also compatible with all of your devices. Enjoy access to almost any streaming service, and if you don't like it there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:

  1. Download and install the VPN following ExpressVPN's easy-to-follow instructions (ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and if you click here you can get 49% off and 3 months free, too.)
  2. Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location to anywhere in the US.
  3. With your VPN installed and server location set to US or the UK you can access Paramount network and watch the show.

VPN disclaimer

(Image credit: Future)
Aoife Hanna
Junior News Editor

Aoife is an Irish journalist and writer with a background in creative writing, comedy, and TV production.

Formerly woman&home's junior news editor and a contributing writer at Bustle, her words can be found in the Metro, Huffpost, Delicious, Imperica and EVOKE.

Her poetry features in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology.

Outside of work you might bump into her at a garden center, charity shop, yoga studio, lifting heavy weights, or (most likely) supping/eating some sort of delicious drink/meal.