Summary

• Bodyguard was a massive hit, hailed as the drama of the decade, achieving record viewing figures in the UK.
• Several awards were won, including Golden Globes and BAFTAs, with a big twist captivating audiences internationally.
• Fans eagerly await the second season, with similar shows like The Night Agent offering heart-pounding political thrills.

Bodyguard was a massive hit when it was originally broadcast by the BBC in the UK, where it achieved the highest viewing figures of any new drama in the multichannel era and created interest for other shows like Bodyguard. It was hailed as the drama of the decade by many viewers, and while it has been over five years since its first season, the second has still yet to arrive. When it was released internationally on Netflix the success kept growing, with US audiences becoming hooked on its heart-pounding political thriller story.

Bodyguard follows a war veteran turned Specialist Protection Officer (played by Richard Madden) tasked with protecting a controversial Home Secretary (Keeley Hawes), whose politics stand for everything he despises. The show received several awards and great acclaim, with Madden winning the Golden Globes Award for his performance and the big twist halfway through the first season picking up the British Academy Television Awards "Must-See Moment." With the second season reportedly in development, there are plenty of shows like Bodyguard for fans to watch in the meantime.

25 The Night Agent (2023-)

A Thriller About A Skilled Young Agent Pulled Into A Massive Plot

A thriller that will grip fans of Bodyguard is the Netflix series The Night Agent. The series follows Peter Sutherland, a lowly member of the FBI who takes a night shift working in the bowls of the White House sitting in a room with a phone that is never supposed to ring.

When it does ring, it sends Peter on a high-stakes adventure as he digs deeper into a vast conspiracy while trying to keep himself alive. As a sign of the similarities to Bodyguard, The Night Agent also begins with a tense scene on a train in which the hero proves his bravery and catches the attention of some powerful people.

Peter proves himself to be as formidable of a hero as Bodyguard's Budd, displaying a natural desire to do the right things, a fierce protective nature for the people who are counting on him, and a fearlessness to get to the bottom of the plot he finds himself in.

24 Treason (2022)

Charlie Cox Plays A Complex Protagonist In This Twisty Spy Story

After starring as Daredevil in the Netflix series, Charlie Cox returned to the streamer for a much different role. The thriller Treason sees him playing Cox playing a member of MI6 who has to step up when there is an attempt on the life of the sitting director of the agency.

However, things become complicated when he realizes that his former lover is involved in the plot and that he is being pulled into it as well. While David Budd is a soldier and a man of action in Bodyguard, Cox's character of Adam in Treason is more someone who is working behind the scenes.

He is also a complex hero in ways that differ from Budd with him holding his own painful secrets. However, when it comes to a conspiracy that could threaten not just his country, but his family, Adam shows that he is willing to fight back against those who are pulling the strings.

23 The Recruit (2022-)

A Thrilling And Funny Netflix Gem

Another series about a young protagonist brought into the world of spies and intrigue only to find themselves in over their heads is The Recruit. Noah Centineo stars as Owen, a young lawyer working for the CIA who becomes entangled in a high-stakes political game between some powerful players with some big secrets to hide.

Owen is a more relatable hero than the stoic yet brooding David Budd from Bodyguard. He is not afraid to show his fear and it that he is in over his head and that makes him likable. It also adds a bit of comedic energy to the series as Owen finds himself dodging one dangerous situation after another. However, the lighter tone doesn't take away from the high-stakes plot that similarly puts an underdog hero in the middle of a complex world of intrigue, treachery, and corruption.

22 The Old Man (2022-)

Jeff Bridges Leads A Gripping Man-On-The-Run Thriller

Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges made the leap into television with the thrilling series The Old Man. Based on the novel by Thomas Perry, Bridges plays Dan, a retired operative who is living a quiet life but must return to his deadly skills and go on the run when the people he used to work with begin targeting him.

Accompanied by his loyal and formidable dogs, Dan fights his former friends while also reckoning with his dark past. Clearly, the protagonists of The Old Man and Bodyguard differ in of their ages. Bridges' character of Dan is also perhaps better suited to blending into everyday life compared to David Budd's struggles to turn off his soldier persona.

However, in the flashbacks to Dan's time as an operative and the trauma it caused him, it is clear to see the similarities in the characters. The Old Man is also interesting in its conspiracy thriller story as it gives a more nuanced glimpse at the enemies of the story compared to other shows.

21 Reacher (2022-)

Alan Ritchson Creates A New Fan-Favorite Action Hero

Based on the character created by Lee Child, Reacher has become one of the most popular new shows over its first two seasons with an exciting new action hero for the small screen. Alan Ritchson stars as Jack Reacher, an imposing and destructive former military police officer who uses his sleuthing skills to investigate cases by his own means and without answering to anyone.

Reacher doesn't take itself as seriously as Bodyguard with a fun and energetic tone that is elevated by Ritchson's charismatic performance. However, Reacher season 2 offered the closest similarities to Bodyguard with a storyline involving Reacher investigating the deaths of his former military colleagues.

Those looking for something to match the grittiness of Bodyguard and its troubled protagonist might want to look elsewhere, but for those interested in watching a capable hero get to the bottom of a fiendish plot, Reacher is the right show.

20 The Terminal List (2022-)

A Deep But Important Action-Thriller Chris Pratt

One of the big themes explored in Bodyguard is protagonist David Budd dealing with PTSD from his time in the war. The trauma inflicted on soldiers who return home from battle is also explored in the thrilling action series The Terminal List, based on the novels by Jack Carr.

Chris Pratt stars in the series as a Navy SEAL who goes on a mission of revenge when his family and former comrades are targeted as part of a government cover-up. Along with the same heavy themes of the trauma of soldiers, The Terminal List displays similar brutal action sequences as seen in Bodyguard.

Pratt's James Reece is a relentless warrior whose intense focus on the mission at hand mirrors Richard Madden's acclaimed performance in Bodyguard. The show was a huge hit for Prime Video in its first season, leading to The Terminal List season 2 and a Terminal List spinoff being in development.

19 Slow Horses (2022-)

Gary Oldman's Slow-Burn Apple Intelligence Drama Is A Must-Watch

Bodyguard is a thrilling look at the murky and complex modern spy world. While many shows explore this topic as well, few do it as well as Slow Horses, which combines the grounded and smart spy story with some unexpected humor.

follows agents of an infamous house that is home to the disappointing and burned-out operatives of MI6. However, when they find themselves stumbling upon a real threat, they have a chance at redemption. While Bodyguard features almost none of the humor that makes Slow Horses so enjoyable, both are smart, exciting, and clever in their spy stories.

Slow Horses' Jack Lowden plays a hero who feels like a more lighthearted take on David Budd as a once-promising agent trying to prove himself again. They also both deal with the idea of heroes being made up of discarded soldiers who those in power see as easy scapegoats.

18 The Americans (2013-2018)

One Of The Most Underseen But Critically Lauded Series In US History

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The Americans

Mystery

Drama

Crime

10/10

8.0/10

Release Date

2013 - 2018-00-00

Network

FX

Showrunner

Joseph Weisberg

Cast

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  Keidrich Sellati
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  Richard Thomas

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In the midst of the Cold War, Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings appear to be an average American couple, living out the American dream in their house in the suburbs with their two children, Paige and Henry. In truth, though, Elizabeth and Phillip are Soviet agents, working under deep cover for the KGB.

Seasons

6

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu, Dis

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The relationship that emerges between David Budd and Julia Montague in Bodyguard takes the show into another intriguing territory as it mixes an intense romance amid the spy thrills. This is an approach that was expertly done by The Americans for six seasons.

The show stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as two Russian spies posing as a married couple while attempting to avoid detection in the paranoia of 1980s America. The series begins with the tense relationship between the two characters, forced into a relationship as strangers. However, over the course of the show, they find genuine love for each other.

The complication between love and duty is a theme wonderfully explored in both shows, but it helped to make The Americans one of the best spy series. Both shows wonderfully enhance the thrills of the genre with some sexy aspects of the central relationships, which are often filled with distrust due to the dangerous world they are in.

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17 The Night Manager (2016)

Tom Hiddleston's Hugely Impressive John Le Carre Adaptation

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The Night Manager

TV-MA

Drama

Thriller

11

9.4/10

Release Date

2016 - 2025-00-00

Network

BBC One

Directors

Susanne Bier

Cast

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  Tom Hiddleston
• 
  Hugh Laurie

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The Night Manager is a drama thriller miniseries based on John le Carré’s novel, featuring Tom Hiddleston as a former British soldier who infiltrates the inner circle of an arms dealer, played by Hugh Laurie. The series covers an ever-increasing game of cat and mouse where one false move could spell disaster for either party.

Seasons

1

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Bodyguard and many other projects in the spy genre owe so much to the writing of author John le Carré, who defined the genre with his novels over the years. One of the best adaptations of his work was the thrilling spy miniseries The Night Manager. It stars Tom Hiddleston as a manager of a Cairo hotel who is recruited to infiltrate the inner circle of an arms dealer (Hugh Laurie).

The series is a pulse-pounding ride, much like Bodyguard, as Hiddleston's hero goes undercover and risks being found out at any moment. However, there are more similarities in the central love story. As in Bodyguard, The Night Manager explores the danger of ion and romance within the spy world as Hiddleston develops a forbidden affair for Laurie's wife (Elizabeth Debicki). The tension this relationship adds to the story mirrors the complexity of Budd and Montague's risky affair.

16 The Diplomat (2023)

A Smash Hit For Netflix With Politics In Its Blood

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Drama

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7/10

59

9.2/10

Release Date

2023 - 2023-00-00

Showrunner

Debora Cahn

Directors

Liza Johnson, Simon Cellan Jones

Cast

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  Keri Russell

  Ambassador Kate Wyler
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  Hal Wyler

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Set within the high-stakes world of international diplomacy, The Diplomat follows the challenges and intricacies faced by an ambassador as they navigate complex geopolitical landscapes. The series explores the delicate balance between personal and professional responsibilities amidst global tensions and the pursuit of peace.

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

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Keri Russell stars in another political thriller show like Bodyguard which has become a smash for Netflix. The Diplomat stars Russell as a lower-level political figure who is assigned to be the United States' new ambassador to the United Kingdom amid a turbulent political time.

Though underqualified for the role, she must do her best to fix the endless issues surrounding her. Like Slow Horses, The Diplomat injects a bit of humor into its political story but plays things grounded and with high stakes.

Russell excels in the lead role and her character of Kate Wyler shares similarities to Madden's Budd as they are both people who have been plucked for an unexpected assignment only to find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that grows more and more dangerous. Despite the fact that they are in over their heads, both protagonists prove to be more formidable than those pulling the strings anticipated and risk revealing the truth.