What actual spies think of TV thrillers

[oldbrownhat]

Guardian article here.

Too much sex and gunfights, far too little paperwork … espionage shows aren’t exactly a masterclass in realism.

Ex-agents reveal what they get right and wrong

"In real life, you don’t touch the trigger until you plan on squeezing"...

"...All these roles are ones that US national security and intelligence veterans consistently find fault with. “I’m hard pressed,” laments the former CIA analyst Gail Helt, “to come up with a show that gets it even in the ballpark in terms of what CIA officers do..."

"My relationship with shows centred on law enforcement and intel agencies is a love/hate one,” says former FBI special agent Jeff Cortese. “I love it when they get it right, and I hate it when they get it wrong. I mean right and wrong in terms of it being authentic, not realistic. Realistic would be spending 90-95% of the show watching agency officials do paperwork. Nobody wants to see that. I want to see the other 5-10% of the job that is exciting.”'..​

 

[Rudi]

How to be sneaky and get away. Don't tell every bar tender your name and how you like your Martinis made.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

If Hollywood showed it as it really is...it would be so boring no one would watch it.

As years as a LEO when watching cop shows...no matter how much I might like it...it has little in relation to reality. Reality is sacrificed for drama and excitement.

 

[UncleEd]

Well, thank goodness Westerns
are spot on in both history and how
people handled situations. Yep,
Westerns are the real/reel deal.

 

[oldbrownhat]

If Hollywood showed it as it really is...it would be so boring no one would watch it.

As years as a LEO when watching cop shows...no matter how much I might like it...it has little in relation to reality. Reality is sacrificed for drama and excitement.

One exception might be the original Law & Order (?)

As they said in the article, "Realistic would be spending 90-95% of the show watching agency officials do paperwork. Nobody wants to see that."

 

[Beemerguy53]

I've never been a spy (and truth to tell, I would be lousy at it), but one of the best shows about spies and spycraft I have ever seen, bar none, is the 1979 BBC mini-series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", starring Alex Guinness. I suspect it's a fairly realistic depiction of what was going on during the Cold War...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc2H_uPmLu4[/ame]

 

[oldbrownhat]

I've never been a spy (and truth to tell, I would be lousy at it), but one of the best shows about spies and spycraft I have ever seen, bar none, is the 1979 BBC mini-series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", starring Alex Guinness. I suspect it's a fairly realistic depiction of what was going on during the Cold War...

"Vintage" Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer - YouTube

My gf, who loves spy novels, would agree hands down! She considers that "the classic."

 

[Doug M.]

One exception might be the original Law & Order (?) [/I]

*
My wife has been a fan of the L&O franchise. She hates to watch it with me, as I am constantly griping about the unrealistic depictions of the legal process.
Suppression motions and other hearings are almost never done in chambers, like well under 1% of the time. The time from offense/arrest to trial is also really out of touch with reality. Serious cases can easily take a year to get to trial, and during the COVID restrictions it was a lot worse. We had one real serious case that took just under 3 years to try because of the restrictions and lack of facilities that could be used.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I'm not sure any actual spies are gonna break cover to tell you.
Right now I am watching an 8 part series called "The Recruit" which seems to be an intersting portrayal of the company. Everyone CYA'ing to the max and not trusting anyone.

 

[UncleEd]

The greatest movie spy is one
Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath,
code OSS117.

For instance, his cover while
operating in Cairo is running
a chicken egg laying factory.

True, he does cause a bit of an
international stir when he kills
a Muslim prayer caller who
keeps him from having a good
night's sleep.

 

[oldbrownhat]

My wife has been a fan of the L&O franchise. She hates to watch it with me, as I am constantly griping about the unrealistic depictions of the legal process.....

Ah, well... The fantasy was nice while it lasted

No doubrt like us gun nuts picking apart details of firearms in movies, much to the annoyance of those around us who may be less informed

 

[Narragansett]

Well, thank goodness Westerns
are spot on in both history and how
people handled situations. Yep,
Westerns are the real/reel deal.

Magnificent 7 at 10 am on Xmas day

 

[Moo Moo]

Not really a Spy, but I have done a lot of Covert Investigations, I'm glad TV doesn't become too realistic and give away our methodologies.

I always think it's funny when people get "007" on their personalised vehicle number plates.

 

[riverrat38]

"I always think it's funny when people get "007" on their personalised vehicle number plates."

It's 0 0 111 in binary. Who would notice.

73,
Rick

 

[sigp220.45]

I have a good friend in the CIA. He is a big cornfed country boy who looks like a Viking raid left him behind. Uncle Sugar sent him to the language school in Monterey for a year to learn Arabic and then paid him to spend a year living with a family over there somewhere to really get it down. The things people say ………..

One of my brothers retired from the Defense Intelligence Agency. He still won’t tell me what he did, but he has a degree in Cartography so I think he looked at maps.