'Masterpiece' BBC spy drama based on 'greatest espionage novel of all time'

TV fans are raving once more about The Little Drummer Girl, an explosive spy thriller celebrated by fans as a "masterpiece" that is based on what some consider to be the greatest espionage novel ever written. The high-stakes series, which originally aired on the BBC in 2018, stars Hollywood A-listers Florence Pugh and Alexander Skarsgård.

Adapted from John le Carré's iconic Cold War classic, it instantly plunges viewers into a world of double lives, dirty secrets, and deadly mind games. At the centre is Charlie (Pugh), a young actress whose carefree world is turned upside down when she is pushed into one of the most dangerous undercover missions imaginable. Skarsgård stars as a mysterious man whom Charlie encounters on holiday in Greece and becomes her holiday fling, but is then revealed as an Israeli intelligence officer who aims to recruit Charlie.

The show focuses on European hideouts and every episode drips with tension keeping viewers hooked from start to finish. Charlie isn't just pretending to be someone else - she's forced to live, breathe and believe the role, blurring the line between performance and reality until she barely knows which side she's on.

Viewers have applauded the series for its gritty realism, sharing praise on IMDb. One fan wrote: "This adaptation of one of John le Carre's long espionage novels is fantastic. It unravels several stores very slowly and in great detail, which you can only appreciate if a.) you've read the novel, or b.) You are watching the film for the second time. It is subtle and convoluted, but some of us appreciate subtlety and complexity.

A second replied: There are some sublime moments in this six-part series, an adaptation of the John le Carré novel directed by Park Chan-wook. None is finer than the scene with the shadows on the ancient buildings at the top of the Acropolis in Athens, but I have to say, Florence Pugh playing acoustic guitar and singing the folk song "Murder of Maria Marten" comes pretty damn close. My goodness, she's fantastic here. "

The film sees Pugh return to her role as assassin Yelena Belova, with the character teaming up with other antiheroes, including those played by Sebastian Stan and David Harbour, to embark on a dangerous mission. Ms Hooper said Pugh was destined for the big screen: "It was quite extraordinary for somebody of her age - it wasn't like watching a little child on the stage."