Slow Horses, Apple TV’s wry cult spy series, isn’t planning on, well, slowing down anytime soon.
The show, starring Gary Oldman as the crotchety and flatulent Jackson Lamb; Jack Lowden as River Cartwright; and Kristin Scott Thomas as MI5 director Diana Taverner, hit a bit of a snag at the end of its most recent fifth season, when lead writer and executive producer Will Smith walked away from the show for other pursuits.
While Slow Horses, which films in Britain, doesn’t operate with a traditional showrunner, Smith served as the de facto captain at the helm. His departure raised some questions about the future of the slow-burn series. However, executive producer Doug Urbanski says the production, in part because there isn’t a lone showrunner, had built up a creative foundation that meant if they couldn’t figure out the best way forward, they should all resign.
“Will leaving really meant that we just had to solve it, and I think we did, as you will see with season six about to premiere,” Urbanski says. “Some people have seen it already and have said they think it’s the best season yet. Now we’ve heard that season after season, but it is very good.”
After the first couple of seasons flew under the radar, Slow Horses has in recent years cemented itself among shows consistently vying for critical recognition. For its most recent season, the show nabbed nine Emmy noms, including lead and supporting actor nods for Oldman and Lowden, as well as best drama series.
