| Genre: | Historical drama |
| Director: | Tim Fywell |
| Starring: | Tom Hollander Toby Stephens Samuel West Rupert Penry-Jones |
| Composer: | John Lunn |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Episodes: | 4 |
| Executive Producer: | Laura Mackie Gareth Neame Sally Woodward Gentle |
| Producer: | Mark Shivas |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Channel: | BBC Two |
Cambridge Spies is a four-part British drama miniseries written by Peter Moffat and directed by Tim Fywell,[1] that was first broadcast on BBC Two in May 2003 and is based on the true story of four young men at the University of Cambridge who are recruited to spy for the Soviet Union in 1934.
The series is set from 1934 to 1951 and follows the lives of the best-known quartet of the Cambridge Five Soviet spies, Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, Anthony Blunt and Donald Maclean, who whilst studying at the University of Cambridge are courted by Soviet agents and recruited into a world of covert intelligence and espionage.[2] Fueled by youthful idealism, a passion for social justice, a talent for lying and a hatred for fascism, the four take huge personal risks to pass Britain's biggest secrets to Moscow. Across almost twenty years of spying and treachery, the four are bound by their beliefs, the secrets they know about one another, and the knowledge that they stand or fall together.
Cambridge Spies was commissioned by Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning and production was announced on Cambridge Spies in August 2003.[3] The BBC announced that it wanted the audience to be able to sympathise with the spies, whom it would portray as "incredibly glamorous". A BBC spokeswoman said it would be a "fresh" take on the story, and that it was the first time the story of the group as a whole had ever been tackled by film-makers.[4]
Filming for Cambridge Spies began in September 2003 at locations in England and Spain. Filming took place at the University of Cambridge, where four days into filming a truck loaded with prop bicycles was stolen from outside a Cambridge hotel and emptied of its contents.[5]
Various locations in London were used, such as One Great George Street, St. James's Park, Regent's Park, Hyde Park, Ham House; and Highgate Cemetery.[6]
Locations in Spain were used as well with scenes set in Vienna, Austria, being filmed in Barcelona and scenes depicting the 1937 bombing of Guernica were filmed in Madrid.
Viewing figures for the series averaged at 2 million per episode.[7]
Mark Lawson from The Guardian said "Cambridge Spies is high-class drama, but historically it's best regarded as a cover story".[8]
Appearing on Newsnight, Will Self, of the Evening Standard said "I think the historical inaccuracy is unforgivable. These are recent events. The real story is exciting and incredibly revealing of the nature of the British establishment at the time and on an enduring level. The historical liberties that have been taken, kick off from the start".[9]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Graphic Design | Christine Buttner | [10] | ||
| Best Photography and Lighting (Fiction/Entertainment) | David Higgs | [11] | |||
| Best Production Design) | Mike Gunn | [12] | |||
| Best Sound (Fiction/Entertainment) | Richard Manton | [13] | |||
| Bernard O'Reilly | |||||
| Andre Schmidt | |||||
| Hugh Johnson | |||||
| 2004 Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels | Golden FIPA - TV Series and Serials: Music | John Lunn | [14] | ||
| Golden FIPA - TV Series and Serials: Actor | Tom Hollander | ||||
| Silver FIPA - TV Series and Serials | Tim Fywell | ||||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series | Cambridge Spies | [15] |
The complete series was released on DVD on 2 June 2003.[16]