Secrets and lies
SECRETS OF THE SPIES ITV, 9pm
WHILE there are plenty of fictional spies on screen, it’s rare to hear from real agents, who know the truth about one of the world’s most mysterious and intriguing professions.
This new documentary series looks at the most notorious spies in British history in both fact and fiction, from Polish double agent Roman Czerniawski, who played a major role in the Allied deception prior to the D-Day landings, to the infamous case of Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five.
We meet the experts in espionage: former MI6 agents, spies and senior figures at GCHQ, who can reveal what the job is really like, working in hostile environments and keeping crucial secrets.
The work demands huge skill, as agents adopt multiple new aliases and totally immerse themselves in their fake identities. They must pass on evidence surreptitiously, without blowing their cover.
As well as reflecting on their own experiences, the contributors analyse some of the most impressive operations in British intelligence history, including ‘Double Cross’ in 1944 – when the Nazis were drip fed false information that the D Day landings would target Calais rather than Normandy.
We also hear from an Al Qaeda bomb maker, who chose to work with British intelligence when he realised civilians were being targeted.
He knew that the slightest mistake could give him away and lead to his death.
Ultimately, he put himself in danger by passing on details of a chemical attack planned for the New York subway, which intelligence agents were then able to intercept, saving countless lives.