
Scripted series · FX
The Americans
All's fair in love and cold war.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Americans actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Americans reads strongest on Character Depth, Serialized and Emotional Weight.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and their neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI Counterintelligence agent.
The run
Seasons
6 seasons · 75 episodes.

Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
201313 episodes
7.8IMDbIn 1980s Washington, D.C., KGB sleeper agents Philip and Elizabeth Jennings take extreme measures to continue their mission and keep their true identities hidden when Stan Beeman, an FBI Counterintelligence agent, moves in across the street from them.
Best episode · S01E13 The Colonel

Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
201413 episodes
7.8IMDbTechnological advances have escalated Cold War tensions to an all-time high, and Philip and Elizabeth face the growing threat of discovery. As their assignments grow more deadly, their family is in more danger, and their loyalties are tested like never before.
Best episode · S02E13 Echo

Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
201513 episodes
7.8IMDbIn season three, Philip and Elizabeth find themselves at odds over their daughter’s future now that the KGB is determined to recruit her and FBI Agent Stan Beeman has rededicated himself to uncovering the identities of the Russian spies.
Best episode · S03E10 Stingers

Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
201613 episodes
7.8IMDbThe stakes have never been higher for Philip and Elizabeth as personal and professional dangers continue to challenge the Jennings' mission.
Best episode · S04E04 Chloramphenicol

Season 5 · Complete
Season 5
201713 episodes
7.9IMDbIn season five, the arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings grows more passionate and genuine in the midst of the escalating Cold War. Paige’s budding romance with Matthew, the son of their neighbor, FBI Agent Stan Beeman, further complicates matters since Stan – Philip’s best friend – remains the greatest threat to the Jennings’ safety.
Best episode · S05E11 Dyatkovo

Season 6 · Complete
Season 6
201810 episodes
8.7IMDbIn the sixth and final season, Philip and Elizabeth’s ability to protect their cover and family’s safety deteriorates. The Jennings struggle to maintain a smokescreen of normalcy, especially around their son who remains ignorant of the spies in his midst. With Gorbachev in power in the Soviet Union, the winds of change are sweeping through Russia and America creating new perils.
Best episode · S06E10 START
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

S06E10
START
In the series finale, the Jennings face a choice that will change their lives forever.
- Directed by Chris Long
- Written by Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

S06E08
The Summit
With the arms control summit under way, a shocking revelation from Philip throws Elizabeth - and her work - into turmoil. Stan follows a dangerous hunch.
- Directed by Sylvain White
- Written by Joshua Brand

S06E07
Harvest
Philip and Elizabeth come together for a perilous operation unlike any they've ever had before. Stan and Henry spend a little quality time together.
- Directed by Stefan Schwartz
- Written by Sarah Nolen

S06E05
The Great Patriotic War
As the summit fast approaches, Elizabeth enlists Philip’s help for a mission that could yield game-changing intel.
- Directed by Thomas Schlamme
- Written by Hilary Bettis

S06E09
Jennings, Elizabeth
Elizabeth wrestles with competing loyalties, and Philip has an encounter that turns into much more than he had bargained for.
- Directed by Chris Long
- Written by Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

S06E06
Rififi
A sudden assignment pulls Elizabeth away from her family at a crucial moment. At the FBI, a major development leads Aderholt to approach Stan about an urgent investigation.
- Directed by Kevin Bray
- Written by Justin Weinberger, Stephen Schiff
Recently aired
Latest Episodes

S06E10
START
- Directed by Chris Long
- Written by Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

S06E09
Jennings, Elizabeth
- Directed by Chris Long
- Written by Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields



S06E06
Rififi
- Directed by Kevin Bray
- Written by Justin Weinberger, Stephen Schiff

S06E05
The Great Patriotic War
- Directed by Thomas Schlamme
- Written by Hilary Bettis
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.

Joe Weisberg
Showrunner

Daniel Sackheim
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Mary Rae Thewlis
Executive producer

Justin Falvey
Executive producer

Chris Long
Executive producer

Darryl Frank
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Joel Fields
Executive producer

Graham Yost
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Stephen Schiff
Executive producer

Peter Ackerman
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Lara Shapiro
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sarah Nolen
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sneha Koorse
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Justin Weinberger
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Melissa James Gibson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Bradford Winters
Writer

Tracey Scott Wilson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Tanya Barfield
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Hilary Bettis
Writer

Stuart Zicherman
Writer

Angelina Burnett
Writer

Joshua Brand
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Joe WeisbergExecutive Producer
- Mitch EngelProducer
- Daniel SackheimExecutive Producer
- Mary Rae ThewlisExecutive Producer
- Mary Rae ThewlisProducer
- David WoodsProducer
Writing
- Peter AckermanWriter
- Lara ShapiroWriter
- Joe WeisbergWriter
- Sarah NolenWriter
- Sneha KoorseWriter
- Justin WeinbergerWriter
Direction
- Constantine MakrisDirector
- Gregory HoblitDirector
- Dan AttiasDirector
- Kari SkoglandDirector
- Noah EmmerichDirector
- Andrew BernsteinDirector
Cinematography
- Richard RutkowskiDirector of Photography
- Alan CasoDirector of Photography
- J.B. SmithDirector of Photography
- Alex NepomniaschyDirector of Photography
- Dan StoloffDirector of Photography
- Radium CheungDirector of Photography
Music
- Nathan BarrOriginal Music Composer
Recognition
Awards
1 win
Golden Globes
1 win · latest 2019
- WinnerGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama2019
The Americans · The Americans
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- HuluStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
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