Miniseries · BBC One
The Little Drummer Girl
Seduction. Manipulation. Betrayal. Never trust a spy.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Michael Shannon
Martin Kurtz
6 eps
Alexander Skarsgård
Gadi Becker
6 eps
Florence Pugh
Charmian 'Charlie' Ross
6 eps
Michael Moshonov
Shimon Litvak
6 eps
Kate Sumpter
Rose
6 eps
Simona Brown
Rachel
6 eps
Clare Holman
Miss Bach
6 eps
Gennady Fleyscher
Schwilli
6 eps
Lubna Azabal
Fatmeh Al-Khadar
4 eps
Amir Khoury
Michel / Salim Al-Khadar
6 eps
Charles Dance
Commander Picton
6 eps
Katharina Schüttler
Helga Stern
3 eps
Iben Akerlie
Anna Witgen
3 eps
Shane Attwooll
Pub Theatre Manager
2 eps
James Bailey
Telex Operator
1 eps
Daniel Litman
Daniel
6 eps
Thomas Mraz
Border Official
1 eps
Alessandro Piavani
Mario Rossino
5 eps
Oulaya Amamra
Salma
1 eps
Jeremy Child
Chancellor
2 eps
Charif Ghattas
Khalil Al-Khadar
3 eps
Jeff Wilbusch
Anton Mesterbein
3 eps
Shlomo Bar-Aba
Noah Gavron
3 eps
Tom Hanson
Paulie
2 eps
John le Carré
Waiter (uncredited)
1 eps
Bethany Muir
Sophie
2 eps
Roee Adar
Oded
2 eps
Sam Troughton
Captain Meadows
2 eps
Mark Stanley
Arthur A Halloran
1 eps
Ricki Hayut
Professor Irene Minkel
2 eps
Adel Bencherif
Tayeh
3 eps
Alexander Beyer
Dr. Paul Alexis
3 eps
Max Irons
Al
2 eps
Robert Ryan
Caravan Dweller
1 eps
Shani Erez
Mrs. Fineberg
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Little Drummer Girl actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Little Drummer Girl reads strongest on Character Depth, Serialized and Bingeability.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
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
Brilliant young actress Charlie strikes up an acquaintance with an intriguing stranger while on holiday in Greece, but it rapidly becomes apparent that his intentions are far from romantic.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E02
Episode 2
Charlie is recruited with the promise of the role of a lifetime to infiltrate a dangerous revolutionary cell. As a cover story, she and Becker must pose as lovers.
- Directed by Park Chan-wook
- Written by Michael Lesslie
S01E05
Episode 5
Charlie joins a group of revolutionaries in Lebanon, with no one to save her if she is exposed as a spy. She works to earn the trust of Khalil and Michel's sister, Fatmeh.
- Directed by Park Chan-wook
- Written by Claire Wilson
S01E06
Episode 6
Charlie prepares for her part in Khalil's next strike. But is she still playing a role, or has she switched to the other side?
- Directed by Park Chan-wook
- Written by Michael Lesslie
S01E04
Episode 4
In London, Kurtz's team prepare for the next stage of the operation as Charlie waits and wonders if Michel's people will make contact.
- Directed by Park Chan-wook
- Written by Michael Lesslie
S01E01
Episode 1
Charlie, a fiery and brilliant young actress, meets a mysterious stranger on the beach in Greece, and he draws her into an international espionage operation.
- Directed by Park Chan-wook
- Written by Michael Lesslie
S01E03
Episode 3
Charlie drives a car laden with explosives to a drop-off in Austria, while Kurtz and Becker race to save her from a fatal mistake.
- Directed by Park Chan-wook
- Written by Claire Wilson
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Park Chan-wook
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jeong Won-jo
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Joe Tsai
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Simon Cornwell
Executive producer
John le Carré
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Arthur Wang
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Stephen Cornwell
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Mona Qureshi
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Claire Wilson
Writer
Michael Lesslie
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Park Chan-wookExecutive Producer
- Jeong Won-joExecutive Producer
- Joe TsaiExecutive Producer
- Laura Hastings-SmithProducer
- Simon CornwellExecutive Producer
- John le CarréExecutive Producer
Writing
- Claire WilsonWriter
- Michael LesslieWriter
Direction
- Park Chan-wookDirector
Cinematography
- Kim Woo-hyungDirector of Photography
Music
- Jo Yeong-wookOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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If the world-building is what held you, this is the next map to walk.
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Never stop watching
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