The acclaimed TV series is based off John le Carré's 1973 novel and was adapted in 1979 for the BBC before later being followed by a 2011 film version with Gary Oldman.
10:58, 14 Jan 2026
A BBC TV series from the 1970s has been hailed as "masterful" and "understated", and it's on BBC4 tonight.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a classic 1979 BBC seven-part spy series, starring Alec Guinness as retired intelligence officer George Smiley, who is secretly brought back to find a Soviet mole codenamed "Gerald" who is hiding deep within Britain's MI6 during the Cold War.
The series has been highly praised and has become known for its complex, slow-burn realism, intricate plot of double-crosses, and masterful depiction of espionage's shadowy and unglamorous world. The cast also includes Ian Richardson, Michael Jayston, Bernard Hepton and Ian Bannen.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the TV mini series has a 100% Tomatometer score and five-star reviews. One posted: "This is the greatest mini series of all time.
"The battle of strategy and intellect between Smiley and Karla within the intricate Cold War universe created by le Carre is more compelling than any box set. It feels truly authentic, the characters are well written and brilliantly played. The plot is as good as you will ever follow. Please watch and enjoy."
Another shared: "Like the Smiley's People series, I thoroughly enjoyed Tinker Tailor. The masterful, understated craft of Sir Alec Guinness is a joy to quietly witness. I only wish a re-mastered version would be released with English subtitles.
"At 78, I am rather hard of hearing and the posh West End public school accent is a challenge for me. I can follow the gist but I miss many of the nuances.
"Fortunately for me, Sir Alec speaks more clearly than most, perhaps attributable to his early stage career. On stage, one has to be able to 'whisper' to the back row. Two of my other favorites, Helen Mirren and Max von Sydow also had theatrical backgrounds. I find that interesting."
A third said: "Just about the best thing to have been on TV. There is nothing flash, or fast paced about this. It's nail biting, filled full of tension, Alec players the perfect Smiley. You could have an unlimited budget and would not be able to improve on this.
"You cannot watch this whilst sitting browsing the net on your tablet, you have to sit and pay attention to every minute. I love it."
Another said: "Surprisingly faithful to the book, claustrophobic, and bitter, this is a pretty refined adaptation of the John Le Carre novel about a monstrously complex investigation into the possibility of a mole or double agent inside the Circus, Britain's secret intelligence agency."
They continued: "Alec Guinness plays George Smiley, the awkward everyman investigator who was tossed out of the Circus following a disastrous spying mission in Czechoslovakia but now he's nearly the only man trustworthy enough in the government's eyes to investigate the mole when a Soviet agent seemingly discloses the fact that there is one. There's twists and turns aplenty and suspicion falls on everyone before the thrilling climax in a London safehouse where Smiley closes in on his prey."
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy continues tonight on Wednesday 14 January, BBC4 at 10pm; the full series is also available to stream on BBC iPlayer.