Tom Hiddleston's Forgotten Spy Thriller Series Is A Hidden Gem On Prime Video

We all tend to get a little antsy when our favorite TV shows aren't renewed as quickly as we'd like. But few shows have suffered as long a wait between seasons as "The Night Manager," which debuted all the way back in 2016 and took until 2024 to be renewed.

That's a shocking amount of time, especially since the six-part first season, adapted from John le Carré's 1993 novel of the same name, was met with nothing but praise. The co-production by the BBC, AMC, and The Ink Factory arrived on BBC One in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2016, and hit AMC Stateside in April of that year. It racked up a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, won two Primetime Emmys, and earned stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman each a Golden Globe. Why, then, did it take so long for a second season to materialize? 

Well, the late le Carré never wrote a sequel to his original book, which essentially meant the first season was actually a miniseries. That raised the question of what on earth seasons 2 and 3 will be about. Fortunately, we can now find out for ourselves as the second season has arrived in the UK ahead of its imminent debut on Prime Video in the United States on January 11, 2026. Of course, even those who saw the first season are likely a little foggy on the details. Luckily, Prime Video has the first season available to watch at no extra cost for subscribers.

As John le Carré adaptations go, they don't get much better than 2011's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," one of the most realistic spy movies ever made, which also features Gary Oldman as le Carré's deceptively cunning sleuth George Smiley. But season 1 of the "Night Manager" isn't far behind Tomas Alfredson's film.

Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine, the titular manager who oversees a luxury Cairo hotel amid the tumult of the Arab Spring. He's also a former military officer who is recruited by Olivia Colman's Angela Burr, head of a Foreign Office task force, to investigate a sprawling arms dealing operation led by Hugh Laurie's Richard Roper. It makes for a gripping six-episode miniseries that, while celebrated upon its debut, has been largely forgotten amid the tide of "content" since spewed in the streaming age.

That's a shame, because "The Night Manager" really is worth your while. Aside from being the closest we'll get to seeing Hiddleston play James Bond (back in 2016, the actor was a favorite Bond contender), it also showcases the man at his best regardless of the role's similarity to Britain's greatest spy. Hiddleston's compellingly inscrutable performance is matched by his co-stars: Laurie remains devilishly charming yet terrifyingly imposing, while Colman exudes a shockingly realistic jadedness and internal strength as a pregnant civil servant who's been on Roper's tail for years. There's even a surprisingly effective and unsettling turn from Tom Hollander as Roper's henchman Major Lance "Corky" Corkoran. Thankfully, we now have a second season of "The Night Manager" to remind us all to revisit, or indeed check out for the first time, the original miniseries.

In April 2024, eight years after season 1, "The Night Manager" was renewed for a second and third series by BBC One and Amazon Prime Video. The first season was scripted by David Farr, who also executive produced the miniseries and wrote the second season following John le Carré's death in 2020. That means that, despite the new season not being based on any of the author's books, it's in good hands — especially since le Carré's son Simon Cornwell is also an executive producer on the series.

"The Night Manager" season 2 finds Jonathan Pine working in London as a surveillance officer, and getting dragged back into Richard Roper's world after he encounters an associate of his former nemesis in Blighty. The trail leads Pine to Colombia, where he once again goes undercover to infiltrate the operation of arms dealer Teddy Dos Santos. Naturally, his mission isn't all that it seems, with betrayal waiting at every turn.

So far it looks as though Cornwall's claims have been vindicated, as reviews have been almost unanimously positive. Season 2 of "The Night Manager" currently enjoys a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven reviews from "top critics." That perfect score will no doubt go down as more reviews come in, but it's a strong start that bodes well for the show's first le Carré-less season. 

"The Night Manager" season 2 premiered on BBC One and iPlayer on January 1, 2026, and is set to hit Prime Video in the U.S. on January 11. The first three episodes will be released on that date, with future installments arriving every Sunday until the finale on February 1, 2026.