History of Slow Horses in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 5, 2026

Slow Horses is a British spy thriller series centered on Slough House, an MI5 branch for disgraced intelligence agents led by the cynical Jackson Lamb. The series follows the agents as they navigate complex and dangerous situations, attempting to redeem themselves while facing internal and external threats. The show explores themes of redemption, bureaucratic incompetence, and the moral ambiguities within the intelligence community. The cast includes Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jonathan Pryce, among others.

October 2019: Series Order by Apple TV+

In October 2019, Apple TV+ gave Slow Horses a straight-to-series order.

October 2019: Gary Oldman Announced to Star

In October 2019, along with the series order, Gary Oldman was announced to star in Slow Horses.

November 2020: Filming Begins in England

Filming of the first series of Slow Horses began on 30 November 2020 in England.

December 2020: Additional Cast Members Announced

In December 2020, Olivia Cooke, Jonathan Pryce, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jack Lowden were added to the cast of Slow Horses.

February 2021: Filming Continues in England

Filming of the first series continued into February 2021 in England.

July 2021: Filming Continues in Stroud

In July 2021, filming for Slow Horses continued in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

April 2022: Series Premiere on Apple TV+

In April 2022, Slow Horses premiered on Apple TV+ and received highly positive reviews.

March 2023: Filming Completed for Third Series

By March 2023, filming for the third series of Slow Horses had been completed, and filming for the fourth series was about to begin.

October 2024: Renewal for Sixth Series

In October 2024, the show was renewed for a sixth series, which will jointly adapt the sixth and seventh books, Joe Country and Slough House.

June 2025: Filming Status Update

In June 2025, Gary Oldman announced that filming for the sixth series had already been completed prior to the release of the fifth, and that filming for the seventh series was expected to begin by October of that year.

July 2025: Renewal for Seventh Series

In July 2025, Apple TV+ renewed Slow Horses for a seventh series which is to be based on Bad Actors, ahead of the fifth series premiere.

July 2025: Will Smith's Departure as Showrunner

In July 2025, it was announced that Will Smith would depart as showrunner after the fifth series, with Gaby Chiappe and Ben Vanstone taking over as head writers for the sixth and seventh series, respectively.