15 tense political thrillers to binge after watching Hostage
The Suranne Jones series continues to scratch the political thriller itch, but there are plenty of others to get stuck into.
With Hostage having just landed on Netflix, the five-part series will surely be blitzed through in no time.
Starring Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy, the Matt Charman-penned drama centres on the British Prime Minister and French President who are embroiled in quite the sophisticated (and chilling) blackmail scheme that threatens the lives of those they hold dear.
At just five episodes long, the show takes us on quite the rollercoaster and transports us behind the scenes of 10 Downing Street in the process. But Hostage is far from the first political thriller to make waves amongst TV fans, with the likes of Bodyguard, Zero Day and Scandal all taking us behind the scenes of the political system for edge-of-your-seat action.
Already blitzed through Hostage and looking for something similar to add to your watchlist? Scroll on for 15 of the best political thriller picks that you're going to want to binge-watch immediately.
1. Bodyguard
Where to watch: Netflix
Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio dabbled in the political sphere for this hit series, which landed on our screens back in 2018. Following war veteran turned bodyguard David Budd (Richard Madden), he is assigned to Home Secretary Julie Montague (Keeley Hawes) whose politics he personally doesn't agree with but must face the task at hand.
2. The Diplomat
Where to watch: Netflix
Keri Russell leads the cast of this hit Netflix thriller, which is set to release its third season very soon. Starring as Kate Wyler, she must navigate an international crisis and a new high-profile job as an ambassador to the UK after previously working as a US diplomat. Throw in a deteriorating marriage and a new place in the media spotlight, and you've got all the makings of a thriller full of twists.
3. Designated Survivor
Where to watch: Netflix
Kiefer Sutherland is no stranger to a political thriller (more on that below), but in this series he stars as the unlikely US President after previously working as the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. When an explosion kills everyone in the regular line of succession, he must not only navigate his new leading role of the country but also try to figure out who was behind the attack in the first place.
4. Homeland
Where to watch: Disney+
There's a whopping eight seasons of this hit series to get stuck into, with the sheer amount of surprising twists enough to keep you hooked. Claire Danes stars as CIA operative Carrie Mathison who lives with bipolar disorder and, initially, is looking into an American prisoner (Damian Lewis) who she believes joined forces with Al-Qaeda.
5. Scandal
Where to watch: Disney+, Channel 4
One of Kerry Washington's defining roles, Scandal is the perfect kind of series you'll want to binge-watch. Working as a crisis PR manager, Olivia Pope is tasked with covering up the most salacious and damning political stories for her clients and while the series does follow a case-per-episode format, we also follow Olivia's own personal ties to the White House – and President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn).
6. The Night Agent
Where to watch: Netflix
There's no better time to get acquainted with this series, seeing as it's gearing up for its third season. Gabriel Basso stars as Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent who is working to monitor an emergency line when he receives a life-changing phone call that throws him into a wider White House conspiracy plot.
7. Jack Ryan
Where to watch: Prime Video
Another instalment in the extended Ryanverse created by author Tom Clancy, this Prime Video series consists of four meaty seasons as we follow John Krasinski's CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Taken from his regular desk job to being right out in the field, each season digs into international plot lines that weave action, politics and warfare into its gripping episodes.
8. Zero Day
Where to watch: Netflix
This recently released series landed on Netflix earlier this year and boasts a star-studded cast headed up by Robert De Niro as popular former President George Mullen. When a major zero-day cyberattack takes hold of the US and results in thousands of deaths, he is brought in as chairman of a special commission who must find out who is behind the deadly attacks.
9. The Newsroom
This drama takes a slightly different look at the political world, as it centres on the fast-paced inner workings of the newsroom at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. Created by The West Wing's Andy Sorkin, it covers the media industry, the corridors of power and corporate greed as they must work together to produce quality content.
10. Paradise
Where to watch: Disney+
Another recently released gem, Paradise is full of twists, not least the one that becomes all too apparent by the end of its premiere episode. When the President of the United States is found murdered in his idyllic neighbourhood, his Secret Service agent Xavier (Sterling K Brown) is thrown into the line of suspicion. He didn't do it but knowing how enclosed their community is, he must uncover the truth – and boy, is it complicated.
11. The Night Manager
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer
Working as the night manager of a luxury hotel, Jonathan Pine is recruited by intelligence officer Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) to infiltrate a dangerous inner circle with ties to secret arms deals, the government and more. As he tries to remain undetected but find out key bits of information, you'll be left clenching your jaw at just how tense the series can get. Now's also a great time to catch up as the drama is set to return for two new instalments.
12. The Americans
Where to watch: Disney+
Another Keri Russell hit series, this time round she stars alongside Matthew Rhys as two Soviet KGB intelligence officers who pose as a married American couple. Set during the Cold War, the series explores the tensions between the two countries as the pair must use their cover to spy on the American government whilst also navigating the ups and downs of regular married life.
13. 24
Where to watch: Disney+
A defining action drama that covers 24 hours each season, the tension never really lets up in this Kiefer Sutherland series. Centring on Jack Bauer, an agent working for Los Angeles' Counter Terrorist Unit, he uses people on both sides of the political fence to thwart multiple terror attacks – whatever the cost.
14. Borgen
Where to watch: Netflix
This Danish political thriller follows the leader of a minority political party, Birgitte Nyborg, who has her eyes set on being Denmark's first female Prime Minister. The hit series follows Birgitte as she navigates changing political climates, topical issues and more.
15. State of Play
Not to be confused with the 2009 Hollywood film of the same name starring Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe, this series comes from Shameless writer Paul Abbott. Focusing on the aftermath of the death of a political researcher, a team of reporters get on the case and start to uncover plenty of political secrets in the process.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
