The upcoming Paramount+ with Showtime’s espionage series,The Agency, is generating a lot of excitement leading up to its premiere on November 29. StarringMichael Fassbenderas a top-level CIA agent, code name Martian, the series introduces Martian shortly after being ordered to abandon his work in the field as an undercover agent and report back to the bureau’s London Station.His return to a normal life is complicated, however, by an intimate relationship he had while undercover, with a partner who may be an agent herself.The Agencypromises that the season will follow them “into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage” asThe Agencydives deep into “intrigue and subterfuge, with characters fighting their own battles as they grapple with existential threats to the nation and the world.” What it fails to mention is ifthe series is inspired by the true stories of CIA agents.
‘The Agency’ Is One Degree Away From the Truth of ‘The Bureau’
The answer is short and sweet:The Agencyis not based on a true story. But, like the agency itself, behind the answer is a degree of subterfuge.The Agencymay not be, but it is based on another series thatis, in fact,based on real accountsfrom former spies. Or, toquote one Obi-Wan Kenobi, “What I told you was true… from a certain point of view.” That series isThe Bureau(Le Bureau des légendes), a French production that ran for 5 seasons, beginning in 2015.The Bureauearned worldwide acclaim from critics and viewers alike, even landingthe number three spoton theNew York Times' “30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade.” What separates the series from others of its ilk is its realism. There are moments of intense action, but those aretempered with the momentsthat build up to that action: patience, negotiation, and seduction. In that regard, the series isrelated favorablytoHomeland.
That commitment to realism was a deliberate choice of executive producer and creatorEric Rochant, who, per theNew York Times, wanted the series to closely mirror the way the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security, aka the French CIA) operates. To that end, Rochant and his writers weregranted exclusive access to the DGSEto learn firsthand how the agency works (perForbes). That access paid off in spades, with Rochant and the writers able to bring the things they learned to the screen. They learned that their words could never be literal but would always need to have subtext, things inferred, implied, or not said at all. There are lies, and there’s knowing who to lie to, and every message has double, even triple, meaning. And what needed to come across ishow the bureau spends their time trying to find the truths that lay behind them all. It’s unclear ifThe Agencyhas that same access to the CIA, but, like the premise, it seems to be taking its cues from the original…
The CIA May Not Back ‘The Agency,’ but It Did Back ‘The Agency'
Spy Culturepurports to have proof that the CIA worked for months consulting with the producers ofDesignated Survivor, released well after the show’s finale. Take the validity of those documents with a grain of salt: it looks good, but so far, appears to be the only reference to such. The CIA is much more forthcoming about their involvement withThe Agency, however. Not the new one, but the CBS series from 2001. That series has some similarities in showing the intelligence agencies' inner workings,but focuses more on that aspect, as opposed to the 2024 series, which has a discernible main character in Fassbender.
‘The Agency’ Review: Michael Fassbender Can’t Rescue Showtime’s Slog of a Spy Show
Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright’s committed performances can’t rise above a dull series.
The Agencyseries from 2001 is directorWolfgang Petersen’s first TV series. Unlike the two other secret agent series that premiered that same year —24andAlias— the showrunners had first-hand experience with the CIA, emerging as thefirst show to ever film inside CIA headquarters. As for why an arm of the government, whose whole purpose in being is to be secretive, would allow that this level of access, Petersen explains, “Now that the Cold War is over, people are questioning whether we need a CIA, and this is a great opportunity [for the CIA] to get the word out.” According to Petersen, that access and the presence of an ex-CIA agent on set for consultation gained a series of thumbs-ups from CIA agents.But it didn’t help, withThe Agencyunable to achieve the same level of success that the two other 2001 series attained, and it was cancelled by CBS after two seasons.
Time will tell, of course, how 2024’sThe Agencyis remembered. Who knows — sometime down the road, we may learn that much of the series was based on the real-life stories of CIA agents. But until then, the truth remains as secretive as the organization it’s based on.
The Agencypremieres November 29 on Paramount+ with Showtime
The Agency
The Agency is a 2024 espionage thriller following covert CIA agent Martian, who is recalled to London Station, disrupting his undercover life. As a former romance rekindles, Martian’s career and true identity are jeopardized, leading him into a high-stakes world of international intrigue and deception.
