RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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S low Horses , Apple TV's wry cult spy series, isn't planning on, well, slowing down anytime soon.
The show, starring Gary Oldman as the crotchety and flatulent Jackson Lamb; Jack Lowden as River Cartwright; and Kristin Scott Thomas as MI5 director Diana Taverner, hit a bit of a snag at the end of its most recent fifth season, when lead writer and executive producer Will Smith walked away from the show for other pursuits.
While Slow Horses , which films in Britain, doesn't operate with a traditional showrunner, Smith served as the de facto captain at the helm. His departure raised some questions about the future of the slow-burn series. However, executive producer Doug Urbanski says the production, in part because there isn't a lone showrunner, had built up a creative foundation that meant if they couldn't figure out the best way forward, they should all resign. Related Stories Movies Oscars: Switzerland Picks Gaza Doc 'Who is Still Alive' as Best International Feature Submission TV The America 'Gilded Age' Creator Julian Fellowes Fell For Is the America He Puts on TV
"Will leaving really meant that we just had to solve it, and I think we did, as you will see with season six about to premiere," Urbanski says. "Some people have seen it already and have said they think it's the best season yet. Now we've heard that season after season, but it is very good."
After the first couple of seasons flew under the radar, Slow Horses has in recent years cemented itself among shows consistently vying for critical recognition. For its most recent season, the show nabbed nine Emmy noms, including lead and supporting actor nods for Oldman and Lowden, as well as best drama series.
"There's not one award that I've been nominated for that I haven't been surprised by, and the same goes for Gary," Urbanski reveals. " Awards add another sort of pressure to the whole thing. … So we don't really think about awards, and we don't make the show for awards. But the recognition is nice."
The sixth season of Slow Horses is set to premiere Sept. 16. Co-executive producer Gaby Chiappe was tapped to serve as lead writer for the season, which will be the first in the series to adapt two of author Mick Herron's books for a single season — usually one book nets out to one six-hour run of a season.
Urbanski says in order to keep the character and story momentum of previous seasons going, combining the sixth and seventh books in Herron's series made the most sense. "We thought the two books each were thin enough," he explains, adding that Herron's novels remain the creative foundation for the series. "Often some of the best dialogue and scenes you see in the show are stuff that Mick Herron has already authored."
With nine books on the shelf and a seventh season of TV based on the eighth novel already in production, the runway for the series after that point remains a question for fans. Urbanski says, however, the creative team is committed to keeping the show going, so long as they're able to continue balancing its delicate tone and everyone involved — Apple, Oldman, etc. — wants to keep showing up.
"We're all having the family conversation," Urbanski says. "But get this: Most TV shows don't have books, so we can figure this out. … And there's another thing: Mick Herron hasn't stopped writing. I can't speak for Mick, but you never know, more books might be coming."
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe .
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