'Masterpiece' series fans say is just like Slow Horses and the 'finest of the genre'

With the fifth series of one of Apple TV's most popular series ever arriving, some fans may already be wondering where they're going to get their next hit of comical British spy drama from.

The answer is a series which has been around for a while but has fallen into obscurity as it has aged. However, it promises all the same unique selling points as Slow Horses - dry humour; witty action and love-hate characters with one reviewer calling it "one of the finest crafted stories I've watched in my 40+ years on this planet in any medium."

One desperate Slow Horses fan took to Redditto ask what to watch next saying "I wish I could erase my brain and watch this series again for the first time. But I can't, so I turn to you Reddit."

One user replied saying "Patriot - because no one mentioned it yet (the focus is on the absurdity/dark comedy, though)." Another replied: "Such an underrated and unsung heroic tale. Not sure why prime never gave it the hype it deserved." One more added: "I got that recommendation on this sub and loved Patriot."

Patriot follows intelligence officer John Tavner, played by Michael Dorman (The Invisible Man, Daybreakers) who is tasked with preventing Iran from developing nuclear capabilities. However, this requires him to adopt a volatile, non-official cover and go rogue.

The series, rated an impressive and unusual 8.2/10 onIMBdhas garnered a host of positive reviews. One reviewer called the series a "masterpiece" adding: "This is hands down one of the finest crafted stories I've watched in my 40+ years on this planet in any medium.

"At a glance this may appear to be just another spy thriller. But what lies beneath is a dark comedy wrapped in a drama/mystery/thriller. And the writers treat the audience with a level of respect rarely seen these days. They expect you to pay attention and follow along so they don't just spoon feed you every detail up front.

"But they also don't leave you hanging too far out there either. The narrative has a back and forth ebb and flow around when the main events take place but isn't afraid to jump to the future and past on a whim to give you more depth and background.

"Rarely do you see characters this well crafted, stories this deep and philosophical boundaries questioned with casual deference while juggling political commentary and still managing to toss in some laughs even in the darkest of moments."

The super-fan added the cast is, in part, what makes this story so convincing. They added: "Beyond the story being great there is also a solid cast. I don't think there was a single bad performance in this show. Every actor with even the smallest part was a brilliant casting choice that fit precisely into their role. And the leads shoulder burdens that would make Shakespeare proud.

"Even from a technical standpoint this was a beautifully shot work of art. Despite the obviously minimal budget there are some simple gorgeous shots in a variety of interesting locations. From old world cities to industrial junk yards, to simple forest scenes. This was a director and cinematographer duo that know how to make the visual story just as interesting as the word play in the script.

"If you have a brain you will laugh, you will cry, and you will wonder why TV and movies don't attempt to be this good more often." Season one of Patriot is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.