Slow Horses Season 6: Start date confirmed Apfelpatient

Apple TV has released a first look at the sixth season of "Slow Horses" and confirmed the global release date. The multi-award-winning spy drama starring Sir Gary Oldman returns on September 16, 2026 – and this time sends the straggling agents on the run.

"Slow Horses" has become one of the streaming service's most reliable flagships over five seasons: a spy drama with British sarcasm, Emmy and BAFTA TV awards, and a lead actor who carries the entire format. With the confirmation of the sixth season, Apple continues a series of high-profile launches that already shaped the Apple TV programming rolled out over the summer. Alongside the date, there are already first images and an outlook on the plot.

Global launch on September 16th

Apple TV Slow Horses Season 6 — Image: Apple

The sixth season consists of six episodes and premieres worldwide on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. New episodes will then be released weekly until the season finale on October 21, 2026. For those who want to catch up before the premiere or discover the series for the first time, the complete first five seasons are available on Apple TV.

On the run: the plot of the sixth season

The focus remains on Slough House, the unflatteringly named MI5 dumping ground where intelligence officers languish after career-ending mistakes. Sir Gary Oldman reprises his role as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant yet ill-tempered leader of the team, who regularly find themselves entangled in the hall of mirrors of the espionage world. In the new season, the Slow Horses are put on the run after Diana Taverner draws them all into a deadly game of retribution and revenge.

The series is based on "Joe Country" and "Slough House," the sixth and seventh novels in Mick Herron's CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning "Slough House" book series. This close adherence to the literary source material has already given the series its blend of pace, dark humor, and unexpected twists in previous seasons.

Gary Oldman and a prominent ensemble

Oldman, who has already received nominations for a Golden Globe, Emmy, Actor Award, and BAFTA TV Award for his role, leads a tightly cast ensemble. Returning cast members include Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Rosalind Eleazar, Joanna Scanlan, Samuel West, Ruth Bradley, Tom Brooke, Jonathan Pryce, and Hugo Weaving. New to the cast is BAFTA TV Award winner Lenny Rush.

A critically acclaimed film with top marks

"Slow Horses" has earned its reputation as one of the strongest spy series of our time over many years: All five seasons so far have received the "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with two even achieving the rare perfect critic score of 100 percent. In addition, it has won an Emmy Award and a BAFTA TV Award, and continues to receive praise from critics and audiences alike.

The series is produced for Apple TV by See-Saw Films. Executive producers include Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Julian Stevens, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Adam Randall, Gail Mutrux, Douglas Urbanski, and Oldman himself. Co-executive producer Gaby Chiappe is responsible for the adaptation of the sixth season, with Adam Randall returning as director.

Apple's spy flagship enters the next round

With "Slow Horses," Apple renews one of its most prominent brands in a lineup that has recently garnered numerous awards - from the global television phenomenon "Severance" to the BAFTA-winning comedy "The Studio". The September launch adds one of the streaming service's strongest assets to its fall lineup. (Image: Apple)