The Night Manager (British TV series)
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Based on the gripping 1993 novel by John le Carré, "The Night Manager" is a British spy thriller that captivated audiences worldwide. This six-part series, masterfully directed by Susanne Bier, brought to life the intricate world of espionage with a stellar cast. Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, David Harewood, and Elizabeth Debicki led the charge in this critically acclaimed production, which first aired on BBC One on February 21, 2016. Its international appeal was undeniable, with sales reaching over 180 countries.
The series garnered significant recognition, earning thirty-six award nominations and winning eleven, including two prestigious Primetime Emmy Awards for director Susanne Bier and composer Victor Reyes, and three Golden Globe Awards for its leading actors: Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Laurie.
In a testament to its enduring popularity, "The Night Manager" was renewed in April 2024 for a second and third series by BBC One and Amazon Prime Video. Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman are set to reprise their roles, with Georgi Banks-Davies taking the helm as director for the new installments. The highly anticipated second season premiered on January 1, 2026.
Adding to its global footprint, an Indian adaptation of "The Night Manager" was released in 2023, featuring Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sobhita Dhulipala.
The premise of "The Night Manager" centers on Jonathan Pine, a night manager at a luxury Cairo hotel and a former British soldier. He is drawn into a dangerous mission by Angela Burr, a Foreign Office task force manager, to infiltrate the inner circle of notorious arms dealer Richard Roper.
The series boasts an impressive ensemble cast. Tom Hiddleston portrays Jonathan Pine, a man driven by a desire to bring down Richard Roper. Hugh Laurie embodies the charismatic yet ruthless arms dealer, Richard "Dickie" Onslow Roper. Olivia Colman is Angela Burr, the determined head of the Foreign Office's International Enforcement Agency. Alistair Petrie plays Alexander "Sandy" Langbourne, Roper's financial director, while Douglas Hodge is Rex Mayhew, Burr's supportive superior. David Harewood appears as Joel Steadman, an American ATF agent and Burr's ally, and Michael Nardone is Frisky, one of Roper's loyal henchmen.
Supporting characters include Noah Jupe as Danny Roper, Roper's young son, and Gijs Naber as Jaco Brouwer, a mercenary in Roper's employ.
Series 1 featured Tom Hollander as Major Lance "Corky" Corkoran, Roper's second-in-command, and Elizabeth Debicki as Jemima "Jed" Marshall, Roper's girlfriend and Pine's love interest. Natasha Little is Caroline "Caro" Langbourne, Sandy's wife and Jed's friend. Tobias Menzies plays Geoffrey Dromgoole, a senior MI6 official who clashes with Burr's mission, and Antonio de la Torre is Juan Apostol, Roper's lawyer. Adeel Akhtar is Rob Singhal, Burr's second-in-command, and Hovik Keuchkerian portrays Tabby, another of Roper's henchmen.
Notable supporting roles in Series 1 include David Avery as Freddie Hamid, an Egyptian playboy and Roper ally, and Amir El-Masry as Youssuf, a chef and friend to Pine. Aure Atika is Sophie (Samira) Alekan, Hamid's girlfriend and Pine's secret lover in Egypt. Nasser Memarzia is Omar Barghati, who seeks to buy weapons from Roper, and Russell Tovey plays Simon Ogilvey, a Foreign Office diplomat and Pine's old friend. Neil Morrissey is Harry Palfrey, an MI6 officer who sympathizes with Burr's mission, and Jonathan Aris is Raymond Galt, Dromgoole's deputy. Katherine Kelly plays Pamela, the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Office, and Bijan Daneshmand is Kouyami, a senior member of Barghati's consortium. Hannah Steele appears as Marilyn, a single mother Pine encounters.
Series 2 introduces Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos, a Colombian arms dealer, and Camila Morrone as Roxana Bolaños, a Colombian businesswoman who forms an alliance with Pine. Paul Chahidi is Basil Karapetian, a senior MI6 official, and Hayley Squires plays Sally Price-Jones, an MI6 officer part of Pine's surveillance unit. Indira Varma is Mayra Cavendish, the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste is Dr. Kim Saunders, Pine's MI6-mandated psychiatrist. Slavko Sobin plays Viktor, Unax Ugalde is Juan Carrascal, Alberto Ammann is Alejandro Gualteros, and Diego Santos is Martín Álvarez.
Supporting cast in Series 2 includes Kerr Logan as Adam Holywell, an international business broker, and Anil Desai as Waleed, an MI6 officer in Pine's surveillance unit. Alex Mugnaioni is Graham, and Raphel Famotibe is Mike, both MI6 officers in the Night Owls unit. Annabel Mullion plays Celia Mayhew, Rex's wife.
Production of the first series began in January 2015, a co-production between the BBC, AMC, and The Ink Factory. Filming commenced in Zermatt, Switzerland, and later moved to London, Devon, Marrakesh, and Majorca, Spain, wrapping on July 3, 2015. John le Carré himself made a cameo appearance in episode four.
Series 2 entered development in February 2023, with Hiddleston confirmed to return. By April 2024, BBC and Amazon Prime Video had officially ordered the second and third series, with Hiddleston and Colman returning, and Laurie serving as executive producer. Several cast members from Series 1 reprised their roles, joined by new additions. Filming for Series 2 began on June 14, 2024, and concluded on December 6, 2024, with production spanning 93 days across international locations, including London and Colombia, with over 75% of the story set in Colombia. Filming also took place in Spain and France. Series 2 began broadcasting on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK on January 1, 2026, and premiered on Amazon Prime Video outside the UK on January 11. A teaser trailer for Series 2 aired in November 2025.
"The Night Manager" received widespread critical acclaim. Series 1 holds a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 8.4/10, praised for its smart writing, riveting story, and captivating performances from Hiddleston and Laurie. Metacritic awarded the series a score of 82/100, indicating "universal acclaim." Critics lauded the adaptation's ability to expand on le Carré's novel, with Hugh Laurie's portrayal of Richard Roper being particularly praised as a "horribly convincing villain." The Guardian described the series as "sexed up" and "sumptuous," highlighting the "vulpine performance" of Laurie and Hiddleston's embodiment of "paralysed establishment glamour." IGN reviewer Jesse Schedeen called it a "tightly paced, suspenseful" miniseries, ideal for bringing le Carré's novels to life. While some critics found the series "elegant but ultimately empty," others hailed it as a "brilliant adaptation," celebrating the performances and Susanne Bier's cinematic direction.
Series 2 also garnered positive reviews. The Guardian gave the first episode four out of five, noting that while the drama remained "cashmere and silk," it no longer felt "pristine." The Independent awarded the first two episodes four out of five, commending the series for being "gripping without being excessively silly" and for successfully replicating its successful formula.
The series has been honored with numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
The Night Manager is a British spy thriller television serial based on the 1993 novel by John le Carré and adapted by David Farr. The six-part first series, directed by Susanne Bier and starring Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, David Harewood and Elizabeth Debicki, began broadcasting on BBC One on 21 February 2016. It has been sold internationally by IMG (now Fifth Season) to over 180 countries.
The Night Manager was nominated for thirty-six awards and won eleven, including two Primetime Emmy Awards (for director Bier and music composer Victor Reyes) and three Golden Globe Awards (for Hiddleston, Colman, and Laurie).
In April 2024, The Night Manager was renewed for a second and third series by BBC One and Amazon Prime Video, with Hiddleston and Colman reprising their roles (among others), and Georgi Banks-Davies directing. The second season premiered on 1 January 2026.
In 2023, an Indian adaptation was released, starring Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sobhita Dhulipala.
== Premise ==
Jonathan Pine, night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo and former British soldier, is recruited by Angela Burr, the manager of a Foreign Office task force investigating illegal arms sales, to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper.
== Cast and characters ==
=== Overall ===
==== Main ====
Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, a former military officer and hotel night manager seeking to bring down Richard Roper.
Hugh Laurie as Richard "Dickie" Onslow Roper (series 1; guest series 2), a charismatic but ruthless arms dealer.
Olivia Colman as Angela Burr, the Head of the Foreign Office's International Enforcement Agency, seeking to bring down Roper.
Alistair Petrie as Alexander "Sandy" Langbourne, Lord Langbourne, Roper's financial director.
Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew, Burr's supportive superior at the Foreign Office.
David Harewood as Joel Steadman, an American ATF agent and ally of Burr.
Michael Nardone as Frisky, one of Richard Roper's henchmen.
==== Supporting ====
Noah Jupe as Danny Roper, Roper's young son.
Gijs Naber as Jaco Brouwer, a mercenary working for Roper.
=== Series 1 ===
==== Main ====
Tom Hollander as Major Lance "Corky" Corkoran, Roper's second in command and front man.
Elizabeth Debicki as Jemima "Jed" Marshall, Roper's girlfriend and love interest of Pine.
Natasha Little as Caroline "Caro" Langbourne, Lady Langbourne, Sandy's wife and Jed's friend.
Tobias Menzies as Geoffrey Dromgoole, a senior MI6 official antagonistic to Burr's mission.
Antonio de la Torre as Juan Apostol, Roper's lawyer.
Adeel Akhtar as Rob Singhal, Burr's second in command at the IEA.
Hovik Keuchkerian as Tabby, one of Richard Roper's henchmen.
==== Supporting ====
David Avery as Freddie Hamid, an Egyptian playboy and ally of Roper.
Amir El-Masry as Youssuf, a chef at the Nefertiti hotel and close friend of Pine.
Aure Atika as Sophie (Samira) Alekan, Hamid's girlfriend and Pine's secret lover in Egypt.
Nasser Memarzia as Omar Barghati, the head of a consortium seeking to buy weapons from Roper.
Russell Tovey as Simon Ogilvey, an old friend of Pine's and a Foreign Office diplomat in Cairo.
Neil Morrissey as Harry Palfrey, an MI6 officer working for Dromgoole, but sympathetic to Burr's mission.
Jonathan Aris as Raymond Galt, Dromgoole's deputy at MI6.
Katherine Kelly as Pamela, the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Office and Mayhew's superior.
Bijan Daneshmand as Kouyami, a senior member of Barghati's consortium.
Hannah Steele as Marilyn, a single mother Pine meets in Devon.
=== Series 2 ===
==== Main ====
Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos, a Colombian arms dealer.
Camila Morrone as Roxana Bolaños, a Colombian businesswoman who reluctantly allies with Pine.
Paul Chahidi as Basil Karapetian, a senior MI6 official.
Hayley Squires as Sally Price-Jones, an MI6 officer and member of Pine's surveillance unit, the Night Owls.
Indira Varma as Mayra Cavendish, the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Dr. Kim Saunders, Pine's MI6-mandated psychiatrist.
Slavko Sobin as Viktor
Unax Ugalde as Juan Carrascal
Alberto Ammann as Alejandro Gualteros
Diego Santos as Martín Álvarez
==== Supporting ====
Kerr Logan as Adam Holywell, an international business broker working with the criminal underworld.
Anil Desai as Waleed, an MI6 officer and member of Pine's surveillance unit, the Night Owls.
Alex Mugnaioni as Graham, an MI6 officer and member of Pine's surveillance unit, the Night Owls.
Raphel Famotibe as Mike, an MI6 officer and member of Pine's surveillance unit, the Night Owls.
Annabel Mullion as Celia Mayhew, Rex's wife.
== Production ==
=== Series 1 ===
In January 2015, it was announced that the series, an adaptation of John le Carré's novel of the same name, would be co-produced by the BBC, AMC and The Ink Factory, starring Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman in lead roles, written by David Farr and directed by Susanne Bier. Onsite services were provided by Palma Pictures.
Filming began on 19 March 2015 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Production then moved to London. From 13 to 17 April 2015, location filming took place at Blackpool Mill Cottage, Hartland Abbey, and in and around Hartland, Devon. On 20 April 2015, production moved to Marrakesh, Morocco. The Es Saadi Resort was used as the location for the fictional Nefertiti Hotel in Cairo. At the end of May, production moved to Majorca, Spain; principal photography wrapped in Majorca on 3 July 2015. Notable places include Port de Sóller, luxury property La Fortaleza in Port de Pollença and several locations in Palma.
Le Carré makes a cameo appearance as an insulted restaurant diner in episode four.
=== Series 2 ===
In February 2023, it was reported that the second series was in development with Hiddleston set to return. In April 2024, it was announced that BBC and Amazon Prime Video had ordered a second and third series, with Hiddleston and Colman returning in lead roles and Laurie as an executive producer. Alistair Petrie, Noah Jupe, Douglas Hodge and Michael Nardone also reprise their roles from the first series, while Camila Morrone, Diego Calva, Indira Varma, Paul Chahidi and Hayley Squires joined the cast in lead roles. Georgi Banks-Davies serves as director for the second series.
Filming for the second series began on 14 June 2024 and concluded on 6 December 2024, as confirmed by director Georgi Banks-Davies on her Instagram account. Production reportedly spanned 93 shoot days and took place in multiple international locations including London for three weeks and Colombia for five. "More than 75% of the story is about Colombia", confirmed Barry Ryan, head of production at Ink Factory. Colombian drug barons featured in the original book, but were replaced by Middle Eastern warlords in the first series that adapted it. Filming also took place in Spain and France.
Series 2 began broadcasting on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK on 1 January 2026, and is to start on Amazon Prime Video outside the UK from 11 January.
A teaser trailer for Series 2 was broadcast on BBC One ahead of the Celebrity Traitors final in November 2025.
== Episodes ==
=== Series overview ===
=== Series 1 (2016) ===
=== Series 2 (2026) ===
== Broadcast ==
The first episode of The Night Manager was broadcast on 21 February 2016 on BBC One in the United Kingdom. AMC Spain broadcast the series on 24 February 2016 in Spain. TV3 in New Zealand broadcast the series on 28 February 2016. In the United States, the show premiered on 19 April 2016 on AMC. The serial aired in Australia on BBC First on 20 March 2016. The serial aired in Saudi Arabia on AMC starting on 6 June 2016. In Finland the serial premiered 22 June 2016 on MTV3. In Sweden the serial first aired on 22 August 2016 on TV4, split up into eight episodes not the original release of six episodes. In Germany the serial started airing on 29 August 2016 on ZDF. The series was broadcast on Raidió Teilifís Éireann in Ireland on 29 August 2016. On 24 February 2017, The Night Manager started to air in the Netherlands on public broadcaster NPO 1, being broadcast by AVROTROS. The series was broadcast by BBC Persian from 15 February 2018 in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
==== Series 1 ====
The series holds a 91% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 67 critics with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Night Manager's smart writing and riveting story are elevated all the more by Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston's captivating performances." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gives the series a score of 82/100 based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Adam Sisman, le Carré's biographer, wrote in the UK The Daily Telegraph: "It is more than 20 years since the novel was published, and in that time two film companies have tried and failed to adapt it, concluding that it was impossible to compress into two hours. But this six-hour television adaptation is long enough to give the novel its due." He added: "And though Hugh Laurie may seem a surprising choice to play 'the worst man in the world', he dominates the screen as a horribly convincing villain. Alert viewers may spot a familiar face in the background of one scene, in a restaurant: John le Carré himself makes a cameo, as he did in the films of A Most Wanted Man and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. But he is on screen only for an instant: blink and you'll miss him."
Reviewing the first episode for The Guardian, Archie Bland began by noting: "The Night Manager is as sexed up as television drama comes. In Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie it has bona fide international stars; in John le Carré's source novel it has a pedigree of untouchable grandeur. The palette is as sumptuous as one of our hero Jonathan Pine's beautiful hotels". He added, "It's Laurie's vulpine performance that gives The Night Manager its force once the smell of money has worn off. But we barely see him for the first 40 minutes – a delayed gratification trick that's always worked like magic on me, ever since we spent the whole first episode of The West Wing waiting impatiently to meet Josiah Bartlet." Turning to Hiddleston's performance, Bland wrote: "And as the embodiment of the show's atmosphere of paralysed establishment glamour, Hiddleston is the business. When the noble beast beneath that accommodating English exterior begins to make itself known, I find the righteous revenge he's intent on wreaking on Roper compelling."
IGN reviewer Jesse Schedeen gave the serial 8.8 out of 10, saying: "The Night Manager proves that television is the ideal format to bring le Carré's novels to life. This miniseries is tightly paced, suspenseful and boasts strong performances from the likes of Hiddleston, Laurie, Colman and Hollander. With any luck, this series will open the doors for more of le Carré's classic spy tales to make their way to the small screen."
The New Yorker reviewer Emily Nussbaum was unimpressed, calling the miniseries "elegant but ultimately empty", with "overwrought sequences of doomed love", "just an old recipe made with artisanal ingredients". She praised the actors but found the characterisation of Roper "less Dr. No and more Mr. Magoo". However, Brian Tallerico called it a "brilliant adaptation" on RogerEbert.com, with praise for the performances of Hiddleston and Laurie, and for Susanne Bier's direction: "Bier brings a cinematic language to The Night Manager, and a deeper understanding of character than we often get in projects that hinge on espionage. She understands that it's not about the twists and turns of the spy game but the impact it has on those who are playing it."
==== Series 2 ====
Writing in The Guardian, Jack Seale gave the first episode four out of five, saying: "Although the drama still feels like cashmere and silk, the blade stashed in the folds isn’t so sharp [...] There is something fundamentally gauche, too, about the way season two methodically tries to rebuild the dynamic of the first run", but concludes: "None of this is to say The Night Manager is suddenly average: it still floats far above most of the competition. But it no longer feels pristine."
The Independent gave the first two episodes four out of five with Nick Hilton remarking: "Gripping without being excessively silly, compelling without being indulgently cerebral, The Night Manager pulls off the, increasingly rare, trick of knowing its audience, understanding its success, and replicating the formula."
=== Accolades ===
== Notes ==
== References ==
== External links ==
The Night Manager at AMC
The Night Manager at BBC Online
The Night Manager at the British Film Institute
The Night Manager at IMDb
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