Reilly: Ace of Spies

50min

Crime

Drama

Reilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 television miniseries dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the British. Among his exploits, in the early 20th century, were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of the Bolsheviks in 1918. His reputation with women was as legendary as his genius for espionage.

Production Companies

Thames Television

Euston Films

Episodes

Cast

An Affair with a Married Woman

1. An Affair with a Married Woman

50min

5th Sep 1983

1901: Professor Sydney Rosenblum is taken from a train and held under unofficial arrest in a provincial Russian village, suspected of stealing confidential oil surveys. The young wife of an elderly vicar may hold the secret to his escape.

Prelude to War

2. Prelude to War

50min

7th Sep 1983

1904: Reilly is stationed in Port Arthur and forced to help the Japanese, against his better judgement, in taking the port from the Russians. As a mass evacuation gets under way, Reilly’s plans are put at risk by a soft-spoken detective.

The Visiting Fireman

3. The Visiting Fireman

50min

14th Sep 1983

1905: A British operation to steal German ship plans is in danger of being uncovered. Zaharov wants the plans and Cummings wants a compromised agent saved, but Reilly decides on a unique approach to the problem.

Anna

4. Anna

50min

21st Sep 1983

1906: Reilly’s search for Margaret takes him to Paris, where Cummings forces him into helping secure an oil contract from an Australian who may sell to the Rothschilds. An unexpected turn of events reunites Reilly with his sister.

Dreadnoughts and Crosses

5. Dreadnoughts and Crosses

50min

28th Sep 1983

1910: Apparently now working for the Germans in Russia, Reilly is to bid on their behalf for a valuable weapons contract, giving him a chance to finally get his revenge on Zaharov.

Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses

6. Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses

50min

5th Oct 1983

1910: Reilly’s winning of the weapons contract depends on his marriage to a Russian Countess. Unfortunately, Margaret’s reappearance, engineered by Zaharov, threatens to ruin everything.

Gambit

7. Gambit

50min

12th Oct 1983

1918: Back in Russia, Reilly is tasked with appealing with the Bolsheviks to end their peace treaty with Germany and return to the war. When Lenin refuses, he sets in motion a plan to overthrow the government and place himself in power.

Endgame

8. Endgame

50min

19th Oct 1983

1918: Reilly’s plans come under strain when the British fail to give Savinkov the promised military support and Dzerzhinsky scuppers plans to assassinate Lenin. But then unexpected events change everything.

After Moscow

9. After Moscow

50min

26th Oct 1983

1918: Reilly and his friends filter back to Britain and face questioning from an official enquiry. As Lenin's condition becomes stable, both Reilly and Dzerzhinsky plan their next moves.

The Trust

10. The Trust

50min

2nd Nov 1983

1924: Reilly is in exile in New York drumming up support and money for Savinkov’s anti-bolshevik movement. A new organisation, the Trust, campaigns for Savinkov’s return, but Reilly suspects that Dzerzhinsky is behind them.

The Last Journey

11. The Last Journey

50min

9th Nov 1983

1925: Reilly’s propaganda war against the Trust has gone well enough for them to reach out and invite him to Russia. He hopes to finally undermine Dzerzhinsky’s operation, but Dzerzhinsky is already under scrutiny from Stalin.

Shutdown

12. Shutdown

50min

16th Nov 1983

1925: Reilly has been arrested and is subjected to interrogation and torture. Back in Britain, Pepita fights to find out the truth while Cummings campaigns for his release. As Dzerzhinsky’s whole operation is put under threat, a last minute deal is attempted.

First air date

5th Sep 1983

Last air date

16th Nov 1983

Status

Ended

Type

Miniseries

Original language

en

Networks