BBC TWO EXPLORE THE COLD WAR SPIES IN NEW SERIES

It’s the early 1980s and the Cold War is reaching its dramatic climax. Mistrust, hostility and paranoia have dominated relations between East and West, bringing them to the very edge of open conflict.

Keeping the fragile balance of power between the two sides is a secret network of spies.

In the shadows, they wage a clandestine battle, using espionage, brinkmanship, and double agents in a bid to try and keep their leaders - Reagan, Thatcher and Gorbachev - one step ahead.

This 3x60 series for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will tell the hidden story of the real-life spies and traitors embroiled in a deadly game of cat and mouse, risking everything to ensure their own side gains the upper hand in this cutthroat battle for world domination.

This is a clandestine war, where there are no rules, and one mistake, or one betrayal, will cost you your freedom or even your life...

A true story with all the grit, drama and intrigue of a fictional spy thriller, this series will reveal the secret battles and hidden intrigues, stolen secrets and daring escapes that helped prevent a nuclear apocalypse and shaped the outcome of the Cold War.

Spy Wars: The Eighties (w/t), a 3x60' for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by BBC Studios. The Executive Producer is Abigail Priddle and it was commissioned by BBC Head of History, Simon Young.