10 Shows To Watch if You Love 'The Old Man'

For those looking to keep the ball rolling with a similar series like The Old Man, think about watching shows like The Night Agent or even Reacher. With twists, turns, and characters who are a little more than untrustworthy, there are plenty more spy series out there, full of espionage, fighting, and complex people who are stuck in the middle of it all. Take a look because these shows are just as binge-worthy as The Old Man.

10 'The Americans' (2013–2018)

Created by Joe Weisberg

At the height of the Cold War, Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) were tasked with being a typical American family. In reality, they are two KGB agents deep undercover and living in the suburbs of Washington D.C. While they might look and act like a normal family, even having two teenage kids who have no idea who their parents truly are, thinking they have a normal, boring life, Philip and Elizabeth are there to do one thing only: spy on American intelligence. Things get complicated, though, when an FBI agent, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), moves in next door.

The main theme of The Americans is definitely espionage, but it also tackles family, marriage, and what it means to hold American values. The series is a slow-burn drama that includes complicated characters who think they know what they want out of life, only to find out they need something else entirely. It tackles the whole question of “Do you really know your neighbors,” and what happens when what you once thought was the right thing turns out to be completely wrong in the end.

9 'Slow Horses' (2022–)

Created by Will Smith

Based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron, Slow Horses is all about M15 agents, primarily the rejects. The assignment is all in the name; the Slough House is for agents way past their prime, people who might be a little slow to the task and really messed up in the field. They are sent there because there is no reason to actually fire them, and, weirdly enough, they wind up getting involved in cases that can severely endanger the whole of Britain. Between the abuse given by boss Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and not getting respect from other M15 agents, the Slow Horses have a need to prove themselves to the agency.

Like The Old Man, Slow Horses is all about the older folks of M15, those who aren’t necessarily quick to act, are a bit slow on the computer, and yet still have the knowledge and skills to get the job done. It is a spy thriller headed by the truly talented Oldman, as he has a strange authority and loyalty over a group of misfit agents. It is a new take on the espionage genre, showcasing a group that should really think about retirement but has a way of making their job still mean something in the grand scheme of things.

8 'Lioness' (2023–)

Created by Taylor Sheridan

A CIA special ops team in the Middle East, Lioness centers around CIA clandestine operations officer Joe (Zoe Saldana) as she organizes the Lioness program that’s meant to put a female operative deep undercover in order to gain intel from her target. In this case, the undercover operative is Cruz (Laysla de Oliveira), a headstrong fighter who is way over her head and must learn what it means to not only be part of a team but how to survive when things get extremely difficult in the war against terror.

A spy thriller that keeps viewers guessing, Lioness might be thrilling and full of espionage, but it also begs the question of what happens when a war begins to get closer and closer to home. Viewers watch as Cruz goes undercover, not only overseas but also on American soil, while Joe is trying her best to keep her alive and deal with family issues at the same time. It is an interesting drama that has a moody energy and suspenseful narrative as each character runs into trouble time and again.

7 'Reacher' (2022–)

Created by Nick Santora

Based on the Reacher book series by Lee Child, Reacher follows the story of former U.S. Army military policeman Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson). A drifter who goes from town to town solving deadly crimes, Reacher finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy when he is accused of a murder he did not commit. Now, he must use he must hone the skills he learned in the military to tackle the dirty cops, politicians, and shady businessmen who framed him. A loner with a formative skillset, Reacher takes viewers on an action-packed journey full of conspiracy, fights, and a quest to find out the truth.

The series is very close to the source material, bringing the title character to life in all of his ex-military glory. While he is a loner, Reacher does have a team behind him, helping him solve cases and figure out what is going on in the criminal world. Like The Old Man, this series is all about the main character being on the run and trying to figure out a way to get out of the mess he finds himself in.

6 'The Night Agent' (2023–)

Created by Shawn Ryan

The Night Agent follows an FBI agent tasked with monitoring the phone used by the secretive Night Agent program, Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), is pretty bored. He sits in a dark room and waits for a lone telephone to ring, not exactly knowing who is going to be on the other side or why they’d be calling. He wasn’t told much. Little does he know that he, along with civilian cybersecurity entrepreneur Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), is about to be thrown into a government conspiracy that started with Rose’s aunt and uncle being murdered, her reason for calling the Night Agent phone.

With two assassins tracking them down, Peter and Rose are on the run, trying desperately not only to stay alive but to find out who the traitor is in their government. A fun thriller, The Night Agent strings viewers along in the best way possible. It has twists and turns in each episode, and, honestly, there is no way to know who to trust and who the high-level traitor in the cast of characters is. The show was very popular when it first aired on Netflix and is in the process of filming a second season for viewers to enjoy.

5 'Counterpart' (2017–2019)

Created by Justin Marks

Couterpart mixes espionage with the supernatural in an alternate timeline Berlin as Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) learns his spy agency is harboring quite the secret – a gateway to a parallel dimension. The two dimensions are in a Cold War-like feud, and Silk winds up in the middle of it, ducking away into a world of espionage and government conspiracies where the only person he can really trust is, weirdly enough, his alternate dimension self, Prime. Needless to say, things get pretty wild when the low-level agent meets up with someone a little more intense, even though that other person happens to wear the same face as him.

The series has great suspense throughout its two seasons and an even better performance given by Simmons. Counterpart isn’t talked about often, but it is one of those spy shows that takes the genre and really runs into a totally different direction, one filled with unanswered questions and a parallel dimension full of familiar faces and unfamiliar personalities. The series dives into the lore of both universes while playing out a complex narrative you have to see to believe.

4 'The Terminal List' (2022–)

Created by David DiGilio

Based on Jack Carr's 2018 novel of the same name, The Terminal List brings viewers on a wild ride through the world of Navy SEAL James Reece (Chris Pratt). Returning home after his entire platoon is ambushed, Reece needs to find a new normal. The only problem is that his return home isn’t exactly going as planned, as dark forces are trying to take not only him but his loved ones out of the equation. Not remembering the entire truth about what happened during the ambush, Reece finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy that only gets more and more complicated as he tries his hardest to keep himself and his family alive.

Pratt does well as Lieutenant Commander James Reece, bringing viewers into the world of government conspiracy and a pseudo-unreliable main character who can’t remember much of what happened to him. It’s a thrilling tale full of twists, turns, and a whole lot of violence as viewers watch some pretty gory scenes as Reece fights for his life. With a complex character on the run from those he thought were on his side, The Terminal List is an entertaining and interesting watch.

3 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' (2018–2023)

Created by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland

A political action thriller based on Tom Clancy’s popular “Ryanverse,” Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan follows former United States Marine and current CIA financial analyst Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) on his many adventures through conspiracy, consumption, and the war on terror. The thing is, Ryan really didn’t expect his findings of strange bank transfers to move him from his comfy and safe desk job to wearing a Kevlar vest out in the field. Alas, he is tasked with finding the culprits, eventually becoming a full-time field agent.

Throughout four seasons, viewers watch as Ryan takes down a corrupt Venezuela, Islamic extremists, an untraceable tactical nuclear bomb, and even an alliance between a drug cartel and a terrorist organization while being the CIA’s acting deputy director. Jack Ryan sees its main character going on many thrilling operations, each one full of adventure, conspiracies, and action as Ryan tries to piece together different parts of various equations to track and take down the bad guys. It is an intense show that brings together a complex narrative and fun action sequences to deliver one of the more entertaining thriller shows on television.

2 'Person of Interest' (2011–2016)

Created by Jonathan Nolan

Former CIA agent John Reese (Jim Caviezel) is on the run from the government in Person of Interest. While it sounds bad, he is on the run solely because the government believes the former Special Forces soldier and CIA operative is dead; he was burnt out and wanted something different. Living in New York, Reese is eventually contacted by Harold Finch (Michael Emerson), a billionaire tech genius who created something called the Machine, a software program that racks communications and identifies “persons of interest,” people who might go on to commit terror acts. They become a strange vigilante tag team, monitoring these people of interest and seeing why they made the list.

The concept is very interesting as it is a play on The Patriot Act of 2001, tracing electronic devices to weed out potential terrorists on United States soil. With the plot taking place post-9/11, the narrative really plays into that sense of paranoia that was very prevalent in the public, especially those living in New York. Person of Interest is a show of complex intrigue, with an interesting take on the espionage genre and civilians taking matters into their own hands.

1 'Human Target' (2010–2011)

Developed by Jonathan E. Steinberg

Loosely based on the DC comic of the same name, Human Target is a bit different than The Old Man, yet still holds the same intense intrigue. The series follows Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), a private contractor with a very specific skillset – he is a mercenary for hire who takes on jobs to protect clients, gathering intel on specific targets designated by his clients while doing so. Breaking ranks from being one of the world’s greatest assassins, Christopher is trying his hardest to start his life over, something that is easier said than done when an organization led by “The Old Man” (Armand Assante) is looking for you.

With impressive stuntwork, interesting storylines, and a character who wants nothing more than to be left alone, Human Target is definitely one of those shows fans of The Old Man should think about watching. Formatted as a case-of-the-week procedural, it still packs enough of a punch to remain entertaining. It is one of those good DC TV shows that isn't talked about much since it isn't in the Arrowverse, but with a villain named The Old Man, how can fans of The Old Man not give it a try?

NEXT: The Best Spy Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked