Reilly: Ace of Spies

The amazing true story of the world's first international super spy

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Reilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 television miniseries dramatising 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.

Sep 5, 19831 seasons12 episodesEndedEN

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Sam Neill

Sidney Reilly

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Seasons

Miniseries

12 episodes

Premiered Sep 5, 1983

Episodes

1–6 of 12

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Ep 1

An Affair with a Married Woman

Sep 5, 1983

50m

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.

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Ep 2

Prelude to War

Sep 7, 1983

50m

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.

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Ep 3

The Visiting Fireman

Sep 14, 1983

50m

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.

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Ep 4

Anna

Sep 21, 1983

50m

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.

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Ep 5

Dreadnoughts and Crosses

Sep 28, 1983

50m

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.

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Ep 6

Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses

Oct 5, 1983

50m

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.

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