Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent on London Spy: ‘It’s not a gay story. It’s about guys who happen to be gay’ | Televisn | The Guardian

Contents:

• LONDON SPY IS A GAY TWIST ON A WELL-WORN GENREGAY SPI?? Y, GAY SPI.BY RICHARD LAWSONJANUARY 21, 2016COURTY OF BBCSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIN THE NEW BBC AMERI MI-SERI LONDON SPY, PREMIERG ON JANUARY 21, TWO PEOPLE LEADG VERY DIFFERENT LIV—ONE A SECRETIVE, BUTTONED-UP TYPE, THE OTHER AN AIMLS, HEDONISTIC CLUBGOER—MEET, FALL LOVE, AND THEN ARE THROWN TO A KNOTTY TRIGUE AFTER ONE OF THEM DISAPPEARS. AS THE SERI’S TLE WOULD SUGGT, THIS IS A SPY STORY, AND S EARLY BEATS HAVE THE FAIAR RHYTHMS OF MANY A STATELY, GRAHAM GREENE–ISH MYSTERY BEFORE . ONLY, WELL, THIS TIME THE TWO LOVERS TORN APART BY SHADOWY FORC ARE BOTH MEN, GIVG LONDON SPY A FASCATG, CIDLY MORN EXTRA DIMENSN.WHAT’S SATISFYG, AND MENDABLE, ABOUT THIS SERI IS THAT DON’T SIMPLY GRAFT A GAY ROMANCE ONTO A TRADNAL SPY STORY, BUT PRENTS SOMETHG WHOSE GAYNS AND SPYNS ARE WHOLLY TERTWED AND SEPARABLE—’S A NARRATIVE FOR WHICH THE GAY ASPECT IS TEGRAL RATHER THAN CINTAL, WHICH FEELS RARE EVEN OUR PROGRSIVE AGE OF TELEVISN. IT CERTALY DON’T HURT THAT THE WOUND CLUB KID IS PLAYED BY EVERYONE’S BELOVED BRISH BEANPOLE BEN WHISHAW, OR THAT THE STRAPPG EDWARD HOLCROFT PLAYS HIS SHIFTY NEW BOYIEND. BUT THE EYE NDY IS BI THE POT. (THOUGH, GIRD YOURSELF FOR EPISO 1’S SEX SCENE—YOWSERS.) THE POT IS THAT LONDON SPY, WHICH WAS CREATED BY NOVELIST TOM ROB SMH, DO NOT SHY AWAY OM THE PARTICULARS OF GAY MALE LIFE—SEXUAL MOR, H.I.V. FEARS, VAR POTENTLY LGERG PREJUDIC—WHILE ALSO CREATG A PELLG MYSTERY SUABLE TO MORE THAN A NICHE DIENCE. (INED, WHEN THE SERI PREMIERED THE U.K. LATE LAST YEAR, EARNED HIGH RATGS.)I RECENTLY SPOKE WH SMH ON THE PHONE, CUR TO HEAR HIS TAKE ON THE GAYNS AND THE SPYNS OF ALL, AND HE EXPLAED TO ME WHY THE SERI’S LOVE AFFAIR, BETWEEN WHISHAW’S DANNY AND HOLFCROFT’S ALEX, HAD TO BE BUILT THE WAY THAT IS. “CLEARLY THE GAY THG IS CENTRAL TO THE STORY. NOT BEE OF ANY PARTICULAR AGENDA THAT I HAD, BUT BEE I THOUGHT THE MOST TERTG VERSN OF THIS STORY IS TO HAVE A GAY UPLE. BEE ’S ABOUT SOMEONE’S LOVE STORY BEG ATTACKED BY STEREOTYP. AND I N’T SEE HOW THAT WOULD WORK WH A STRAIGHT UPLE, A STRAIGHTFORWARD SENSE.”AS SMH SE , LONDON SPY’S TWISTY SECRET-AGENT TRIGUE, PARTICULARLY VOLVG M.I.6, IS A GOOD METAPHORIL F FOR THE SERI’S SOCIAL THEM. “IF I WAS BEG NEAT, THAT’S A WAY OF TALKG ABOUT THE SHOW SELF: YOU FLIP [THE M.I.6] BUILDG AROUND, ON THE REAR OF , ’S NOT AS INIC, BUT YOU HAVE THIS HIGH WALL WH SECURY MERAS AND THEN DIRECTLY OPPOSE YOU HAVE THE [VXHALL] CLUBS THAT OPEN AT 10 AND CLOSE AT 10. IT’S TERTG THAT ALL THE PEOPLE GOG TO THIS WORLD, TO THIS VERY DISCREET DOOR, ARE A SENSE OBLIV OF THE WORLD OPPOSE THEM.” BUT AT A TIME WHEN AT LEAST PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE MA GREAT STRIS ADVANCG GAY RIGHTS, IS HOMOSEXUALY STILL SOMETHG THAT N BE WRAPPED THAT PARTICULAR METAPHORIL CLOAK, SOMETHG CLANSTE AND SECRETIVE, AND POSSIBLY TROUBLED?“I HAVE IENDS WHOSE DGHTER WAS STGGLG WH BEG GAY,” SMH TOLD ME. “AND THEY’RE THE MOST WONRFUL PARENTS, AND THEY’RE LIVG LONDON, WHICH IS NOW A VERY TOLERANT AND WELG CY. AND THEY’RE STGGLG TO UNRSTAND WHY SHE MIGHT BE STGGLG WH . I JT SAID TO THEM, ‘THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A THEORETIL POSN OF EQUALY AND G TO TERMS WH ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, WORKG OUT THE DIFFICULTI AND TRYG TO OVERE .’”IN LONDON SPY WE SEE THE DIFFERENT SIS OF THAT NTUG STGGLE PLAYED OUT NOT JT BY CLOSETED ALEX AND THE MORE EE-WHEELG DANNY, BUT BY DANNY’S IEND AND PERHAPS LOVELORN MENTOR, STTIE, AN AGG SPOOK WHO EXPERIENCED AN ALTOGETHER MORE REPRSIVE KD OF DISCRIMATN HIS WOULD-BE SALAD DAYS. (STTIE IS PLAYED—NOTE-PERFECTLY, WH A SAD SORT OF WISDOM—BY JIM BROADBENT.) THROUGH S TALE OF MURR, VER-UP, AND CELLY EXPLOED STIGMA, LONDON SPY AVOIDS ANY HEAVY, OBV MSAGG, WHILE STILL REMAG UNFLCHG S QUEERNS. WHICH, TURN, BE S OWN KD OF MSAGE: Y, GAY STORI N BE VAL, AND ACCSIBLE, BEE THEY ARE GAY STORI, AND THAT’S SOMETHG WE SHOULD BE O.K. WH ADMTG, AND, AS THE BBC HAS DONE, FORTABLE SHARG WH A LARGER DIENCE.AS A MYSTERY-THRILLER, LONDON SPY MIGHT TAKE A FEW TOO MANY NTEMPLATIVE PS OR MOODY DIGRSNS TO SATISFY VIEWERS SIMPLY LOOKG FOR A BY-THE-BOOK SPY PER, BUT EVEN AS THE SERI VEERS OM TERNAL ANGST TO A MOST B OF MP—MOSTLY VOLVG CHARLOTTE RAMPLG’S WONRFULLY IGID AND WHHOLDG LADY OF A FAD HOE— MATAS S URGENCY, S VALUE AS SOMETHG ODD AND ALLURG AND, S SOMBER WAY, HOPEFUL ABOUT HOW REPRENTATN MEDIA MIGHT LOOK THE FUTURE.MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINTHE U.K. AND THE UNED STAT ARE DIFFERENT UNTRI, OF URSE, BUT IF BRA’S RPONSE TO LONDON SPY HAS BEEN ANY DITN, WE HAVE REASON TO HOPE THAT THE NEEDLE ON WHAT AMERIN DIENC WILL ACCEPT OM TELEVISN THAT FEATUR OVERT, FUNDAMENTAL GAY THEM ULD MOVE, OR ALREADY HAS MOVED, TO ACMODATE THIS SERI. “WE HAD SOME ARTICL SAYG THERE WERE ALL THE LLS TO OF, WHICH IS [BRA’S TELEVISN] REGULATOR, ABOUT THE SEX SCENE EPISO 1,” SMH EXPLAED. “THAT RAN AS A BIG STORY, AND THEN TURNED OUT THERE WAS ONE PLAT TO OF. LERALLY JT A SGLE PERSON PLAED TO OF ABOUT THE SCENE. SO THERE WAS A SLIGHT DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE VERAGE, WHICH IMPLIED THERE WAS THIS MASS OUTRAGE, AND THE REALY, WHICH IS THAT THERE WASN’T ANY OUTRAGE.”IF THERE IS ANY GENUE OUTRAGE TO BE HAD, MIGHT BE ABOUT WHERE THE SERI TAK DANNY AS HE IS PLUNGED TO A WEB OF CE AND LDHEARTED MACHATNS HE’S NOT WELL EQUIPPED TO NAVIGATE. BY THE END OF LONDON SPY, SOME VIEWERS WILL LIKELY HAVE STRONG OPNS ABOUT HOW THE SERI HANDL THE ISSUE OF H.I.V., AND HOW HANDL S MANY RED HERRGS. THOUGH THEY MIGHT GRIPE ABOUT THE WILD PLAC THE SERI ULTIMATELY GO (THE IMPLITNS OF S CENTRAL MYSTERY TURN OUT TO BE RATHER GRAND), HOPEFULLY THEY N STILL APPRECIATE HOW THE SERI MATAS S ADMIRABLE SENSE OF NVICTN—TO S STRANGENS, TO S ROMANTIC AND SOCIAL QUIRY—THROUGHOUT. LONDON SPY IS SAD AND GRIM AND MSY. BUT THERE IS A CCIAL B OF REAL HUMANY REFLECTED ALL THAT, WHICH MAK LONDON SPY AS WORTH WATCHG AS ANY MORE “TRADNAL” MYSTERY SERI, FOR ANY KD OF VIEWER. GAY SPI ARE PEOPLE, TOO, AFTER ALL.THE 20 MOST SATISFYG KISS TV HISTORY1 / 20CHEVRONCHEVRONLOST –– DMOND AND PENNYTHIS SHOW’S BT LOVE SCENE DIDN’T VOLVE KISSG AT ALL. THAT WOULD BE UPLE’S GREAT LONG-DISTANCE PHONE LL SEASON 4’S “THE CONSTANT.” AND THOUGH WE HAD SEEN DMOND AND PENNY SMOOCH FLASHBACKS, THERE WAS NOTHG QUE LIKE THIS RNN ON PENNY’S BOAT. JACK/KATE/SAWYER, EAT YOUR HEART OUT.RICHARD LAWSON
• LONDON SPY: THE GREAT GAY ESPNAGE STORY, ALMOST
• BEN WHISHAW AND JIM BROADBENT ON LONDON SPY: ‘IT’S NOT A GAY STORY. IT’S ABOUT GUYS WHO HAPPEN TO BE GAY’
• ‘LONDON SPY’: TOM ROB SMH ON GAY LOVE STORI
• REVIEW: LONDON SPY DELV INTO THE INNER LIFE OF A GAY SLTH
• REVIEW: LONDON SPY DELV INTO THE INNER LIFE OF A GAY SLTH

LONDON SPY IS A GAY TWIST ON A WELL-WORN GENREGAY SPI?? Y, GAY SPI.BY RICHARD LAWSONJANUARY 21, 2016COURTY OF BBCSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIN THE NEW BBC AMERI MI-SERI LONDON SPY, PREMIERG ON JANUARY 21, TWO PEOPLE LEADG VERY DIFFERENT LIV—ONE A SECRETIVE, BUTTONED-UP TYPE, THE OTHER AN AIMLS, HEDONISTIC CLUBGOER—MEET, FALL LOVE, AND THEN ARE THROWN TO A KNOTTY TRIGUE AFTER ONE OF THEM DISAPPEARS. AS THE SERI’S TLE WOULD SUGGT, THIS IS A SPY STORY, AND S EARLY BEATS HAVE THE FAIAR RHYTHMS OF MANY A STATELY, GRAHAM GREENE–ISH MYSTERY BEFORE . ONLY, WELL, THIS TIME THE TWO LOVERS TORN APART BY SHADOWY FORC ARE BOTH MEN, GIVG LONDON SPY A FASCATG, CIDLY MORN EXTRA DIMENSN.WHAT’S SATISFYG, AND MENDABLE, ABOUT THIS SERI IS THAT DON’T SIMPLY GRAFT A GAY ROMANCE ONTO A TRADNAL SPY STORY, BUT PRENTS SOMETHG WHOSE GAYNS AND SPYNS ARE WHOLLY TERTWED AND SEPARABLE—’S A NARRATIVE FOR WHICH THE GAY ASPECT IS TEGRAL RATHER THAN CINTAL, WHICH FEELS RARE EVEN OUR PROGRSIVE AGE OF TELEVISN. IT CERTALY DON’T HURT THAT THE WOUND CLUB KID IS PLAYED BY EVERYONE’S BELOVED BRISH BEANPOLE BEN WHISHAW, OR THAT THE STRAPPG EDWARD HOLCROFT PLAYS HIS SHIFTY NEW BOYIEND. BUT THE EYE NDY IS BI THE POT. (THOUGH, GIRD YOURSELF FOR EPISO 1’S SEX SCENE—YOWSERS.) THE POT IS THAT LONDON SPY, WHICH WAS CREATED BY NOVELIST TOM ROB SMH, DO NOT SHY AWAY OM THE PARTICULARS OF GAY MALE LIFE—SEXUAL MOR, H.I.V. FEARS, VAR POTENTLY LGERG PREJUDIC—WHILE ALSO CREATG A PELLG MYSTERY SUABLE TO MORE THAN A NICHE DIENCE. (INED, WHEN THE SERI PREMIERED THE U.K. LATE LAST YEAR, EARNED HIGH RATGS.)I RECENTLY SPOKE WH SMH ON THE PHONE, CUR TO HEAR HIS TAKE ON THE GAYNS AND THE SPYNS OF ALL, AND HE EXPLAED TO ME WHY THE SERI’S LOVE AFFAIR, BETWEEN WHISHAW’S DANNY AND HOLFCROFT’S ALEX, HAD TO BE BUILT THE WAY THAT IS. “CLEARLY THE GAY THG IS CENTRAL TO THE STORY. NOT BEE OF ANY PARTICULAR AGENDA THAT I HAD, BUT BEE I THOUGHT THE MOST TERTG VERSN OF THIS STORY IS TO HAVE A GAY UPLE. BEE ’S ABOUT SOMEONE’S LOVE STORY BEG ATTACKED BY STEREOTYP. AND I N’T SEE HOW THAT WOULD WORK WH A STRAIGHT UPLE, A STRAIGHTFORWARD SENSE.”AS SMH SE , LONDON SPY’S TWISTY SECRET-AGENT TRIGUE, PARTICULARLY VOLVG M.I.6, IS A GOOD METAPHORIL F FOR THE SERI’S SOCIAL THEM. “IF I WAS BEG NEAT, THAT’S A WAY OF TALKG ABOUT THE SHOW SELF: YOU FLIP [THE M.I.6] BUILDG AROUND, ON THE REAR OF , ’S NOT AS INIC, BUT YOU HAVE THIS HIGH WALL WH SECURY MERAS AND THEN DIRECTLY OPPOSE YOU HAVE THE [VXHALL] CLUBS THAT OPEN AT 10 AND CLOSE AT 10. IT’S TERTG THAT ALL THE PEOPLE GOG TO THIS WORLD, TO THIS VERY DISCREET DOOR, ARE A SENSE OBLIV OF THE WORLD OPPOSE THEM.” BUT AT A TIME WHEN AT LEAST PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE MA GREAT STRIS ADVANCG GAY RIGHTS, IS HOMOSEXUALY STILL SOMETHG THAT N BE WRAPPED THAT PARTICULAR METAPHORIL CLOAK, SOMETHG CLANSTE AND SECRETIVE, AND POSSIBLY TROUBLED?“I HAVE IENDS WHOSE DGHTER WAS STGGLG WH BEG GAY,” SMH TOLD ME. “AND THEY’RE THE MOST WONRFUL PARENTS, AND THEY’RE LIVG LONDON, WHICH IS NOW A VERY TOLERANT AND WELG CY. AND THEY’RE STGGLG TO UNRSTAND WHY SHE MIGHT BE STGGLG WH . I JT SAID TO THEM, ‘THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A THEORETIL POSN OF EQUALY AND G TO TERMS WH ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, WORKG OUT THE DIFFICULTI AND TRYG TO OVERE .’”IN LONDON SPY WE SEE THE DIFFERENT SIS OF THAT NTUG STGGLE PLAYED OUT NOT JT BY CLOSETED ALEX AND THE MORE EE-WHEELG DANNY, BUT BY DANNY’S IEND AND PERHAPS LOVELORN MENTOR, STTIE, AN AGG SPOOK WHO EXPERIENCED AN ALTOGETHER MORE REPRSIVE KD OF DISCRIMATN HIS WOULD-BE SALAD DAYS. (STTIE IS PLAYED—NOTE-PERFECTLY, WH A SAD SORT OF WISDOM—BY JIM BROADBENT.) THROUGH S TALE OF MURR, VER-UP, AND CELLY EXPLOED STIGMA, LONDON SPY AVOIDS ANY HEAVY, OBV MSAGG, WHILE STILL REMAG UNFLCHG S QUEERNS. WHICH, TURN, BE S OWN KD OF MSAGE: Y, GAY STORI N BE VAL, AND ACCSIBLE, BEE THEY ARE GAY STORI, AND THAT’S SOMETHG WE SHOULD BE O.K. WH ADMTG, AND, AS THE BBC HAS DONE, FORTABLE SHARG WH A LARGER DIENCE.AS A MYSTERY-THRILLER, LONDON SPY MIGHT TAKE A FEW TOO MANY NTEMPLATIVE PS OR MOODY DIGRSNS TO SATISFY VIEWERS SIMPLY LOOKG FOR A BY-THE-BOOK SPY PER, BUT EVEN AS THE SERI VEERS OM TERNAL ANGST TO A MOST B OF MP—MOSTLY VOLVG CHARLOTTE RAMPLG’S WONRFULLY IGID AND WHHOLDG LADY OF A FAD HOE— MATAS S URGENCY, S VALUE AS SOMETHG ODD AND ALLURG AND, S SOMBER WAY, HOPEFUL ABOUT HOW REPRENTATN MEDIA MIGHT LOOK THE FUTURE.MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINTHE U.K. AND THE UNED STAT ARE DIFFERENT UNTRI, OF URSE, BUT IF BRA’S RPONSE TO LONDON SPY HAS BEEN ANY DITN, WE HAVE REASON TO HOPE THAT THE NEEDLE ON WHAT AMERIN DIENC WILL ACCEPT OM TELEVISN THAT FEATUR OVERT, FUNDAMENTAL GAY THEM ULD MOVE, OR ALREADY HAS MOVED, TO ACMODATE THIS SERI. “WE HAD SOME ARTICL SAYG THERE WERE ALL THE LLS TO OF, WHICH IS [BRA’S TELEVISN] REGULATOR, ABOUT THE SEX SCENE EPISO 1,” SMH EXPLAED. “THAT RAN AS A BIG STORY, AND THEN TURNED OUT THERE WAS ONE PLAT TO OF. LERALLY JT A SGLE PERSON PLAED TO OF ABOUT THE SCENE. SO THERE WAS A SLIGHT DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE VERAGE, WHICH IMPLIED THERE WAS THIS MASS OUTRAGE, AND THE REALY, WHICH IS THAT THERE WASN’T ANY OUTRAGE.”IF THERE IS ANY GENUE OUTRAGE TO BE HAD, MIGHT BE ABOUT WHERE THE SERI TAK DANNY AS HE IS PLUNGED TO A WEB OF CE AND LDHEARTED MACHATNS HE’S NOT WELL EQUIPPED TO NAVIGATE. BY THE END OF LONDON SPY, SOME VIEWERS WILL LIKELY HAVE STRONG OPNS ABOUT HOW THE SERI HANDL THE ISSUE OF H.I.V., AND HOW HANDL S MANY RED HERRGS. THOUGH THEY MIGHT GRIPE ABOUT THE WILD PLAC THE SERI ULTIMATELY GO (THE IMPLITNS OF S CENTRAL MYSTERY TURN OUT TO BE RATHER GRAND), HOPEFULLY THEY N STILL APPRECIATE HOW THE SERI MATAS S ADMIRABLE SENSE OF NVICTN—TO S STRANGENS, TO S ROMANTIC AND SOCIAL QUIRY—THROUGHOUT. LONDON SPY IS SAD AND GRIM AND MSY. BUT THERE IS A CCIAL B OF REAL HUMANY REFLECTED ALL THAT, WHICH MAK LONDON SPY AS WORTH WATCHG AS ANY MORE “TRADNAL” MYSTERY SERI, FOR ANY KD OF VIEWER. GAY SPI ARE PEOPLE, TOO, AFTER ALL.THE 20 MOST SATISFYG KISS TV HISTORY1 / 20CHEVRONCHEVRONLOST –– DMOND AND PENNYTHIS SHOW’S BT LOVE SCENE DIDN’T VOLVE KISSG AT ALL. THAT WOULD BE UPLE’S GREAT LONG-DISTANCE PHONE LL SEASON 4’S “THE CONSTANT.” AND THOUGH WE HAD SEEN DMOND AND PENNY SMOOCH FLASHBACKS, THERE WAS NOTHG QUE LIKE THIS RNN ON PENNY’S BOAT. JACK/KATE/SAWYER, EAT YOUR HEART OUT.RICHARD LAWSON

Only, well, this time the two lovers torn apart by shadowy forc are both men, givg London Spy a fascatg, cidly morn extra ’s satisfyg, and mendable, about this seri is that don’t simply graft a gay romance onto a tradnal spy story, but prents somethg whose gayns and spyns are wholly tertwed and separable—’s a narrative for which the gay aspect is tegral rather than cintal, which feels rare even our progrsive age of televisn. ) The pot is that London Spy, which was created by novelist Tom Rob Smh, do not shy away om the particulars of gay male life—sexual mor, H. )I recently spoke wh Smh on the phone, cur to hear his take on the gayns and the spyns of all, and he explaed to me why the seri’s love affair, between Whishaw’s Danny and Holfcroft’s Alex, had to be built the way that is.

“Clearly the gay thg is central to the story.

Not bee of any particular agenda that I had, but bee I thought the most tertg versn of this story is to have a gay uple.

LONDON SPY: THE GREAT GAY ESPNAGE STORY, ALMOST

” But at a time when at least parts of the world have ma great stris advancg gay rights, is homosexualy still somethg that n be wrapped that particular metaphoril cloak, somethg clanste and secretive, and possibly troubled? “I have iends whose dghter was stgglg wh beg gay, ” Smh told me. Which, turn, be s own kd of msage: y, gay stori n be val, and accsible, bee they are gay stori, and that’s somethg we should be O.

Some sort of unfortunate natural law dictat that exactly this kd of review mt be wrten by someone, somewhere, for any new show wh gay characters. In an terview wh The Guardian, the supportg star Jim Broadbent summed up: “It’s not a gay story … It’s about the particular guys, who happen to be gay, who are the midst of this maelstrom of an unfoldg tale. Its gayns is the most tertg thg about Whishaw, renfigurg the rat of nervo anxiety to dreamy self-posssn he displays as Q the recent Jam Bond movi, plays the hero, Danny.

There are other sexualy-related factors here, too: the effects of AIDS the past and prent, the exploative dynamics created when a group mt exist on society’s margs, and the eagerns of the mastream to lump all gay people to one amoral, kky TV, ’s rare for all the currents to nverge so smartly. Wrer Tom Rob Smh talks about sex, homophobia and Danny’s future. I did not md the gay relatnship, was well portrayed.

BEN WHISHAW AND JIM BROADBENT ON LONDON SPY: ‘IT’S NOT A GAY STORY. IT’S ABOUT GUYS WHO HAPPEN TO BE GAY’

The characters beg gay is not central to the story, but the seri mirrors the taboos of sex society.

The new BBC Ameri show, wrten by thor Tom Rob Smh, opens wh a gay uple fallg love. In London, the biggt gay clubs s jt oppose the spy agency MI6.

SHAPIRO: How did you foc on this geographic juxtaposn of the gay clubs on one si of the river and the spy agency on the other si of the river? I mean, that's the reason why when I was lookg at this story stck me we had to e two men, or rather, a gay relatnship bee there was a nnectn between the spy world and beg gay on some level, this ia of pretense, this ia of, you know, who do we - the people have to lie to when we're not able to e out.

‘LONDON SPY’: TOM ROB SMH ON GAY LOVE STORI

First of all and clearly, Ben Whishaw is askg him are you out as ee to talk about your sexualy, have you told anyone else that you're gay?

Furthermore, Danny’s olr iend, Stty (Jim Broadbent), provis an sight to the days when beg gay was not only illegal the UK but actually was viewed as a disgrace wh MI6 and spy agenci. R/gaybros. Gaybros is a work built for gay men who aren't nfed to a media stereotype.

London Spy is a love story, then, between Danny and Alex, first and foremost — one of the most timate and nuanced of gay love stori put on TV some time.

REVIEW: LONDON SPY DELV INTO THE INNER LIFE OF A GAY SLTH

"London Spy's" hero is somethg of an overgrown boy - a gay warehoe worker named Danny.

The only person he n tst, if he n tst him, is Sttie, an olr, gay civil servant whose unrequed love for Danny tak the form of beg his guardian angel.

He was a In promotg "London Spy, " s stars potedly said that 's not a gay story, but a story about people who happen to be gay.

REVIEW: LONDON SPY DELV INTO THE INNER LIFE OF A GAY SLTH

But fact, one of the bt thgs about the seri is how the reali of gayns - not the sex scen, but the gay clich the thori employed to target Danny and s portra of Sttie, who might've stepped om the pag of an Alan Hollghurst novel. Havg lived through s when homosexualy uld get you imprisoned, Sttie learned to hi his te nature, to live a double life, jt like a spy.