The sixth season of Slow Horses is now being shown, having already wrapped its seventh outing, with an eighth already filmed and set aside. The Emmy-winning show follows the rejects of MI5, with Gary Oldman leading as Jackson Lamb. The series is drawn from Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, of which there are nine.
What the Source Says
The show has been renewed for its sixth season, which premiered on September 16. Season 7 has already been shot, and an eighth is in the works. Season 9 is not confirmed.
The Season Pattern
Each year has seen at least one season, with the show’s debut marking the start of the first of them. Season 1 began in April 2022, Season 2 in December 2022, Season 3 in November 2023, Season 4 in September 2024, Season 5 in September 2025, and Season 6 in September 2026. Keeping that pace up, Season 7 would be in fall 2027, and Season 8 in fall 2028. Season 9 would likely follow in fall 2029, though the source does not state this point.
What Books Each Season Covers
Slow Horses provided the basis for Season 1, and Dead Lions did the same for Season 2. Real Tigers underpinned Season 3, while Spook Street shaped Season 4. London Rules formed the foundation for Season 5, and Season 6 drew upon Joe Country and the novel Slough House. Season 7 will tackle Bad Actors, and Season 8 will adapt the most recent Herron novel, Clown Town, which is the ninth in his series.
What Oldman Says
Oldman told TV Insider as part of an in-depth Season 6 Fall Preview: “Mick’s going to keep writing books, I guess. And if Apple is happy with us and keeps writing the checks, they’re the ultimate — they’ll be the ones to keep it going or end it. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The TV show could also draw on novellas, he remarked.
The Cast
The cast of Season 6 includes Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Rosalind Eleazar, Joanna Scanlan, Samuel West, Ruth Bradley, Tom Brooke, Jonathan Pryce, and Hugo Weaving. Lenny Rush joins the list, and Olivia Cooke comes back.
What This Means for Fans
The series is keeping its usual speed. An eighth season is being prepped just after the sixth one started airing, and Oldman’s own words suggest the future depends on Apple’s checks. That is the whole story.
The Bottom Line
Slow Horses has not been renewed for Season 9. But with the books still coming and the show’s pattern of annual seasons, the next season is almost certainly on its way. Only Apple knows for sure.
Key Facts Box
- Season 6 premiered September 16
- Season 7 has been filmed
- Season 8 is in the works
- Season 9 is not confirmed
- The show follows the rejects of MI5
- Mick Herron has written nine Slough House novels
Source material: “Will ‘Slow Horses’ Return for Season 9?,” TV Insider.
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