Apple TV Locks In 'Slow Horses' Season 8, Tapping Mick Herron's 'Clown Town' for Next Chapter

Apple TV has renewed its acclaimed spy drama 'Slow Horses' for an eighth season, a decision announced just ahead of the show's Season 6 premiere and hot on the heels of another Emmy win. The renewal, confirmed by multiple outlets, sets the series to adapt Mick Herron's ninth novel 'Clown Town' for its next installment, with production expected to begin shortly, according to Deadline. The announcement comes as the streaming service prepares to debut Season 6, which stars Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden, per MovieWeb. The new season will reportedly feature a major confrontation between Oldman's Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, as they uncover one of MI5's darkest secrets, Decider reported. This narrative thrust continues the show's focus on the ragtag misfits of the Slough House division, a premise that has made it a flagship title for the platform. "The acclaimed British show 'Slow Horses,' led by veteran and Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, has become a huge hit for Apple TV, and it focuses on a ragtag misfit group of MI5 agents has helped put Apple's streaming service on the map alongside other high-profile TV projects like 'The Morning Show' and 'Foundation.'" The Playlist noted that the series' success is hardly a surprise given its track record, which now includes a recent Emmy for Outstanding Directing, as highlighted by Decider. The Season 8 renewal follows the previously announced Season 7, which will be based on Herron's 'Bad Actors', according to Deadline, indicating the show is far from running out of source material. Media Play News reported that the six-episode Season 8 will be adapted from 'Clown Town', the ninth novel in Herron's 'Slough House' series, which has been a rich vein for the show's blend of dark comedy and espionage. With Season 6 debuting soon and Season 7 already in the pipeline, Apple TV is clearly banking on the series' continued momentum, a bet that seems well-placed given its Emmy pedigree and devoted fanbase. The announcement, made on Sept. 15, underscores how central 'Slow Horses' has become to Apple's original programming strategy, as Epicstream and UPI both echoed in their coverage of the renewal.

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