Search movies & TV shows...

Loading...

Home Search Browse Watchlist Profile

Sign in Sign up

The Sandbaggers poster

The Sandbaggers(1978–1980)

September 18, 19783 Seasons · 20 Episodes

Ended

Drama

War & Politics

4.1from 12 users

Overview

The Sandbaggers is a British television drama series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, The Sandbaggers examines the effect of the espionage game on the personal and professional lives of British and American intelligence specialists.

“The best spy series in television history.”

Created by Ian Mackintosh

Network ITV1

Seasons

The Sandbaggers (1978) | Couchpile

Series 1 poster

Series 1

7 Episodes

1978

First Principles

E01

First Principles

9/18/1978·60m

Neil Burnside, the Director of Operations for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, objects to sending his best agents, the Sandbaggers, on a mission into Russia for Norway's Secret Service.

A Proper Function of Government

E02

A Proper Function of Government

9/25/1978·60m

The Sandbaggers may be sent to Vienna to keep tabs on a possible defector, while Burnside tries to get official approval to assassinate an African dictator.

Is Your Journey Really Necessary?

E03

Is Your Journey Really Necessary?

10/2/1978·60m

Alan Denson threatens to quit the Sandbaggers after a rough, unauthorized mission near the Soviet border, so Burnside applies pressure to Denson's fiancee

The Most Suitable Person

E04

The Most Suitable Person

10/9/1978·60m

Sandbagger One Willie Caine goes to Gibraltar to investigate the murder of an SIS agent, and potential new Sandbagger Laura Dickens goes to Morocco to get more clues in the case.

Always Glad to Help

E05

Always Glad to Help

10/16/1978·60m

Dickens is assigned to find out where an Arab sheik's sympathies lie while Burnside clashes with Deputy Chief Matthew Peele and the Ministry of Defence over a covert scuba-diving operation.

A Feasible Solution

E06

A Feasible Solution

10/23/1978·60m

Caine and an agent fresh out of field school go to Cyprus on the trail of some missing rocket scientists while Neil lets his romantic guard down at home.

Special Relationship

E07

Special Relationship

10/30/1978·60m

Laura Dickens is the most qualified agent for a risky mission in East Berlin and Burnside has to double-deal to make sure her presence there won't pose other security risks as well.

Series 2 poster

Series 2

6 Episodes

1980

At All Costs

E01

At All Costs

1/28/1980·60m

The head of the Bulgarian Secret Service asks to meet with Sandbagger Tom Elliott in Sofia, but Burnside doesn't like it and intends to give Elliott backup whether his bosses approve or not.

Enough of Ghosts

E02

Enough of Ghosts

2/4/1980·60m

Permanent Under-Secretary of State Sir Geoffrey Wellingham goes missing in Brussels and the Sandbaggers are dispatched to find him, for Burnside's sake as well as Wellingham's.

Decision by Committee

E03

Decision by Committee

2/11/1980·60m

On an airline flight back from Sri Lanka, Caine and CIA covert-action agent Karen Milner run into trouble during their stop in Turkey, and Burnside runs into bureaucratic opposition when trying to help them.

A Question of Loyalty

E04

A Question of Loyalty

2/18/1980·60m

Sandbagger Mike Wallace runs afoul of the local SIS station while on a risky mission in Warsaw, and Burnside risks his own career to show him support by sending him on a subsequent mission to Stockholm.

It Couldn't Happen Here

E05

It Couldn't Happen Here

2/25/1980·60m

In the wake of the assassination of one U.S. senator, the Sandbaggers are assigned to bodyguard another, while Burnside gets wind of a traitor in the British cabinet.

Operation Kingmaker

E06

Operation Kingmaker

3/3/1980·60m

When there's talk of getting a new 'C', Burnside decides to back Peele for the job, believing him more malleable than the other most likely candidate, whom Burnside once clashed with.

Cast

Roy Marsden

Neil Burnside

Ray Lonnen

Willie Caine

Michael Cashman

Michael Cashman

Mike Wallace

D

Dennis Burgess

C

Sue Holderness

Marianne Straker

Where to Watch

Stream

Amazon Prime Video

Britbox Apple TV Channel

BritBox

BritBox Amazon Channel

Plex

Plex

Plex Channel

Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads

Amazon Prime Video with Ads

Tubi TV

View all options on TMDB

Streaming data provided by JustWatch

Series 3 poster

Series 3

7 Episodes

1980

All in a Good Cause

E01

All in a Good Cause

6/9/1980·60m

CIA Head of London Station Jeff Ross asks for Burnside's help when Ross' marriage is in trouble, but then Burnside starts to suspect that the KGB and MI5 have an interest in that marriage as well.

To Hell with Justice

E02

To Hell with Justice

6/16/1980·60m

SIS Director of Intelligence Edward Tyler meets a suspicious woman while on holiday in Malta, so Burnside secretly sends the Sandbaggers to keep an eye on him.

Similar TV Shows

The West Wing (1999) poster

The West Wing

1999

The Secret Path (2025) poster

The Secret Path

2025

Kill to Love (2025) poster

Kill to Love

2025

Burn Notice (2007) poster

Burn Notice

2007

MacGyver (1985) poster

MacGyver

1985

The Imperial Concubine's Plan (2025) poster

The Imperial Concubine's Plan

2025

The Spy (2019) poster

The Spy

2019

The Assets (2014) poster

The Assets

2014

The Zelensky Story (2024) poster

The Zelensky Story

2024

24 (2001) poster

24

Unusual Approach

E03

Unusual Approach

6/23/1980·60m

'C' orders Burnside to go on a working holiday in Rhodes, and while he's gone, Ross asks Caine for some risky backup in the USSR, but as Acting D.Ops., Caine would have to send Wallace.

My Name Is Anna Wiseman

E04

My Name Is Anna Wiseman

6/30/1980·60m

Burnside tries to get approval to plant a woman in the Soviet Union as a long-term double agent, but he neglects to mention that her real mission is short-term human rights propaganda.

Sometimes We Play Dirty Too

E05

Sometimes We Play Dirty Too

7/7/1980·60m

When a British intelligence source is killed in an accident in Prague, Caine is sent in to find out what really happened while Wallace and Burnside look for clues at home.

Who Needs Enemies

E06

Who Needs Enemies

7/14/1980·60m

When a rival for Burnside's job gets hold of a CIA document that describes Burnside as a divisive influence, SIS upper management contrives to promote Burnside ``sideways'' to Madrid.

E07

Opposite Numbers

7/28/1980·60m

Burnside is opposed to an East-West arms treaty being negotiated in Malta, so he and the Sandbaggers conspire to scuttle the talks by encouraging a Soviet double agent to defect.

2001