Plot Synopsis

SECRETS & SPIES: A NUCLEAR GAME is a four-part documentary that examines the tenuousness of global geopolitics during the Cold War through the lens of two notorious double agents: Oleg Gordievsky and Aldrich Ames. As President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher maneuver on the world stage to try to resolve the Cold War, it is in fact their agents that are pulling the strings. Gordievsky, the top KGB double agent for the British, proves invaluable by giving insight into the Soviet mindset. In the West, Aldrich is the head of the Soviet Desk for the CIA when he decides to turn traitor and work for the KGB. As the spy wars heat up in the shadows, they threaten to destabilize diplomatic efforts. The betrayals deepen, lives are lost, and some spies must embark on a daring escape. The series features rare archival interviews and never-before-heard audio from double agents Gordievsky and Ames, as well as interviews with former CIA, FBI, MI6, MI5, KGB officers and former aides to Prime Minister Thatcher and President Reagan. SECRETS & SPIES: A NUCLEAR GAME made its U.S. debut on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT on CNN:

"Paranoia" (U.S. debut on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 10pm): Spy-charged paranoia sees hostile superpowers heading to the brink of nuclear war.

"Traitors" (U.S. debut on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 10pm): Spies work behind the scenes as leaders attempt peace, but danger lurks in the shadows.

"Escape" (U.S. debut on Sunday, June 16, 2024 at 10pm): Spy work appears to bring East and West closer, but the web they weave is about to close in and jeopardize the spies themselves.

"Fallout" (U.S. debut on Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 10pm): Spycraft, betrayals, and a dramatic escape threaten fragile steps towards world peace.